Narc appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. This turned into a fine Dolby Vision presentation for a gritty project.
Overall sharpness looked good. Some softness appeared – usually due to stylistic choices – but the majority of the film came with solid accuracy.
No signs of jagged edges or moiré effects materialized, and I saw no edge haloes. The image came with ample grain but no print flaws marred the presentation.
Narc opted for highly stylized tones that emphasized dreary blues, sickly greens and pale yellows. Given the visual choices, the disc replicated the colors well, and HDR added oomph to the tones.
Blacks seemed deep and rich, while shadows offered appropriate clarity in this often high-contrast image. HDR brought extra emphasis to whites and contrast. Too intentionally ugly to become a visual showcase, the scan nonetheless represented the source well.
Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the film’s Dolby Atmos remix offered an aggressive soundtrack. Unsurprisingly, the film’s various violent scenes offered the biggest impact, as these used the channels to create an active and involving setting.
Other sequences went with a heightened sense of reality that also added kick to the soundscape. General environmental material felt well-depicted, and music used the speakers nicely too.
Audio quality worked nicely, with speech that appeared natural and concise. Music showed appealing range and vivacity.
Effects packed a punch, as they seemed accurate and dynamic, without obvious distortion. Expect a soundtrack that suits the film well.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the simultaneously released Arrow Blu-ray? Both came with identical audio.
As expected, the Dolby Vision 4K boasted improvements related to sharpness, colors and blacks. Again, the movie’s style meant the film never turned into something you would use to show off your TV, but the 4K reproduced it as well as possible.
As we hit extras, we launch with a circa 2002 audio commentary from writer/director Joe Carnahan and editor John Gilroy. Both sit together for a running, screen-specific discussion of story, characters and themes, cast and performances, sets and locations, editing and cinematography, music, stunts and action, and connected domains.
While that acts as a strong collection of topics, one issue arises here: Carnahan’s frequent stabs at humor. He jokes an awful lot through the commentary, and that would seem fine if his witticisms actually amused.
But they usually fall flat, and that becomes a moderate problem with the chat. Nonetheless, the track offers enough useful material to merit a listen despite the clumsy attempts to joke.
Viewers can take in the film with or without an optional introduction from writer/director Joe Carnahan. Shot for this 2024 package, it lasts a whopping 12 seconds and just tells us we’re about to watch the movie’s 4K restoration. Yawn.
All the other extras appear on a separate Blu-ray disc, and there we open with four featurettes created for this 2024 release. Shattering the Blue Line runs 13 minutes, 42 seconds and offers more from Carnahan.
The filmmaker covers the movie’s origins and evolution as well as thoughts about cast/crew and the production. Surprisingly little of this repeats from the commentary, so “Line” works well.
Shooting Narc goes for 10 minutes, six seconds. It offers info from director of photography Alex Nepomniaschy.
As expected, this one looks at his cinematography as well his collaboration with Carnahan. We find an appealing look at these visual choices.
Next comes If You Live Another Day, a chat with actor Krista Bridges. This reel spans 16 minutes, 20 seconds.
Bridges talks about how she came to the film as well as her character/performance and additional experiences on the film. Bridges provides a fine look at these topics.
The Journey of the Costume lasts 18 minutes, 31 seconds. It presents remarks from costume designer Gersha Phillips.
Unsurprisingly, Phillips relates thoughts about the movie’s clothes as well as what brought her to the profession. We find nice insights connected to the film’s costumes.
Also found on the original DVD, four clips arrive under "Archival Featurettes”. Making the Deal spans 13 minutes, 20 seconds and involves Carnahan, producer Diane Nabatoff, and actors Ray Liotta and Jason Patric.
“Deal” digs into the movie’s roots and development, cast and performances, rehearsals, the film’s style, and locations. Inevitably, some of this info repeats from elsewhere, but “Deal” nonetheless comes with a reasonable amount of new material.
The Visual Trip goes for 13 minutes, two seconds. It gives us material from Carnahan, Gilroy and Nepomniaschy, though slanted heavily toward Carnahan.
Like the title implies, “Trip” digs into the movie’s photographic design choices as well as locations, music and editing. Carnahan issues some quality thoughts about a mix of subtle decisions.
Up next, The Friedkin Connection runs for nine minutes, 50 seconds. It brings remarks from filmmaker William Friedkin.
As implied by the title, Friedkin looks at Narc and how it links to his own work, with an emphasis on 1971’s classic The French Connection. Nothing spectacular results, but Friedkin brings an interesting perspective.
Shooting Up fills 19 minutes, 26 seconds. We find info from Carnahan, Liotta, Patric, Nabatoff, Friedkin and executive producers Paula Wagner and Tom Cruise – though again with a major emphasis on Carnahan.
This featurette looks at issues with the production’s lack of money as well as some scene specifics and the movie’s eventual release. Expect another good collection of notes.
Eight EPK Interviews ensue. We get two separate segments from both Carnahan (one hour, 42 minutes, 50 seconds total) and Liotta (51 minutes, 17 seconds total) as well as clips with Nabatoff (21:52), Nepomniaschy (18:03), Patric (15:31) and Friedkin (36:04). Note that with Carnahan and Liotta, their first reels were taped during the film’s production whereas their second chats came during post-production.
These offer long versions of the sessions used for the 2003 featurettes. As such, these follow similar topics, but they often do so in greater detail.
These unedited segments become fun to see given their roughness. We see how the interviewer asks subjects to repeat responses for greater promotional clarity, and we see goofs as well.
Beyond this “how they make the sausage” entertainment, we also find a lot of useful information. Carnahan’s post-production interview – which runs 71 minutes – probably fares best, and Nabatoff’s chat – which lacks substance – works worst, but I still appreciate this wealth of footage.
In addition to the film’s trailer, the set concludes with an Image Gallery that includes 72 photos. These mostly show shots from the film, though we get a few behind the scenes elements as well. The collection feels forgettable.
A gritty and bracing thriller, Narc avoids too many clichés along the way. Instead, it delivers a dark and involving journey. The 4K UHD comes with solid picture, audio and bonus materials. This turns into a solid cop flick.
To rate this film, visit the prior review of NARC
