When the president of Russia
suddenly dies and is succeeded by a man about whom little is
known, tension increases as old fears ignite new paranoia.
Director of Central Intelligence
Bill Cabot (Freeman) recruits a young analyst from the Russia
desk, Jack Ryan (Affleck), to supply insight and advice. Then
the unthinkable happens: the capital of Chechnya is leveled by a
nuclear bomb. America is quick to blame the Russians and
mistrust escalates despite Ryan's certainty that other players
are at work. Terrorists bent on provoking open war between the
two nations are moving behind the scenes to manufacture and
escalate a conflict. When they successfully detonate a second
bomb outside Baltimore during the Super Bowl, the world is
pushed inexorably towards war unless Ryan can supply the needed
proof to stem the tide of disaster in time.
THE SUM OF ALL FEARS
is a first-rate film. The film is not an action packed affair,
but if your looking for a thought-provoking, more mature film, THE SUM OF ALL FEARS is an excellent choice. I
thought this film was well made and entertaining.
THE SUM OF ALL FEARS
appears in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this
single-sided, dual-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for
16X9 televisions. I thought the DVD presentation looked
wonderful. The color pallets were perfect. Sharpness was fine.
The film
remained distinct and detailed throughout its presentation. I
noticed a bit of edge enhancement on a few shots, but not enough
to merit a major concern; light grain was detected as well, but
again not enough to cause concern. Black levels came across deep
and rich, while shadow detail appeared dark. Overall, THE SUM OF ALL FEARSpresented a realistic image quality.
The
Audio
THE SUM OF ALL FEARS
is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The mix presentation
was adequate. It seemed like the track really didn’t kick in
until after the second half of the film, therefore to truly
enjoy the DD 5.1 track you’ll need to linger till then. The
audio quality was brilliant, speech was natural and the films
score sounded fresh and definite.
The
Extras
2 Commentaries: Director Phil
Alden Robinson and Cinematographer John Lindley & Director
Phil Alden Robinson and Novelist Tom Clancy
2 Documentaries: The Making-Of
The Sum Of All Fears & "Creating Reality: the Visual
Effects of The Sum Of All
Fears
Theatrical
Trailer
Overall
THE SUM OF ALL FEARS
is an involving drama that works adequately well and held my
attention the entire time. If you're a fan of Tom Clancy novels
then this film will not dissatisfy you. The DVD provides
terrific picture along with a decent audio track, but don’t
forget about the substantial roster of extras.
Highly
recommended.
