Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Patriot Games 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released Director Phillip Noyce's 1992 revenge thriller 'Patriot Games' to the UHD format. The disc, which is currently exclusive to a five-film Jack Ryan box set, features new 2160p/Dolby Vision video. The UHD disc carries over the 2008 Blu-ray's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack and adds no new supplements.

Patriot Games 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Patriot Games makes a fairly substantial leap in making the transition from 1080p Blu-ray to 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD. The presentation is handsomely filmic and a solid step forward in that regard when comparing to the Blu-ray, though the UHD's evenness, crispness, and extremely high yield texturing nearly make the process of comparing moot; it's easy to see the image's superiority on its own, right out of the gate. Grain is fairly thick but even and consistent in presentation. It's complimentary of the image's high end textural qualities. Perhaps the most agreeable improvement is that the BD's frozen grain structure is a distant memory, replaced by a much more desirable, organic presentation. Clothes appear robustly complex, sharp as a tack and revealing of each fine line, stitch, seam, and fabric texture with scene-commanding ease. Skin textures enjoy effortless complexity while various environmental locations dazzle with organic, tack-sharp definition, ranging from Miller's worn-down prison cell seen in the 28-minute mark to various busy streets, whether London exteriors or the area just outside of the Naval Academy where there's an attempt on Ryan's life partway through the film. There are a few inherently softer shots and corners throughout the film, but such are of no concern in the larger picture. No matter how spartan or dense an environment or character position on the screen, the UHD never struggles to bring an exemplary filmic presentation to firm, striking life.

The image's Dolby Vision color enhancement pays immediate dividends, presenting white text that's much more brilliant than it is on the aging BD, while the red title pushes to extreme intensity that yields a more solidified and more aggressively punchy shade. Overall, there's a noticeable push to gray about the image, obvious right away when the camera pans through the empty Ryan house. Colors appear somewhat drained as a rule, though there are some exceptions which yield very well pronounced reds and greens. The palette can certainly not be described as "intense," but the somewhat more pronounced push to bleak compliments the movie's darker tones and emotional undercurrents without robbing it of essentials. Whites are notably crisper and black levels enjoy newfound depth, darkness, and stability without even approaching crush. Technical hiccups are very few and far between and of little importance.

Patriot Games 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Patriot Games' UHD disc includes the same Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the 2008 Blu-ray. For a full audio review, please click here.

Patriot Games 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD release of Patriot Games contains no new bonus content. The disc's menu offers only options for "Play," "Settings," and "Scenes." The bundled Blu-ray does include the scant collection of previously released extras, which include a featurette and a trailer. For convenience, below is a list of what's included. For full supplemental content coverage, please click here. An iTunes digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Patriot Games Up Close
• Theatrical Trailer

Patriot Games 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While none of the Jack Ryan films to follow The Hunt for Red October proved anywhere near as memorable, Patriot Games crafts an extremely good revenge thriller that more than any other entry personalizes Tom Clancy's most widely recognized character in a way that none of the other films have achieved (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit tries rather hard and generally succeeds). With Ryan and his family in the crosshairs of a relentless, bloodthirsty, revenge-minded terrorist, the film maintains a gravity and intimate depth that brings Ryan's great threat and challenge into his own home. A top-flight cast and Phillip Noyce's steady direction bring the film home. Paramount's UHD delivers revelatory 2160p/Dolby Vision video (though some may not like the drain to the color palette when compared to the Blu-ray). Audio and supplements remain unchanged; a new Atmos track would have been a welcome addition. Recommended.