Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Season Three 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 16, 2023

Jack Ryan has been a formidable character on the page and on the screen, appearing in dozens of novels and several films of high regard in which the character was portrayed by no less than four actors. But with Amazon's Jack Ryan, the character, now played by John Krasinski, has really come into his own for a new generation in a way that the Chris Pine take never quite achieved. Here, with more breathing room (though still lacking far behind the depth of Clancy's original novels), the character flourishes in a modern setting but still exhibiting the same character traits and core sensibilities that have translated nicely from page to screen and into a new generation. Season three sees the story continue, this time along the course to a potentially global and devastating World War between superpowers.

Official synopsis: In Season 3 of Tom Clancy's 'Jack Ryan,' Jack (John Krasinski) is working as a CIA case officer in Rome when he is tipped off that the Sokol Project, a secret plan to restore the Soviet Empire, is being resurrected more than 50 years after it was thought to have been shut down. Jack embarks on a mission to confirm the intelligence, but things quickly go awry, and he is wrongly implicated in a larger conspiracy. Crisscrossing Europe, he races against the clock to stop the cascade of destabilizing conflicts from leading to global catastrophe.

Jack Ryan’s third season offers everything audiences have come to expect of the show and the character. There’s globetrotting intrigue and action, a plot with dire circumstances, and plenty of character maturation. Throughout the season, astute viewers will see how past seasons, and how Clancy’s larger Ryan writings and universe, have influenced the show, sometimes in dramatic ways, sometimes in subtle ways, but always with an eye towards a more significant reward for the audience, which is a show that knows its Ryan-verse (as such things are called anymore) and also knows exactly what its audiences want. Season three is fast paced, smartly written, well structured, nicely shot, superbly edited, and very well acted.

John Krasinski has really become Jack Ryan, inhabiting the character with less a penchant for the dramatic and offering more of a grounded take on the character. It’s probably closest to Alec Baldwin’s work in The Hunt for Red October in terms of style, and of course it does not hurt that he is supported by a script that offers more depth and nuance than is found in some of the more action-oriented takes on the character (though to be sure every film is of some substance; these have never been straight action, mind-off sorts). John Krasinski’s work is certainly more layered and nuanced than anything Affleck and Pine, and even the venerable Harrison Ford, have brought to the character. He has made the character his own while still being faithful to Clancy’s vision, even in a more modernized world than when the character was really in his literary heyday back in the 80s and 90s. Jack Ryan has become the quintessential screen-based vehicle for the character, even if he remains best enjoyed on the page and his single best outing remains, in this writer’s opinion, The Hunt for Red October.

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Season Three 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Paramount releases Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Season Three to the UHD format with a 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation. While the companion and concurrently released Blu-ray looks fantastic, this UHD obviously kicks things up a notch. The question is whether the upgrade is worth the modest premium price. The answer is absolutely "yes." The boosted resolution manages to bring out even more definition to the already impressive Blu-ray textures: deeper facial lines and pores, more intricately defined facial hairs, superior clothing textures, and sharper environmental elements. The picture offers boosted clarity and perhaps a more obvious digital sheen, but the picture is very clear and wonderfully defined across the board. The Dolby Vision grading does boost color elegance and richness, offering superior vividness to bold primaries and stabilizing every color with superior nuance and precision. The image is darker overall, which is very evident in lower light. Look at a scene inside the Oval Office near the beginning of the season's penultimate episode. There's a fairly stark difference in the feel for lighting and mood between the UHD and the Blu-ray, with the former much deeper and more absorbing, more foreboding, and the latter brighter, in some ways robbing the scene of just a smidgen of its dramatic impact. Blacks are deeper overall on the UHD but never resort to crush. Whites are definitely crisper (see dress shirts for the most readily evident example), and skin tones do take on a slightly darker complexion on the UHD. Noise management is slightly superior on the UHD, too.

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Season Three 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paramount releases Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Season Three to UHD with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The presentation is just about as good as they come for range, dynamics, detail, and efficiency. The track takes every opportunity to seize the channels at its disposal for enormous usage, whether considering music, action, or support effects. Score is prominent and big but also painstakingly clear. Spacing is full and the surrounds, overheads, and subwoofers are extensively utilized to add immersion and depth with seamless surround integration and perfect harmony with the main front channels. The overheads are not overtly used with discrete musical effects, but the overall support and precision with which they bring about a fuller stage is certainly one of the most impressive feats, and treats, this track has to offer. Music can range from subtle to deep and dramatic, and it holds absolute excellence through the entire musical spectrum. Ambient effects are wonderfully integrated and lifelike for detail and placement alike. One of the best listening examples comes in the season's final episode. Listen to a scene inside a holding cell at the 11-minute mark. The depth of the slamming doors in the background, a constant low-end rumble, and other touches make for a wonderful example of the track's fullness and precision. This also extends to other elements, like dialogue reverb of varying levels, outdoor elements, sound effects inside a Naval ship, or general location din. Everything is in perfect balance. Action effects are superb, including helicopter rotors that slice through the stage or missile launches that rip through with authentic depth and full surround placement. Dialogue is always clear, centered, and well prioritized from beginning to end. This is easily a first-rate, five-star experience in every way.

Note that the Blu-ray release includes additional language and subtitle options not available on UHD.

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Season Three 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Season Three contains deleted scenes scattered throughout the two-disc set. No Blu-ray or digital copies are included with purchase. The Blu-ray ships with a non-embossed slipcover, but it appears that there is no slipcover for the UHD.

Disc One:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from Falcon (2:41) and Our Death's Keeper (1:16).

Disc Two:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from Druz'ya I Vragi (2:10), Ghosts (0:18), Moscow Rules (2:10), and Star on the Wall (1:33).

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Season Three 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's hard to argue that Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Season Three isn't the best yet for the scale, scope intrigue, action, and timely relevance of its story. The other seasons have been rock solid, but this one takes everything up a notch. it's clear cast and crew are comfortable with the material but not resting on their laurels; this is a well-done show that really blossoms in season three. Paramount's two-disc UHD release is short on extras -- only a handful of deleted scenes are included -- but the video and audio presentations are fine. Recommended!