Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit opens on September 11, 2001, as college student Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) witnesses the attacks which occurred on that day. Two years later, after receiving his doctorate, Jack is serving in Afghanistan, when his helicopter is shot down. As he is recuperating in Washington, DC, with the aid of Dr. Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley), he is approached by Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner), who recruits him for the CIA. The story then leaps ahead another 10 years, where Jack is working on Wall Street, analyzing data in order to spot questionable foreign transactions. He and Cathy are living together, but she has no idea that he's in the CIA. When Jack finds strange numbers from a Russian firm, Harper orders him to visit Moscow. Once there, his life is immediately in danger and this "desk jockey" suddenly becomes an active field agent. This means meeting with Russian businessman Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh), while also stealing the man's secrets. Will Jack survive his first real mission?

The problems with Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit start from the outset. We see Jack and Cathy meet in the hospital and then the story jumps ahead ten years, where Cathy says that they've been together for seven years. Did they wait three years to start dating? Were they separated for three years? Unfortunately, faulty math is the least of this movie's worries. Do you know what puts butts in the seats? An economic conspiracy and threat! Yes, when it was revealed that Russia had aims to wreck the U.S. economy, I was on the edge of my seat. Who needs the anxiety of nuclear annihilation when I can watch Jack Ryan stare at computer screens. Intense! Again, when Jack arrives in Russia, he is immediately attacked, but we never get an explanation for this. Did they know that he was with the CIA? This scene is immediately cleaned up, both literally and figuratively and then never spoken of again.

I'll admit that I'm not a Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan devotee -- The Sum of All Fears was the only previous entry which I'd seen in its entirety -- but the late author and his character deserve better than this. In theory, the fact that a pre-existing script was molded into a Jack Ryan movies isn't a bad thing, but they should have chosen a more exciting story. The reality of the story may be ripped from the headlines, but they doesn't make for intense drama. After tackling Captain Kirk, it's surprising that Chris Pine would want to tackle another well-known role. He's fine here, but he doesn't bring anything especially interesting to the role. While it's clear that Costner's character is supposed to be someone who doesn't lose their cool, he plays the character as too laconic, as thus he's as dull as the rest of the film. International spy films will always have appeal, but in this post-The Bourne Identity world, they really must try harder.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit makes having a PhD look really exciting on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 31 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no overt grain and no defects from the source materials. The colors look good and the image is never overly dark or bright. The depth is notably good here, as the foreground background are clearly separate, and the level of detail is impressive. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 6.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects, as well as the highest bitrate that I've ever seen. The surround sound effects are nicely done and they provide distinct sounds from the rear channels. The stereo effects show good separation and highlights sounds coming from off-screen. The subwoofer effects really add presence to the action sequences.

The Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Blu-ray Disc contains a few extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Branagh and Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. "Jack Ryan: The Smartest Guy in the Room" (13 minutes) gives an overview of the character, including a look at the four earlier films. From there, we hear about how this new film came about through interviews with the creative team. "Sir Kenneth Branagh: The Tsar of Shadow Recruit" (10 minutes) profiles the director and we hear the cast and crew discuss his working style. "Jack Ryan: A Thinking Man of Action" (5 minutes) looks at the stuntwork and the action sequences of the film, giving us a look at specific scenes. "Old Enemies Return" (21 minutes) takes a serious look at real-life spywork and the United States' relationship with Russia. This piece includes comments from political experts and ex-CIA agents. The Disc contains six DELETED & EXTENDED SCENES which run about five minutes and can be viewed with commentary from Branagh and di Bonaventura.

UPDATE:

On August 21, 2018, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit was released on 4K UHD as part of the Jack Ryan Collection.  The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the Disc contains an HEVC 2160p transfer which runs at an average of 60 Mbps.  The image is very sharp and clear, showing no overt grain and no defects from the source materials.  The colors look very good and the image is never overly dark or bright.  (Things do get somewhat dark at times, but the action is always visible.)  The depth works very well here, with some of the exterior shots taking on a quasi-3D effect.  The level of detail is notable, as we can make out textures on objects.  The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 6.0 Mbps.  The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects.  (This appears to be the same track as the one found on the previous Blu-ray Disc release.)  The action sequences provide detailed surround sound effects and palpable subwoofer.  Some of the quieter scenes still deliver nicely placed stereo effects which highlight sounds coming from off-screen.

The only extra found on the Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 4K UHD is an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Director/Actor Kenneth Branagh and Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.  (A Blu-ray Disc included here offers additional special features.)