Ralph Potts reviews the second film based on author Lee Child’s best-selling books that follow Jack Reacher, and his bold brand of justice.

The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )

Film:
Extras:
Audio/UHD Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )

81
Details:

Studio and Year: Paramount - 2016
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 118 minutes
Genre: Action/Thriller

Disc Format: BD-66
Encoding: HEVC
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 2160p/24

Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, French/Spanish/Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Danika Yarosh, Patrick Heusinger, Holt McCallany
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Music by: Henry Jackman
Written by: Richard Wenk, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz
Region Code: A

Release Date: January 31, 2017
"Never Give In. Never Give Up"
My Take:

Former military cop Jack Reacher makes it all the way from snowbound South Dakota to his destination in northeastern Virginia, near Washington, D.C.: the headquarters of his old unit, the 110th MP. He has made a special trip there to meet—in person—the new commanding officer, Major Susan Turner, so far just a warm, intriguing voice on the phone. But it isn’t Turner behind the CO’s desk. After that discovery, Reacher is hit with two pieces of shocking news, one with serious criminal consequences, and one too personal to even think about. When threatened, you can run or fight. Reacher fights, aiming to uncover the truth behind Turner’s predicament, which he has now become embroiled in. Determined to clear his name and hers, he is now on the run, barely a step ahead of the army, the FBI, the D.C. Metro police, and an unidentified assailant. Along the way, he has picked up a new ally, one that will make him more determined than ever….

Jack Reacher is a fictional character and the protagonist of a series of books by British author Lee Child (real name Jim Grant). The film is based on the book “Never Go Back” which takes Reacher down the rabbit hole, making him question who he is, his past deeds, and the very future of his untethered life on the open road. I enjoyed the first Jack Reacher film, finding it to be a solid formula-driven piece that plays well to Tom Cruise’s strengths as a marquee action star. I thought that is stayed on point, drawing us into Reacher’s world via an edgy, over the top narrative, driven by establishing a baseline for the character. Whereas the first film is more or less a crime story blended with elements of mystery and action, Jack Reacher Never Go Back is more of a straight action/thriller.

The plot here isn’t nearly as engaging and features a pretty thin set up, uninspired characters, and a painfully formulaic storyline, infused with repetitive action and cheesy heroics that water down the thrills. As much as I like the first film, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is a swing and miss, that doesn’t take the character to new heights, instead descending to the depths of a lackluster popcorn flick that doesn’t live up to the character or its star.

Parental Guide:

The rating is for sequences of violence and action, some bloody images, language and thematic elements.

AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:REFERENCE= 92-100/EXCELLENT= 83-91/GOOD= 74-82/AVERAGE= 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE= under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**

UHD Presentation: 78
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
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Dolby Atmos Rating: 84
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
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Ultra HD Blu-ray has finally been released and eager enthusiasts are ready and willing to see what it has to offer. For those not familiar with the details regarding Ultra HD Blu-ray you can refer to my article that includes some pertinent data on the subject. Here is the link:

Ultra HD Blu-ray Has Come to AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back comes to Ultra HD Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment featuring 2160pHEVC encoded video and lossless Dolby Atmos/TrueHD 7.1 channel sound that has an average bitrate of 3.7 Mbps.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back garnered a solid report from me on its video quality in 1080p. Shot on film, its presentation in Ultra HD was rendered from a 2K DI and up-converted to 4K. Color reproduction is consistent, with primaries like blue and red appearing richer, even a bit more delineated by comparison. Secondary hues look great, although not appreciably better. The increase in resolution isn't always on display, especially in wide angle shots, although I believe that this is innate to the photography. Close-ups tend to offer better refinement and deeper resolvable texture on surfaces and physical features compared to the Blu-ray. The improvements are subtle.

The same is true when comparing the video's dynamic range. Exterior sequences offer the slightest hint of added punch, especially those that take place around Washington, where the sun reflects off of objects etc. The darkened highlights in the low-lit environs, like the nighttime sequences in New Orleans and the seaport, have appreciable dimension and resolvable detail. Fleshtones are reproduced with slightly warm, but natural tonality. Viewing Jack Reacher: Never Go Back in Ultra HD didn’t offer any noteworthy visuals, making it a hard sell to discerning videophiles looking for the next title to show off their Ultra HD capable display’s chops.

In listening to the Dolby Atmos surround mix I found it to be of the less aggressive variety, which considering the source material was surprising. Its use of audio objects placed above is limited to atmospherics and occasional panning fills. This is done to good effect when implemented and created a fair level of immersion that coincides with the onscreen events nicely. Where the Atmos presentation excelled was in the use of object based sounds mixed at ear level as effects swirled, shifted and whizzed through the listening area. This was done to excellent effect to replicate the intensity of a firefight or car chase. While this mix doesn’t make constant use of discretely placed audio objects from above, I found myself, for the most part, involved when it mattered, resulting is an enjoyable audio presentation.

Blu-ray Video:

Video: 92
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
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Audio: 92
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

  • Dynamics:
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Jack Reacher: Never Go Back comes to Blu-ray Disc from Paramount Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 20 Mbps and lossless Dolby Atmos/TrueHD 7.1 channel sound that has an average bitrate of 3.7 Mbps.

This is a high-quality video presentation that seems a perfect match for the source material. Colors are pleasing and delineated. Images are resolute and filmic, with stable sharpness, crisp detail and appreciable subtle refinement. Certain scenes appeared better resolved than others although this appears related to the photography and not the encoding. Contrast is dynamically applied without being overpowering and blacks are respectably deep with discernible detail in low lighting and shadows. I didn’t see any signs of video related artifacts and thought that in general video quality was excellent.

The is a solid Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (Atmos core) soundtrack that features crystal clear dialog, robust dynamics and a subtly aggressive and involving surround sound mix. I was impressed with the implementation of both spacial dimension and discrete directional sounds that created a realistic and occasionally immersive listening environment. This worked hand in hand with film’s music, and thematic elements to build tension and help drive the story. Be sure to turn this one up when the action kicks in.

Bonus Features:
  • Disc 1: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Ultra HD Blu-ray
    Disc 2: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Blu-ray
  • (HD) Reacher Returns – 11 minute featurette
  • (HD) An Unexpected Family – 14 minute featurette
  • (HD) Relentless: On Location in Louisiana – 25 minute featurette
  • (HD) Take your Revenge First: Lethal Combat – 12 minute featurette
  • (HD) No Quarter Given: Rooftop Battle – 8 minute featurette
  • (HD) Reacher in Focus: With Tom Cruise and Photographer David James
  • Digital HD Copy
Final Thoughts:

As the second film based on author Lee Child’s best-selling book series, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is a swing and miss, that doesn’t take the character to new heights, instead descending to the depths of a lackluster popcorn flick that doesn’t live up to the character or its star. It comes to Blu-ray in this Ultra HD Combo Pack from Paramount Home Entertainment featuring unremarkable Ultra HD video quality, solid high definition audio/video, a fair Dolby Atmos immersive mix, and a fan friendly supplemental package that looks behind the scenes. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back was rather disappointing, but if you enjoy the character and Tom Cruise, it’s worth rental consideration on Blu-ray.


Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews


Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS500 3D/4K Ready High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6-HDR Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8802A 13.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo UDP-203 Ultra High Definition Blu-ray Player
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS SB-13 Ultra (Piano Gloss finish)
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package