Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Alpha

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Alpha is essentially a live-action promotional featurette for the recent well-reviewed Ubisoft video game Ghost Recon Future Soldier, basically designed to establish the story and show off the technology for this military first-person-shooter. Members of an elite military team (no developed characters appear here) on a mission to shut down an arms dealer in Eastern Europe discover a rogue nuclear device, which naturally changes the scope of their assignment. Set around an abandoned factory, the gritty, grimy battle footage features loads of physical stunts and explosions, while the more cutting-edge weapons (remote-control drones, robotic tanks) are added with CGI effects. Although technically well made, the whole shebang is only 20 minutes, ending with a “To Be Continued” tag that points toward the game—making this little more than an extended advertisement. Bowing on DVD and Blu-ray, extras include a “making-of” featurette that is actually longer than the main title. Not recommended. Aud: P. (S. Axmaker)