UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Final Countdown -- in 4k UHD Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

When Blue Underground creates a new release, they go all out.

For Don Taylor's The Final Countdown, it's a new 4k scan, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, D-Box, and on a separate (3rd) disc, a CD of the original score.

With quality extras carried over from the previous blu-ray, it's an all-encompassing package.

There are many fans off this time-traveling sci-fi film about an attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, but I've never been able to wrap my head around it. In a way, it has similar problems to Wonder Woman 1984, in which there are just too many attributes that - suspension of disbelief aside - just don't come together.

But for those fans, this new 4k release will fit all of their needs and desires.

Image-wise, everything works aside from occasional magnetic grain, which will not be noted by viewers at a normal seating distance, but is mentioned for accuracy.

Audio has been upgraded by the previous 7.1 to include Atmos, and it works nicely.

Recommended

Image – 4.75

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from Blu-ray - Yes

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

RAH

 

[Lord Dalek]

The film that gave us Tromaville!...because Lloyd Kaufman never wanted to work on a major motion picture ever again after it.

 

[jayembee]

It's tempting, but...

I saw the film in its original theatrical release. Liked it well enough. Bought it on (pan&scan) LD. Realized that while I still liked it well enough, I didn't like it that much (i.e. I didn't feel the need to ever watch it again). When Blue Underground released it on DVD with a nice lenticular cover, I said, "What the Hell!" and got it. Once again, I realized that I didn't feel I needed to see it again. I just know that if I happen to be in Bull Moose on its street date, I will end up getting once again, and realizing that I really shouldn't have bothered.

 

[sbjork]

Can't wait for my copy to ship! From everything that I have been reading about it, this package will indeed fit all my needs and desires. I love the film.

 

[Richard Kaufman]

Much dubious thespianism in this film.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Amazon wants $48 for the 4K. That’s way out of sight.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Amazon wants $48 for the 4K. That’s way out of sight.

It's not Amazon's fault that the MSRP is $60.00. With that said, Deep Discount has it $36.99.

 

[Carlo_M]

This was a childhood guilty pleasure for me. I think rewatching it, I might feel closer to how jayembee feels about the film. This was one I was considering buying when I heard it was coming out...but not at $36 street. If it was priced like a normal UHD I'd be on it.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This was a childhood guilty pleasure for me. I think rewatching it, I might feel closer to how jayembee feels about the film. This was one I was considering buying when I heard it was coming out...but not at $36 street. If it was priced like a normal UHD I'd be on it.

Actually, my purchase price was more like $32 as I combined it with a 15% off coupon. I plan to watch the 4K disc this week.

 

[David Norman]

"Tigershark" does currently give 10% off at Deep Discount for those not wanting to wait for the next 15%

 

[MovieMan66]

I purchased this 4K UHD as a blind-buy after reading the excellent reviews, and given the fact that I love time-travel movies. For those who like or love the film, I'm glad you got such a stellar transfer. For me, however, I didn't even make it completely through the first viewing before I was wrapping it up and sending it back to where I purchased it (it had an, ahem, "audio" issue). I was quite willing to suspend my disbelief, as you usually have to do with time-travel movies, but it had so many problems over and above that, chief among them being that the characters in the film accept the fact that they went back in time without hardly batting an eye. I know that "realism" isn't usually a strong factor in movies like that, but give me a break! I think if I was told that I just went back in time I'd have just a little stronger reaction than I saw these guys have.

 

[sbjork]

Keep in mind that it is a 3 disc set including the soundtrack CD. Whether or not it is still overpriced is a matter of individual taste, but it is a nicer set than a "normal" UHD.

It also looks & sounds fantastic. I don't believe in guilty pleasures -- this is simply a fun movie, full stop. (Unless you are into snuff, in which case you should feel guilty about that!)

 

[Rob W]

It's tempting, but...

I saw the film in its original theatrical release. Liked it well enough. Bought it on (pan&scan) LD. Realized that while I still liked it well enough, I didn't like it that much (i.e. I didn't feel the need to ever watch it again). When Blue Underground released it on DVD with a nice lenticular cover, I said, "What the Hell!" and got it. Once again, I realized that I didn't feel I needed to see it again. I just know that if I happen to be in Bull Moose on its street date, I will end up getting once again, and realizing that I really shouldn't have bothered.

/\ /\ /\ .....probably said by at least 50% of the collectors on this forum about one title or another over the years....

 

[Worth]

This is $50 in Canada, so the blu-ray will do just fine.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I purchased this 4K UHD as a blind-buy after reading the excellent reviews, and given the fact that I love time-travel movies. For those who like or love the film, I'm glad you got such a stellar transfer. For me, however, I didn't even make it completely through the first viewing before I was wrapping it up and sending it back to where I purchased it (it had an, ahem, "audio" issue). I was quite willing to suspend my disbelief, as you usually have to do with time-travel movies, but it had so many problems over and above that, chief among them being that the characters in the film accept the fact that they went back in time without hardly batting an eye. I know that "realism" isn't usually a strong factor in movies like that, but give me a break! I think if I was told that I just went back in time I'd have just a little stronger reaction than I saw these guys have.

You have to remember the characters don’t live in our world, they live in “movie world”. That’s a place where you might run across dinosaurs, aliens, monsters, time traveling Jack-The-Ripper. An aircraft carrier going back in time is not so out of the ordinary. Removing “tongue-in-cheek”.

I don’t know what audio issue you’re referring to.

I’m hoping they release just the 4K for a more reasonable price.

 

[Malcolm R]

I don’t know what audio issue you’re referring to.

I think that was just his "made-up" reason for returning the disc for a refund.

 

[MovieMan66]

You have to remember the characters don’t live in our world, they live in “movie world”. That’s a place where you might run across dinosaurs, aliens, monsters, time traveling Jack-The-Ripper. An aircraft carrier going back in time is not so out of the ordinary. Removing “tongue-in-cheek”.

I don’t know what audio issue you’re referring to.

I’m hoping they release just the 4K for a more reasonable price.

I certainly remember that the characters live in a "movie world", but in order to buy into the movie you have to, at least to some point, be able to believe the characters even if you don't believe the situation. And for a movie that is obsessed with realism to the point where it was actually filmed on the Nimitz, the reactions to the realization that they were sent back in time to 1941 just simply don't come close to the kind of disbelief that would be displayed if something like that actually happened.

And Malcolm R. understands the meaning of my "ahem".

 

[Richard V]

Saw it in it's original theatrical release. Was pretty disappointed, although I did kinda like the ending scene.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched my 4K disc today and have a playback issue. My picture freezes up when the Zeros are attacking the yacht. Anybody else? I was able to skip over and finish the movie. I'll be trying the disc on my other Oppo 203 and my Panny 820 players to see if that same issue occurs on those players.

 

[sbjork]

I watched my 4K disc today and have a playback issue. My picture freezes up when the Zeros are attacking the yacht. Anybody else? I was able to skip over and finish the movie. I'll be trying the disc on my other Oppo 203 and my Panny 820 players to see if that same issue occurs on those players.

I have an Oppo 205 and it played just fine. I assume that you checked the surface of the disc? Oppo's UHD players are fidgety when it comes to smudges. Fortunately BU has the discs packaged normally, but I always struggle with sets like the Universal Hitchcock UHDs where there is no way to pull those discs out of the cardboard sleeves without getting fingerprints on them, and it doesn't take much of one to get the Oppos to freeze and lock up. The fact that you can continue as long as you skip that part is why I asked.