The Final Countdown

Summary

“Take a look at the scope, sir.”

Over the last couple years, few things have made me happier than the recent surge of UHD releases by niche film distributors. For a long time, Criterion Collection were the pride of film collectors for their dedication to preserving films and presenting them in their best possible visual presentation. Recently, I would say that this torch has been passed down to other film labels, because for some unknown reason Criterion has not adopted the 4K UHD format. I am thankful that labels like Blue Underground have not only embraced the format, but have proven that they are some of the most formidable people working within the format. When I saw that the Don Taylor directed science fiction film The Final Countdown was coming to the UHD format, I was excited to check the film out. The film has an excellent cast led by Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Charles Durning, and James Farentino. The film plays out like an extended episode of the classic Twilight Zone series. 

In Hawaii, Mr. Lasky (Martin Sheen) is seen off at the airport by a mysterious business man. He watches Lasky board a helicopter from his limousine without a proper introduction. Mr. Lasky flies to the aircraft carrier named the U.S.S. Nimitz. The carrier is controlled by Captain Matthew Yelland (Kirk Douglas.) Warren Lasky works for Titan Industries and is an efficiency expert brought in to evaluate and assess operations to report back to the Department of Defense. The ship is approaching a strange storm that doesn’t match the weather reports aboard the ship. No storms were projected for the day. The Nimitz begins to have issues with their communications equipment. The weather is not behaving in any type of a normal fashion – it seems to be disappearing and reappearing. While they try to help guide in a plane that is having difficulty, their ship enters into a vortex that delivers a paralyzing sound. After a couple moments, the men all regain their senses. They lead the plane back onboard the ship and catch the plane using a barricade. The plane arrives safely, but the pilot is unconscious. They begin to perform reconnaissance. The reconnaissance photos show that they are currently near Pearl Harbor. Surprisingly, they are near Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 – the day on which it was attacked by the Japanese.

The Final Countdown is a well-made science fiction film. I am a fan of the classic Rod Serling series The Twilight Zone and this film captures the feeling of a major budget version of an episode of that show. The ideas explored in the film regarding history and time travel are interesting, even if the finale of the film felt slightly anticlimactic to me. This is the most common critique of the film, and I feel it is somewhat justified, although arguments can easily be made on both sides for what should have happened at the end of the film. I think with most science fiction, the films are speculative and need to be enjoyed based on the merits of what the writers do versus what they don’t do. This film works because it presents an interesting idea in an entertaining way.  You can’t help but think through the quandaries of what it would be like if one could go back in time and what impacts it would make on history. I like the way that the ideas are presented in the film.

The cast in the film is stellar. It is hard to beat a cast that includes the iconic Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Ron O’Neal, Katharine Ross, James Farentino, and Charles Durning. It is a true ensemble team with each member of the cast receiving adequate time onscreen to understand their characters. Director Don Taylor draws good performances out of all involved.

The Final Countdown benefits from aerial photography by cinematographer Victor J. Kemper that is the most extensive that I have seen outside of Top Gun. Fans of that film will find that The Final Countdown’s fighter jet footage is extremely impressive. The film also features a time warp scene that is still absolutely stunning visually. Don Taylor does a solid job of directing. One minor issue I had with the film involved pacing. It seemed at times to me that the filmmakers were so enamored with the aerial footage that they refused to cut off some seconds that dragged. I can understand why this would happen – the footage is very impressive – but it is still worth mentioning.

Overall – The Final Countdown is an enjoyable science fiction film that benefits from a remarkable cast and some truly fantastic visual moments. 

Video

Blue Underground had released a 2K version of this film a few years ago on Blu-ray, but I did not purchase that release, so I will only be able to talk about the technical specs of their new 4K release. The new release for the most part looks superb. The film was shot in 2.39:1 aspect ratio with wide angled lenses. Films shot in this aspect ratio benefit heavily from the 4K UHD treatment. There is a very fine level of grain over the film allowing fantastic fine detail. The HDR 10/Dolby Vision is used very effectively – especially in the amazing time warp scene which looks incredible in 4K – to bring to life the colors in the film. The only downside whatsoever to this release are occasional moments in the film where softness occurs. These are incredibly infrequent and more a product of how the film was filmed than of the extensive and incredible restoration work done by Blue Underground. This is a nearly perfect 4K upgrade of the film.

Audio

Blue Underground have provided numerous audio options including Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, DTS-HD MA 5.1, and 2.0 tracks for the film. I watched the film with the Atmos track and thought it sounded absolutely fantastic. Blue Underground performed some incredible work on the repurposed audio tracks that they used to create the Dolby Atmos track. They managed to expand the sound fields brilliantly while keeping the clarity of the original recordings. The music by John Scott sounds fantastic. The depth of this track is really remarkable considering that the track was only a stereo track originally. The dialogue is clear and easy to understand. What was most surprising to me about the Atmos track was just how forceful it was. Fans of the film Top Gun will find themselves right at home here as the LFE is frequently activated as fighter pilots fly off of the aircraft carrier. This track from Blue Underground is spectacular and will blow away fans of the film.

Supplements:

All supplemental material appears identically on both the UHD and Blu-ray included in the set. I really appreciate that the supplements appear on both discs. A CD soundtrack is also included. 

• 1. Lloyd Kaufman Goes to Hollywood – associate producer Lloyd Kaufman is interviewed.
• 2. Starring The Jolly Rogers – members of The Jolly Rogers F-14 Fighter Squadron discuss working on the film.
• Commentary – director of photography Victor J. Kemper
• Trailers 
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots 
• Galleries

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 5/5

Supplements – 3.5/5

Overall – 4.5/5

The Final Countdown is a science fiction film that should please fans of shows like The Twilight Zone. The premise of the film is executed well, and the cast is a stellar ensemble. Blue Underground has once again shown their abilities at 4K UHD restorations with this beautifully executed release. Video and audio specs are superb. Fans of the film will surely want to upgrade immediately, and the release comes recommended for newcomers.