8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
After U.S Marshal Raylan Givens finds himself in hot water over the shooting of a Miami crime boss, he is reassigned to the last place on Earth he'd rather be; Harlan County, Kentucky, where he was born and raised. There he must deal with his ex-wife, criminal father, an old friend turned white supremacist, and the latter's former sister-in-law who quickly rekindles her attraction to Givens. Kentucky won't be the same now that the cowboy marshal is home.
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Joelle CarterCrime | 100% |
Western | 80% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Justified, Creator Graham Yost's tight, character-driven show born of the late Author Elmore Leonard's short story Fire in the Hole, never did quite ascend to the absolute top of the TV heap, always seeming to fall into the top of that second tier behind its higher rated and more widely beloved contemporaries like Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad. But maybe it should have. Since day one, even with a few stumbles here and there and a couple of jaunts away from the core characters to introduce and play with some outsiders coming in (which, admittedly, gave rise to what is, arguably, the series' best season, season two), the show has been a consistent performer and a shining example of broad engaging arcs and tidy little side tidbits mixed with easy and deep characterization done right. Considering the combination of Leonard's source material, Yost's vision, quality scripts, and the lead cast's superb performances, there's never been a major misfire and only a few sputters along the way in a show that critics and fans alike should fondly remember in the years to come as a truly great show with as much to offer as any other.
Draw.
Justified: The Complete Final Season's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer generally looks terrific. The entire frame enjoys a constant, effortless sharpness that helps reveal broad and fine detailing alike across every environment. Basic skin and clothing textures impress, down to the finest points on Raylan's trademark hat or intimate fabric details on a denim jacket. Terrain -- grasses, pebbles -- are well defined even at the micro level. Larger accents like brickwork around town or lightly cracked and chipped paint are equally precise. Colors are effortlessly bold and accurate, with those natural greens, that light blue denim jacket, and other sturdier, more showy colors leading the way. Darker interiors favor a little warmth. Light noise and trace banding are evident across some darker backdrops, and blacks are deep with only mild, and sporadic, hints of crush. This is a top end transfer that impresses a great deal in most every facet, its minor shortcomings appearing merely as brief annoyances rather than deal breakers.
For whatever reason, Sony has cut corners with Justified: The Complete Final Season, saddling it with a Dolby Digital 5.1 lossy soundtrack rather than the studio's typical DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 presentation, which has graced every Justified Blu-ray release prior. Whether by accidental oversight or deliberate corner cutting, it's disheartening at best and a slap in the face to a loyal fan base at worst, a Justified and Sony fan base that has come to expect a higher standard from the studio, particularly on a top TV property that has for five previous seasons enjoyed lossless audio. As it is, the DD 5.1 track is acceptable but not up to snuff compared to its predecessors. The famed opening title music is noticeably less precise, lacking the heft, finer details, and easy aggressiveness of the same material on previous season episodes. The track does offer a fair bit of immersive detailing in the way of wide, enveloping natural ambience. The surrounds carry a nice variety of information throughout every episode, particularly street-level ambience, naturally muddy background music in a bar, or light environmental nuance. Other moderate effects like a helicopter slicing through the stage presents nicely enough, with well defined clarity and good stage presence. Larger effects, however, come up short. Gunfire sounds frequently puny. A large crashing thud heard during a heist in episode one falls flat. An explosion midway through the finale lacks oomph. Fortunately, dialogue enjoys an easy center flow and lifelike accuracy. In a general context the track is serviceably fine though in many ways underwhelming. It could have, and should have, been more.
Justified: The Complete Final Season contains a scant collection of extras included on discs two and three and deleted scenes for select
episodes across all three discs, a stark contrast to the more
robustly supplemented seasons one through five. Optional episode recaps are included. Inside the Blu-ray case, buyers will find a voucher for a UV
digital copy.
Justified's run hasn't been quite so storied as some of its top-rated contemporaries, but it's a standout nonetheless that has enjoyed quite possibly the perfect performance from its lead. It's a term that gets bandied about quite a bit, but Raylan Givens is a role Timothy Olyphant was born to play, and from his mastery of the character's broad strokes to his most inconspicuous subtleties alike, he's elevated Justified from interesting premise to top-end television. Season six offers more of the same but with greater attention on its foundational principles and broader character development. The writers and performers both have carefully taken the show to a place that satisfies not only the season but the broader arc that runs throughout the program while maintaining its core, honing its evolutionary spirit, and cementing its legacy as one of the finer character dramas in recent television history. It's a shame to see it go, but it ends on a perfect note that should satisfy longtime fans who have long appreciated the finer points of the show's -- read, the characters' -- evolution from "Fire in the Hole" to "The Promise." Justified deserved a better send-off on Blu-ray. "Adequate" best describes it in a vacuum, and "letdown" is probably the more likely response in the real world. It's almost a miracle that Blu-ray buyers are getting a 1080p picture considering all the other corners cut in this release. With lossy-only audio and a disappointingly brief collection of extras, it's hard to recommend a purchase on principle, at least not until it hits the bargain bin. The show is fantastic and the picture quality doesn't disappoint. Wait for a sale or, perhaps, a complete series collection that rectifies the concerns, though fans would rightly view a pricier set with an improved sixth season as an even greater slap in the face.
2010
2011
w/ T-Shirt
2011
2012
Bonus disc
2012
2013
2014
w/ Collectible Packaging
2015
2007
2016
2005
2008
1968
2004-2006
1988
2007
Fox Studio Classics
1939
2010
1943
1987
1971
2008
2008
1972
Special Edition
1973
2016
Warner Archive Collection
2012-2013
Reissue
1977