Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

No Way Out 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 12, 2024

Roger Donaldson's "No Way Out" (1987) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include arhcival audio commentary by Roger Donaldson; new audio commentary by filmmaker/critic Steve Mitchell and writer/actor Richard Brewer; archival audio interview with Roger Donaldson; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

There is a very good audio commentary on this release with director Roger Donaldson, in which he explains how shocked he was when many years ago he learned that No Way Out was a remake of The Big Clock. Mel Gibson told him that it was after the film’s premiere. Initially, Donaldson had simply assumed that Robert Garland had given him a very good script to work with.

Indeed, the script is very good, but the film is even better. And it is probably not that difficult to argue that it is as good as it is because Donaldson wasn’t trying to deliver a ‘better’ modernized version of The Big Clock.

The film is set in Washington, D.C.’s political melting pot, where hundreds of thousands of people are working hard to keep the nation safe and strong. It is here, during a lavish party, that the handsome Navy commander Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) meets the elegant socialite Susan Atwell (Sean Young) and the two begin a passionate affair. For a very short period of time, they both assume that their affair can evolve into something a lot more serious. Around the same time, Farrell is also invited to work as a liaison for Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman), who needs a smart man that he can trust while dealing with a powerful senator who has been sabotaging his projects. Farrell is told that he will report to Brice’s personal assistant, Scott Pritchard (Will Patton), who will oversee his efforts and, if needed, manage them. Assuming that this is a good career move that in the future will open plenty of doors for him and help him move even higher up the ladder, Farrell accepts the job and immediately begins working for Brice. Soon after, however, he discovers that Susan is Brice’s mistress and goes berserk. Brice also learns that Susan has a lover, and while arguing with her, accidentally kills her. Pritchard then invents a brilliant cover-up that introduces a mysterious Soviet spy that becomes Susan’s killer. With time running out and investigators asking questions that can hurt Brice’s reputation and send him to jail, Pritchard and Farrell begin looking for their imaginary target.

The film is full of excellent twists that effectively redirect it literally until the final credits roll. There is a solid logic that explains their existence, and the manner in which everything comes together at the end is absolutely brilliant.

Costner is perfectly cast as the jealous Navy commander. A lot depends on his ability to convince that he is facing some truly dangerous dilemmas, and his excellent performance really does give the film a lot of credibility. Hackman has a very different personality, but is equally persuasive. Before and after the murder, he very much looks like a powerful politician whose ego is bigger than the Grand Canyon. Patton is excellent as his loyal puppet and always has the right answers to make his master feel safe and invincible. There are a couple of sequences where Young slightly overplays her character, but is nevertheless convincing. There is also a great cameo by George Dzundza, who becomes a handicapped computer specialist with an impressive arsenal of passwords.

The film is dedicated to the great cinematographer John Alcott, who passed away shortly after it was completed and edited.

The dramatic orchestral score was created by another true legend, the Oscar-winning composer Maurice Jarre (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago).

No Way Out 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of No Way Out is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-27 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #30-35 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

No Way Out made its high-definition debut with this Blu-ray release produced by Shout Factory in 2016, which is one of two releases of this wonderful film that I have in my library. (The second is an old DVD release). Unfortunately, it was sourced from an old master with obvious traces of digital corrections. The most harmful of these corrections was digital sharpening.

The combo pack release is sourced from a recent 4K master struck from the original camera negative. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR. I also tested the 1080p presentation of it on the Blu-ray.

On my system, the improvements in quality were immediately recognizable. For example, instead of looking very harsh, the well-lit visuals now have a wonderful organic appearance. Artificial lighting during indoor footage in particular is much, much better reproduced now. All edge-enhancement patterns are eliminated as well. Furthermore, grain has an organic quality and is better exposed. The previous release reveals odd looking grain that produces various density fluctuations. Basically, there are unnatural shifts from visibly sharpened material to slightly more attractive material, so these are not the type of fluctuations that are part of the original cinematography. On the 4K makeover, this effect is eliminated, too. Color balance is very good. It is similar to that of the previous presentation, too, which is a good thing. Brighter ranges of supporting nuances appear better balanced and are expanded. Darker ranges of supporting nuances look very good, but in a few areas I think that they could have been slightly better to eliminate very light crushing. The overall dynamic range of the visuals, however, is unquestionably superior. There are no large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report.

I did not just sample the 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray. I viewed entire sequences, some with indoor footage and some with outdoor footage, and even upscaled a few to 4K. I think that the 1080p presentation is every bit as satisfying as the native 4K presentation. For example, the shift in quality from the harsh older presentation to the organic new presentation is practically unmisable during the brightest daylight sequences, like the one where Kevin Costner and Sean Young are in the red convertible. Also, I should mention that I like how some of the darker footage looks in 1080p a little bit better. All in all, I think that both presentations are wonderful upgrades.

No Way Out 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. It is a very good track. All exchanges are very clear, stable, and easy to follow. There are no distracting age-related anomalies to report. However, I feel that in a couple of areas, usually when music is used or has been used, balance is somewhat uneven. I also mention this in our review of the Shout Factory Blu-ray release of No Way Out. Perhaps this is how the soundtrack was finalized, but I feel that a few minor tweaks can make meaningful improvements.

No Way Out 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, director Roger Donaldson discusses in great detail how different actors were cast to play the key characters in No Way Out, the script for the film (Mr. Donaldson apparently did not know that he had shot a remake of The Big Clock until after the film was finished and edited), his interactions with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman, the shooting of specific sequences (the storm sequences were shot in New Zealand), the plot, etc.

• Commentary Two - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by filmmaker/critic Steve Mitchell and writer/actor Richard Brewer. The commentators express their love for Orion Pictures, one of the most exciting companies of the 1980s, and explain why No Way Out might be one of its masterpieces. Also, they delve deep into No Way Out and its intricate story, and discuss the authentic environment that is crafted in both. There are good comments about Maurice Jarre's fabulous score and his tremendous legacy. I listened to the commentary in its entirety and liked it a lot.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, director Roger Donaldson discusses in great detail how different actors were cast to play the key characters in No Way Out, the script for the film (Mr. Donaldson apparently did not know that he had shot a remake of The Big Clock until after the film was finished and edited), his interactions with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman, the shooting of specific sequences (the storm sequences were shot in New Zealand), the plot, etc.

• Commentary Two - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by filmmaker/critic Steve Mitchell and writer/actor Richard Brewer. The commentators express their love for Orion Pictures, one of the most exciting companies of the 1980s, and explain why No Way Out might be one of its masterpieces. Also, they delve deep into No Way Out and its intricate story, and discuss the authentic environment that is crafted in both. There are good comments about Maurice Jarre's fabulous score and his tremendous legacy. I listened to the commentary in its entirety and liked it a lot.

• Film Stories - in this archival audio interview, Roger Donaldson again acknowledges that he was not aware of the existence of The Big Clock when he shot No Way Out and learned that he had done a remake of it after an impromptu meeting with Mel Gibson, and discusses the production of No Way Out and his relationship with Orion Pictures, what is it like to direct actors with strong personalities (like Gene Hackman), the importance of sound in good thrillers and how they are/should be edited, etc. The interview is conducted by Australian critic Simon Brew. In English, not subtitled. (38 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for No Way Out from Orion Pictures. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

No Way Out 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Everything that you will see in Roger Donaldson's No Way Out is still part of American political reality -- the kabuki theater and deadly games controlled by high-ranking government officials, the chameleons and the traitors, the illusion that there is a reliable system in place that can prevent bad things from happening at the highest echelons of government. It is a tremendous thriller, and I consider it one of the best American films from the 1980s. Kino Lorber's combo pack introduces a wonderful new 4K makeover of it that looks very good in native 4K and 1080p. A separate Blu-ray release is available for purchase as well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.