7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The shocking series conclusion was just the beginning. Secrets revealed and mysteries solved. The truth will blow you away.
Starring: Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Sarah Wayne Callies, Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, David StarzykThriller | 100% |
Crime | 90% |
Action | 84% |
Mystery | 26% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Now or never.
"Prison Break" was the little television show that could. Taking a concept generally best reserved
for a two- or three-hour movie (The Great Escape, Escape From Alcatraz, The Shawshank
Redemption, Midnight Express),
the show managed to draw out its stories over the course of four seasons before
having its plug pulled, leaving audiences to wonder what ever became of some of their favorite
characters and story lines.
Fortunately, 20th Century Fox didn't leave fans hanging, authorizing the creation of an
89-minute series finale meant to draw to a conclusion several story arcs left open after a
quartet of seasons. Unfortunately, however, the conclusion has gone straight to video without a
proper U.S. television airing, meaning that
fans that had stuck with the show through thick and thin during its run on over-the-air television
are now forced to rent or buy this last installment. While Prison Break: The Final Break
wraps up the series, it does so rather unceremoniously, with a few major surprises but without
much in the way of hard-hitting emotion and certainly
with a minimal plot and a lackluster but in some ways shocking "final break."
Does Michael Scofield have one more break up his sleeve?
Prison Break: The Final Break debuts on Blu-ray with a satisfactory 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. While nothing about the transfer jumps out as appearing completely remarkable, it does make for a solid watch that never completely disappoints in any one area. Detail is adequate throughout; a prison cafeteria scene early on doesn't offer much to look out outside the white-and-red prison uniforms and drab, monotone concrete walls, but the few odds and ends scattered about on inmate's trays -- for instance a small carton of milk -- stand out rather nicely against the otherwise pedestrian imagery. Likewise, a few close-up shots of the prison's interior concrete walls and its exterior brick walls offer a fabulous, almost tactile texture. Colors suffice; there's never an abundance of bright colors save for a few fly-over shots of Miami and some random eye-catching hues here and there. Generally, however, the image tends to look slightly processed, flat, and lifeless. Flesh tones tend towards a slight shade of red, and blacks occasionally drown out detail. Overall, Prison Break: The Final Break looks adequate for what it is, a direct-to-video conclusion to a fairly popular television show, and the Blu-ray serves up a high definition transfer that will neither greatly impress viewers nor completely disappoint.
Prison Break: The Final Break busts out with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Perhaps this track's most noticeable trait is the incredibly bass-y dialogue that doesn't sound all that natural. Meanwhile, much of the track seems disproportionately loud; for instance, sound effects and music often compete with dialogue for the position of dominant sound in any give scene. The seaside wedding at the beginning and the subsequent celebration are overpowered by crashing waves and tropical music that sound fine but just seem bent on dominating the dialogue. The Final Break does offer up a fairly robust rear-channel presence -- for instance serving up the clanking of silverware, the chatter of inmates, and the slamming of doors -- but many of the effects that flow from the back are guilty of trying to overpower the listener. The end result is a jumbled deluge of sound in places that tends to pull the listener out of the experience while trying to sort it all out rather than drawing the listener in with a natural-sounding audio presentation.
This Blu-ray release of Prison Break: The Final Break serves up only a pair of deleted scenes (1080p, 4:09) under the "Special Features" tab.
A decent effort but not exactly one of television's finest finales, Prison Break: The Final Break wraps the series up with a satisfactory finish but without a pretty bow on top. It's "Prison Break" at its most average and without the small details and maneuvering room that made the series so special in the first place. The Final Break shouldn't completely disappoint die-hard fans, but it does leave a little something to be desired when taken in the context of the entire series. 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release doesn't make for a reference quality Blu-ray. With an adequate 1080p transfer, an aggressive but jumbled soundtrack, and next to no bonus features, only the most ardent of "Prison Break" fans should give this one a rent.
2005-2006
2012
Extreme Cut
2009
2016
The Dirty Harry Collection
1973
30th Anniversary Edition
1993
2005
2012
1993
2009
1997
2005
Whiskey Bay
2014
2005
1996
The Complete Final Season
2010
2013
Special Edition
2008
Extended Cut
2013
1989