Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Sudden Death 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 30, 2024

Peter Hyams' "Sudden Death" (1995) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critic Mike Leeder and critic and filmmaker Ross Boyask; archival cast and crew interviews; making of featurette; and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Wrong answer, he dies.

In the film's short prologue, fireman Darren McCord (Jean-Claude Van Damme, Hard Target) gets trapped in a burning house while trying to save a little girl. Before help arrives, the girl dies in his arms. A long close-up then shows McCord looking devastated.

Some years later. McCord is now a security guard in a sports arena in Pittsburgh. He is also the divorced father of a beautiful girl and a boy who loves hockey. And today is a big day for hockey fans -- the Pittsburgh Penguins are hosting the Chicago Blackhawks in the decisive Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. McCord has two tickets for the game, one for his daughter, and one for his son. He is also going to see the game while working inside the arena.

Also attending the big game is the Vice President of the United States (Raymond J. Barry, Year of the Dragon). He is in the VIP suite together with Pittsburgh’s mayor and a group of bodyguards.

A terrorist named Joshua Foss (Powers Boothe, Southern Comfort) and his heavily armed men enter the arena and quietly begin killing the bodyguards monitoring the area. Then they reach the VIP suite using the elevator in the arena’s underground kitchen. After the Vice President’s personal bodyguards are killed, Foss announces that he will blow up the building unless the U.S. government transfers a billion dollars to his multiple private accounts before the end of the game.

Meanwhile, McCord’s daughter disappears while talking to one of Pittsburgh’s mascots. While looking for her, he encounters Foss’ men.

Director Peter Hyams’ Sudden Death was obviously inspired by the first two Die Hard films, but it has an identity of its own. Not necessarily a convincing one, but the film definitely tries hard not to rehash old clichés.

Van Damme looks handsome and fit. Naturally, he is easy to like as the divorced father who has to become a hero to prevent a big tragedy. Admittedly, there are a couple of sequences where he tries too hard to impress -- such as the one where he decides to help the struggling Penguins -- but at least this time around the words he utters make sense.

Boothe is very good as the maniac who tries to manipulate the U.S. government. He is appropriately mean and looks determined to make a point if necessary. His dismissive statements inside the VIP suite belong to some of the best sequences in the entire film. Unfortunately, Barry is never believable as the Vice President.

The film’s pacing remains steady. The action sequences are all well choreographed and the transitions between them never seem to drag. There is also footage with some real hockey players that is carefully used to create the type of atmosphere a real Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final is likely to have.

Sudden Death was directed and lensed by Hyams. A year before completing Sudden Death, Hyams collaborated with Van Damme on the futuristic action thriller Timecop.

Sudden Death 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Sudden Death is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray disc 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 #1-26 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #29-39 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

I have only this British Region-B Blu-ray release of Sudden Death in my library. However, I am quite certain that it offers the same technical presentation of the film that the multiple North American releases do. They are all sourced from the same older master that was prepared at Universal.

Kino Lorber's combo pack is sourced from a new 4K master struck from the original camera negative. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I c hose to view it with Dolby Vision. However, I frequently switched to the 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray. I will explain why shortly.

The entire film looks very healthy now. The difference is instantly recognizable, too. All visuals, regardless of whether they are indoor or outdoor visuals, look significantly lusher and more natural. Density levels are very good as well, though the old master did not disappoint either. Grain exposure is improved. However, some of the hockey footage still reveals slightly harsher visuals. (Obviously, this discrepancy is inherited). Color balance is very good. All primaries and supporting nuances look very healthy and are properly balanced. However, I felt that the entire film looks just a tiny bit darker than it should. This is why I kept switching between the native 4K and 1080p presentations, to see how different areas look. If I had to choose between the two, I would go with the 1080p presentation because the Dolby Vision grade darkens several indoor and nighttime sequences in ways that flatten them. In 1080p, the same sequences reveal slightly more finer nuances. However, the exact same sequences do not look drastically different on the old Blu-ray release I have. Some shadow nuances there look dated, so even with the darkening, they are better balanced on the new 4K master. I just think that their superiority is more convincing in 1080p, not in native 4K. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks spotless. All in all, the new 4K master offers a substantial upgrade in quality, which is easy to appreciate on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray.

Sudden Death 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this 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. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The old Blu-ray release of Sudden Death that I have did not have a 2.0 track, so I spent a bit of time with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. I think that it is pretty good. However, there is a lot of intense action throughout the film that benefits from the 5.1 track. In fact, the film probably deserved a Dolby Atmos track because the shootouts and explosions are very effectively mixed. All dialog is clear, stable, and easy to follow.

Sudden Death 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, critic Mike Leeder and critic and filmmaker Ross Boyask discuss the exact period in which Sudden Death appeared and the general expectations for the film, its reception, Jean-Claude Van Damme's performance and the evolution of his career (and image as an action superstar), Powers Boothe's presence, Peter Hyams's legacy, etc.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, critic Mike Leeder and critic and filmmaker Ross Boyask discuss the exact period in which Sudden Death appeared and the general expectations for the film, its reception, Jean-Claude Van Damme's performance and the evolution of his career (and image as an action superstar), Powers Boothe's presence, Peter Hyams's legacy, etc.

• Interview Clips - presented here are short clips from interviews with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Peter Hyams, Powers Boothe, and Ross Malinger. The interviewees discuss their involvement with Sudden Death and its key characters. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Behind the Scenes Footage - presented here is raw footage from the shooting of Sudden Death. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Trailer - an original U.S. theatrical trailer for Sudden Death. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• TV Spots - presented here are several vintage TV spots for Sudden Death. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

Sudden Death 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While the main attraction is obviously Jean-Claude Van Damme, it is hard to imagine Sudden Death without Powers Boothe, whose villain seems like a close relative of some of the great mean characters J.T. Walsh played. However, despite being an R-rated film, Sudden Death was conceived to be a big crowd pleaser, so it prioritizes flashy action rather than unique characters. Kino Lorber's combo pack introduces a new 4K makeover of Sudden Death that looks very good on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray, so if you enjoy the film, give yourself a present. RECOMMENDED.