Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		5.0

The Final Countdown 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 6, 2021

Don Taylor's "The Final Countdown" (1980) arrives on 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary by director of photography Victor J. Kemper; archival program with associate producer Lloyd Kaufman; vintage promotional and production materials; John Scott's original motion picture soundtrack placed on a separate CD disc; and more. In English, with optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The portal

Can you imagine how much more exciting The Final Countdown would be if it was remade today? (Long pause). Yeah, I can’t either. But I can name quite a few things that an unknown but very ambitious modern filmmaker would do to embarrass himself with this fictional remake. For example, I can easily see the segment where Captain Yelland (Kirk Douglas) gives his boys the order to hit the Japanese fleet moved much earlier in the film and slightly altered so that a small team of CGI artists can stage one of the greatest battles that never was. It would be amazing and stunningly fake, like those massive battles from the Independence Day films. I can also predict that the ambitious filmmaker would not even entertain the idea of shooting on U.S.S. Nimitz since the same CGI artists will have a ball digitally rebuilding the legendary aircraft carrier for him. I can even hear the new soundtrack that he will request for the remake. It will be loud and trendy, appealing to a very particular group of viewers, which later on will become some of its biggest critics. Their dissatisfaction will be very easy to rationalize too, because this fictional remake will be just another bloated and lifeless modern action film.

Now that we know why a contemporary remake of The Final Countdown would be a guaranteed flop, let’s quickly highlight the main reasons the original film works so well.

Reason one is director Don Taylor’s ability to shoot on U.S.S. Nimitz with the Navy’s full cooperation. It’s a game-changer, folks, because the authenticity of the visuals is quite overwhelming. Interestingly but not surprisingly, the camera does not seek the best angles to produce the grand vistas these types of films need to appear impressive; the size of U.S.S. Nimitz is such that even the supposedly casual footage produces a seemingly endless supply of them.

Reason two is the decision to keep the narrative firmly grounded in reality, which does seem a bit odd because as you know well by now a time warp dispatches U.S.S. Nimitz to the year 1941. With only a few hours left before Pearl Harbor is to be attacked, Captain Yelland, his assistants, and a visitor (Martin Sheen) from the capital begin asking the questions any rational person would. So, the focus of attention is not on the action, but on the logic behind a seemingly utterly illogical event. In other words, even though The Final Countdown has plenty of action, it is not a conventional action film.

Reason three is closely related to reason two because once Senator Samuel Chapman (Charles Durning) appears the mind can no longer ignore a whole range of fascinating ‘what if’ scenarios. The narrative is still grounded in reality, but it is a reality where the definition of ‘strange’ is constantly redefined. Needless to say, it is awfully difficult to guess what would happen next -- is the film going to completely abandon logic now, or should you expect a witty twist that will put everything in proper order again? You might be able to guess the resolution in advance, but most likely not the events that precede it.

At the core of the most common criticism that you will encounter about The Final Countdown is Taylor’s insistence to emphasize authenticity over cinematic glamor. So many possibilities for outrageous entertainment yet the final product behaves like a documentary feature about time travel conceived by an oddly conservative mind -- why is that? It’s simple, really, because instead of offering you a big but meaningless display of fireworks, in its current form the film forces you to reexamine history. It is a great trick, and it becomes even greater once you realize that it isn’t tainted by political bias.

The Final Countdown 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The screencaptures that are included in our review appear in the order described below. Also, keep in mind that the screencaptures from the 4K Blu-ray are downscaled to 1080p and are not representative of the actual quality of the 4K content. Color values are different, and superior, on the 4K Blu-ray as well.

Screencaptures #1-22: 4K Blu-ray release.
Screencaptures #25-32: Blu-ray release.

4K BLU-RAY DISC

The Final Countdown was scanned in 4K 16-bit from the original 35mm camera negative and then exclusively restored by Blue Underground. The 4K Blu-ray and the Blu-ray are sourced from the new 4K master. I viewed the entire film on 4K Blu-ray and did some extensive comparisons with the Blu-ray.

In native 4K the film looks simply incredible. Delineation, clarity, and density are as good as I imagined they could be -- and believe me, my expectations were very high. The fluidity of the visuals is exceptional as well, so if you project on a big screen, you will get the feeling that you are at your favorite local cinema. I was very impressed and actually took a couple of screencaptures from areas that I thought looked exceptional to demonstrate the quality of the visuals (see sceencaptures #8, 17, and 18). Obviously, some minor density fluctuations emerge during the storm where special effects are used, but it is very easy to tell that they are entirely organic. There are absolutely no traces of problematic digital work. The color grading is superb. I don't know if it was performed by the same people that also worked on the 4K restoration of Bill Lusting Vigilante, but the quality is every bit is impressive. Saturation levels and balance spectacular in native 4K. (For what it's worth, I viewed the entire film with HDR enabled). Image stability is terrific. Finally, there are no age-related imperfections of any kind to highlight in our review. Astonishing technical presentation, one of the absolute best I have seen on 4K Blu-ray.

BLU-RAY DISC

Obviously, the film looks really, really good in 1080p as well. However, this release offers some of the most diverse examples of why Blu-ray has its limits and where 4K Blu-ray excels. For example, on the 4K Blu-ray the density fluctuations are quite small and regardless of shooting conditions remain very, very tight. In 1080p, they become quite a bit looser, which is why in some areas then the fluidity becomes a tad shaky as well. Furthermore, the sharpness of the visuals is quite a bit stronger in native 4K. In 1080p, there are certain areas where it looks like the visuals are a bit uneven, which is actually one of the main indicators that the film has aged. This effect is almost unrecognizable in 4K. (The only area that gives up the film's age is the arrival of the big storm). The color scheme is wonderful, but once again everything looks better in 4K. This is very, very obvious if you compare the Blu-ray and the 4K Blu-ray. So, what you have here is still a first-class technical presentation of a brand new 4K restoration, but in native 4K everything simply looks even better. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Final Countdown 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on the 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray discs: English: Dolby Atmos, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the entire film with the new Dolby Atmos track. It has a fantastic Top Gun-esque vibe and I think that a lot of viewers will be quite surprised to hear how well it handles the film's original sound design. Depth and overall dynamic intensity are really, really good. Also, it helps a lot that there is plenty of footage with action/audio effects where the potency of the audio can be highlighted. The dialog is always crisp, clear, and stable. There are no age-related anomalies to address in our review.

The Final Countdown 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Trailers - three original remastered trailers for The Final Countdown. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Teaser Trailer. (2 min).
  2. Trailer One. (3 min).
  3. Trailer Two. (4 min).

• TV Spots - three original remastered TV spots for The Final Countdown. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. TV Spot One. (1 min).
  2. TV Spot Two. (1 min).
  3. TV Spots Three. (1 min).

• Featurettes -
  
  1. Lloyd Kaufman Goes to Hollywood - in this archival video program, associate producer Lloyd Kaufman recalls how the original concept for The Final Countdown materialized and what it was like to fund and put the project together. There are also some very interesting comments about Kirk Douglas' contribution and director Don Taylor's personality, as well as the decision to shoot on U.S.S. Nimitz (and specifically how to get around the ship). In English, not subtitled. (14 min).
  
  2. Starring The Jolly Rogers - in this archival video program, members of The Jolly Rogers F-14 Fighter Squadron recall what it was like to serve on U.S.S. Nimitz and shoot The Final Countdown. There are some fantastic comments about the skills that are required to land an F-14 on the ship at night. It is a terrific about the crucial relationship between man and machinery. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Promotional Materials - a very large collection of original promotional and production materials for The Final Countdown.
  
  1. Posters
  2. Advertising Materials
  3. Japanese Souvenir Program
  4. Lobby Cards
  5. Stills
  6. Behind-the-Scenes
  7. Video
  8. Miscellaneous

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director of photography Victor J. Kemper. It has appeared on other home video releases of The Final Countdown, including the previous Blu-ray release Blu-ray release of The Final Countdown.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Trailers - three original remastered trailers for The Final Countdown. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Teaser Trailer. (2 min).
  2. Trailer One. (3 min).
  3. Trailer Two. (4 min).

• TV Spots - three original remastered TV spots for The Final Countdown. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. TV Spot One. (1 min).
  2. TV Spot Two. (1 min).
  3. TV Spots Three. (1 min).

• Featurettes -
  
  1. Lloyd Kaufman Goes to Hollywood - in this archival video program, associate producer Lloyd Kaufman recalls how the original concept for The Final Countdown materialized and what it was like to fund and put the project together. There are also some very interesting comments about Kirk Douglas' contribution and director Don Taylor's personality, as well as the decision to shoot on U.S.S. Nimitz (and specifically how to get around the ship). In English, not subtitled. (14 min).
  
  2. Starring The Jolly Rogers - in this archival video program, members of The Jolly Rogers F-14 Fighter Squadron recall what it was like to serve on U.S.S. Nimitz and shoot The Final Countdown. There are some fantastic comments about the skills that are required to land an F-14 on the ship at night. It is a terrific about the crucial relationship between man and machinery. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Promotional Materials - a very large collection of original promotional and production materials for The Final Countdown.
  
  1. Posters
  2. Advertising Materials
  3. Japanese Souvenir Program
  4. Lobby Cards
  5. Stills
  6. Behind-the-Scenes
  7. Video
  8. Miscellaneous

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director of photography Victor J. Kemper. It has appeared on other home video releases of The Final Countdown, including the previous Blu-ray release Blu-ray release of The Final Countdown.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Soundtrack - John Scott's original motion picture soundtrack placed on a separate CD disc. 23 tracks. Total running time: 53.35 minutes.

• Booklet - 10-page illustrated booklet featuring The Zero Pilot Journal and technical credits.

• Cover Art - reversible cover with alternate art.

• Slipcover - moving lenticular slipcover. First pressing only.

The Final Countdown 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The new 4K restoration of Don Taylor's The Final Countdown is absolutely incredible. I had very, very high expectations for it and they were all met. It is just an all-around astonishing upgrade that will remain the definitive presentation of this very entertaining but also quite thought-provoking film. If you enjoy the film, place your pre-orders now because after the 4K makeover you will have a brand new experience with it. If you are pre-ordering from overseas, you will be happy to hear that the 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray are both Region-Free. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.