Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

The Stand Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 15, 2021

It's usually easy to identify the stand apart masterpiece or the most sprawling epic from a particular author's body of works, but not so with Stephen King. The prolific author has penned so many classics that it's difficult to pinpoint the one that truly towers above the others. Certainly sprawling works like The Dark Tower series and The Stand dominate others for length and breadth (this reviewer is partial to Under the Dome, another one of King's epically extra-large books; too bad about the suboptimal TV adaptation) while a myriad of shorter novels like 'Salem's Lot, It, and Pet Sematary also vie for the top spot in the King canon. But The Stand certainly holds a treasured spot with many fans for its complexly woven story of the timeless battle between good and evil in a story that is in 2021 more prescient and teetering on the believable than at any time since its publication in 1978.

Official synopsis: When a killer plague wipes out 99% of the world's population, the embattled survivors struggle to make their way in a post apocalyptic reality. This 2020 adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Stand' frames the eternal battle between good and evil, as embodied by the peaceful prophet Mother Abigail (Whoopie Goldberg) and the menacing presence Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård), and closes with a new coda written by Stephen King himself.

Even pushing nine hours The Stand cannot recreate the sheer scope and spectacle from the King book, but it still commands the screen as solid and fast-moving entertainment. The first hour, establishing the baseline for several key characters and the Captain Trips outbreak, holds serve as the series' best hour for both narrative interest and too-close-to-home recreation of a world ravaged by disease that still feels far-fetched but not quite so much in the wake of the ongoing pandemic which certainly puts a new and personal spin on the proceedings. The Stand suddenly feels more relevant than ever, then, and it couldn't have released at a better time. Complex themes of humanity amidst ruin, not just physical deterioration but the destruction of the soul, play central to the story as evil rises and good has no choice but to stand and fight in what becomes a desperate battle not only for physical, but also spiritual, survival. The show explores those complex themes as the forefront narrative force, often blended to seamless perfection with additional story lines and plot movers that offer more visceral and physically exciting content, bringing great balance to the show.

The new 2020 version of The Stand is well cast though it lacks the sheer force of inhabitation from the 1994 TV version, though that cast has the benefit of a quarter-century's worth of percolation in fans' minds. The new players inhabit the characters nicely enough, though from cast and production perspectives this version can feel a little sterile in comparison, even if it's more sophisticated and edgier, with improved production values and all of the modern day bells and whistles at work in support.

The following episodes are included. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging.

Disc One:

• Episode 1: "The End:" When the "Captain Trips" flu epidemic wipes out more than 99% of the population, the remaining few immune to the disease -- including Stu Redman, Frannie Goldsmith, and Harold Lauder -- set out in search of other survivors, all the while experiencing visions of the nurturing Mother Abigail and the menacing figure of The Dark Man.
• Episode 2: "Pocket Savior:" Musician Larry Underwood is on the cusp of his big break when "Captain Trips" strikes New York. Alone and wandering an empty city, he meets an alluring new acquaintance also desperate to escape. Meanwhile, an incarcerated Lloyd Henreid comes face-to-face with Randall Flagg, The Dark Man himself, who makes him an enticing offer.
• Episode 3: "Blank Page:" Mother Abagail selects a surprising voice to be her conduit to her chosen committee in Boulder: the young deaf man Nick Andros. The arrival of a disturbing visitor to the Boulder Free Zone, shakes the Committee and Boulder residents to their core. Elsewhere in the Free Zone, Nadine Cross is haunted by a childhood memory.

Disc Two:

• Episode 4: "The House of the Dead:" The Boulder Free Zone Committee looks to solidify their leadership and bolster the community with a town hall meeting, but Flagg continues to make inroads as he plots to destroy the newly-forming society from within.
• Episode 5: "Fear and Loathing in New Vegas:" Nadine and Harold's dark intentions continue to take shape. Meanwhile, the Committee's spies entrench themselves in New Vegas, where Flagg is building his own society, where officially-sanctioned sin and debauchery disguises a ruthlessly-enforced order. Back in Boulder, Frannie hatches a plan to confirm her suspicions of Harold while Mother Abagail seeks divine council.
• Episode 6: "The Vigil:" While all of Boulder fears for Mother Abagail's safety, Stu organizes search parties to ensure her return, presenting an opportunity for Harold and Nadine. In New Vegas, Flagg recruits a dangerous new follower.

Disc Three:

• Episode 7: "The Walk:" After tragedy strikes the Boulder Free Zone, Mother Abagail tasks members of her Committee with a dangerous mission. Meanwhile, Harold and Nadine begin their journey to New Vegas to unite with Flagg and claim their reward.
• Episode 8: "The Stand:" Risking everything, the Boulder travelers face off with Flagg's followers in New Vegas, among them a very different - and pregnant - Nadine.
• Episode 9: "The Circle Closes:" Limited series finale written by Stephen King. After seeing both the light and the dark, Frannie makes her stand.

The Stand Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Stand features a consistently solid 1080p transfer that reveals the high end digital workmanship for just about all it's worth. The image is clean and efficient and never struggles with severe noise even in harsh low light (though some banding does make its way into lower-light scenes). Details are impressively solid, revealing extremely fine skin details, nearly countable hairs, and superb environmental definition, whether decaying structural elements or natural beauty that remains untouched by the plague's ravages on mankind. Makeup and gore effects thrive under this resolution and in this transfer for visible clarity and tactile definition of all of the gruesome Captain Trips aftermath, as well as some other choice visuals throughout the series. Color output is well balanced. Contrast holds steadily to a normal range and color depth and accuracy appear at a high level of excellence for vivid and natural output. Blacks are deep, whites are crisp, and flesh tones appear authentic. This is a winner of a transfer from CBS/Paramount.

The Stand Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Stand features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It's in very good working order, offering exceptional balance and clarity through the spectrum. The track is capable of energetic sonic expressiveness as needed and subtle detail when the mood calls for audio refinement. But no matter how quiet or how loud, the track maintains excellence in output placement and detail. Music is clear and wide, focused along the front but folding in enough back channel matter and LFE output to make for a full experience. Action elements are impressively deep and true with some solid full stage workmanship in evidence throughout. Ambient effects, whether subtle or boisterous, are well engineered and positioned around the listener. Dialogue is clear and front-center focused for the duration.

The Stand Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This three-disc Blu-ray release of The Stand contains two extras on disc three. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• An Apocalyptic Epic: Adapting The Stand (1080p 19:40): Discussing the novel's place in King's canon, story themes, adapting the story from King's internally focused writing for an outwardly focused medium, story and characters, making Captain Trips disease prosthetics, character details, costumes and makeup, set design, shooting locations, King's new coda, and more.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 3:40): Humorous moments from the shoot.

The Stand Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This version of The Stand is not as epic as the book or the 1994 miniseries that preceded it, but it's certainly a well worthwhile updating releasing at a relevant point in history when audiences are going to feel closer to it than ever before. CBS/Paramount has released a quality three disc set with impressive video and audio presentations. The lack of a more thorough supplemental content selection is disappointing, however. Recommended.