V: The Final Battle Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

V: The Final Battle Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 10, 2020

When it aired in May, 1983, “V” was an instant hit for NBC, with the network’s careful promotional push, teasing the dickens out of the production, actually paying off, securing a large viewership for the two-part miniseries. The Kenneth Johnson creation made its way into the pop culture conversation, and the conclusion of “V” presented a tempting opening for a sequel, with the Resistance sending signals into deep space, hoping to attract the attention of an alien nation capable of triggering an independence day for Earth, taking care of the Visitors, ending their dastardly plans to strip the planet of its water and feast on its population. NBC immediately ordered a follow-up, only Johnson’s vision for the next chapter was dismissed, with executives more interested in keeping things earthbound, reluctant to pay for an intergalactic battle royal. One year later, “V: The Final Battle” was unleashed on the public, with the story beefed up to a three-night stand (Part 1 – 90:13, Part 2 – 92:06, Part 3 – 84:59), while the story, now stripped of mystery, turns to war, eschewing Johnson’s vision to stage chases and encourage more exploitative elements. It’s all tremendously fun and a teensy bit lurid, and while “V: The Final Battle” isn’t as passionate a project as its predecessor, it remains an active and invested continuation of the original series. And there’s a character named Ham. What more do you need?

Building confidence as their efforts to disrupt the activities of the Visitors seem to be working, the Resistance is suddenly faced with newfound defense capabilities from their enemy, with the aliens making a grand push to remove all the water from California. Resistance leader Julie (Faye Grant) struggles with the demands of the war, trying to keep her soldiers safe and figure out a way to topple the Visitor threat. Mike (Marc Singer) wrestles with thoughts of his son, Sean (Eric Johnston), who’s locked away inside a cocoon, prepared for alien feeding, inspiring him to use his Visitor connection, Martin (Frank Ashmore), to retrieve his child. Visitor leader, Diana (Jane Badler), attempts to perfect her Conversion Process, hoping to infiltrate the Resistance as she breaks human minds, also dealing with the arrival of Squadron Commander Pamela (Sarah Douglas), who doesn’t care for Diana’s handling of the Earth invasion. Joining the Resistance is Ham (Michael Ironside), an ex-C.I.A. operative who provides the group with a take-no-prisoners approach from a greater underground network, looking to exterminate the Visitors with smarts and sheer force.

“V” left things unfinished, teeing up a sequel meant to go deeper into the central conflict and the war at home, with the Visitor invasion disrupting lives across California, finding its most defined victim in Robin (Blair Tefkin). A teenager seduced by a handsome Visitor, “V: The Final Battle” tracks the development of her alien pregnancy, which terrifies the young woman, sending her into a depressive spiral that leads to debates about abortion(!) and even a suicide attempt(!!), which is fairly heady stuff for a sci-fi miniseries airing after “Knight Rider.” The continuation also follows Johnson’s lead with his Nazi allegory, examining the rise of human traitors and the propaganda efforts from the invaders, who use misinformation and lies to maintain power over the populace, with many refusing to believe rumors concerning the Visitors and their secret reptilian appearance, giving the villains a chance to destroy Earth without any objection raised by the elite, including Mike’s mother, Eleanor (Neva Patterson).

“V” had the advantage of being fresh, introducing the audience to multiple characters, slowly rolling out the Visitor arrival, discovering the horrors behind their mission to Earth. “V: The Final Battle” isn’t offered the same level of suspense, tasked with juggling all these personalities involved in the developing war. There’s a large cast and several subplots to manage in the miniseries, including the return of Willie (Robert Englund), who becomes a guinea pig for the Resistance; news reporter Kristine (Jenny Sullivan) is exposed to the brutality of the Visitors real intent for humanity; and Julie is forced to endure Diana’s Conditioning Process, which is one of a few sequences in the show that carry on for far too long, revealing some NBC-ordered padding to help fill three time slots.

The major addition to “V: The Final Battle” is Ham, a man who doesn’t take gruff from anyone, showing limited patience for the old Resistance way. While the cast remains committed to their characters, with Singer and Grant working to remain emotive and melodramatic enough for T.V., it’s Ironside who steals the miniseries, offering hilariously overcooked masculinity, bringing a nice counterpoint to the earnestness of the heroes. The writing does fine with Ham, also providing a satisfactory return to the “V” community, as the production keeps tabs on the group effort, with the story highlighting jealousies, doubts, and sacrifices. Power plays with the Visitors are present as well, keeping Diana on edge as her personal plans for Earth are disrupted by the chain of command. “V: The Final Battle” also has its share of ridiculous moments, with the rushed creative process trying to make something steamy happen between Julie and Mike, who really should be more concerned about life and death situations (their awkward coupling is accompanied by some hot sax, inspiring unintentional laughs).

V: The Final Battle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray with a "Brand new master," "V: The Final Battle" remains consistent during the AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation. While softness is present, detail survives throughout, presenting textured looks at facial particulars and especially costuming, which includes padded Visitor uniforms, period outfits (you better believe Mike slips into a shiny Members Only jacket), and spandex bodysuits. Location work is dimensional, offering deep backgrounds as the action hits industrial areas and open California spaces. Clarity exposes the limitations of the special effects, including the use of still frames and stock footage. Colors are alert, with crimson and workplace orange Visitor hues and bright clothing for the humans. Greenery is strong, providing a sense of nature as the action heads outdoors. Skintones are natural on the humans, while lizard greens are distinct, offering precise identification of the alien threat. Delineation is communicative. Source is in strong shape. Some mild banding is detected.

V: The Final Battle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix seems to have some minor wear and tear, with a few mild volume dips encountered along the way. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, securing a feel for thespian range without distortive extremes. Grant's role requires the actress to play the full range of feeling, and nothing is lost. Scoring handles acceptably, offering clean instrumentation with tight percussion. Sound effects stay within the range of a network television production, but gunplay, ship sounds, and Visitor voices register satisfactorily. Atmospherics for party and street encounters explore group activity adequately.

V: The Final Battle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Next on 'V: The Final Battle' – Part 1" (:32, HD) and "Part 2" (:33, HD) are short network teasers for future "V" excitement.

V: The Final Battle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"V: The Final Battle" has a plenty of action sequences, including a chase on horseback to keep things interesting. Special effects aren't special (one can feel the budget tightening as the story unfolds), but unique locations are utilized well, following the heroes and villains around spaceships and industrial areas. The main theme has also been spruced up with a militaristic beat, generating simple but evocative title sequences for the episodes. Johnson's touch is obviously missed from the sequel, but "V: The Final Battle," while crude and borderline disturbing at times, is effective, keeping "V" momentum going for another round of Visitor troublemaking, clearing the way for a television series that premiered six months later.