Check out our review of this TV action drama that follows the crew of a U.S. naval destroyer forced to confront the reality of a new existence when a pandemic kills off most of the earth's population.
The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
90
Details:
Studio and Year: Warner/TNT - 2014
MPAA Rating: TV-14
Feature running time: 440 minutes
Genre: TV Drama/Action
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC
Video Aspect: 1.78:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish, French, Finnish, Dansk, Norsk, Suomi, Svenska
Starring: Eric Dane, Rhona Mitra, Adam Baldwin, Jocko Sims, Travis Winkle, Marissa Neitling, Charles Parnell, Christina Elmore
Directed by: Jack Bender
Written by: Steve Kane, Hank Steinberg, William Brinkly
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 9, 2015
"No cure. No country. No surrender"
My Take:
Based on William Brinkley’s popular novel of the same name, The Last Ship chronicle’s a global catastrophe that decimates 80% of the world’s populace. Due to its position in the Arctic region, the Navy guided missile class Destroyer U.S.S Nathan James and her crew of 200 avoided falling victim to the viruses devastating path of destruction. But now, Captain Tom Chandler and his crew must confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they may be among the few remaining survivors.
I didn’t catch The Last Ship during prime time but recall seeing promos for it that looked interesting so I went ahead and requested season one for review. Its post-apocalyptic plot about a global pandemic that wipes out nearly 80% of the world’s population in just a few short months provides ample fuel for the continuing storyline surrounding a U.S. Naval Destroyer and crew that find themselves alone staring into the unknown as they struggle to cope with what has happened. The focus of season one involves the ship’s Captain, played by Eric Dane, dealing his crew, the news from back home and the hope that a cure can be found by Dr. Rachel Scott, who was secretly tasked with locating the virus’ primordial strain just before it spread beyond control.
I found the show to be fairly entertaining and well balanced in terms of providing enough episodic drama, action and character depth to support the thematic tone associated with the various challenges/encounters faced by those aboard the U.S.S. Nathan James. It’s evident that great lengths were undertaken by the show’s creators to ensure that there is an authenticity surrounding the depiction of the Navy and the ship itself, which I like. The production elements are actually quite good as well which adds another appealing element. Eric Dane doesn’t have much to offer as a dramatic actor but does a decent job in the role of Captain Tom Chandler. Adam Baldwin is a seasoned character actor and is solid as well. Rhona Mitra is probably the weak link in the chain as far as the primary leads go but I had no issue with that. The supporting members of the cast as well as the various guest stars compliment the show over the course of the season.
The Last Ship doesn’t break the mold in terms of its subject matter and thematic foundation but it’s continuing plot, fleshed out characters, and TV series based action make it fairly entertaining to watch. I plan on adding it to my season watch list when season two premieres on the TNT Network
Season one’s 10 episodes and bonus material are evenly spread over two BD-50 Blu-ray Discs that come housed in a standard amaray style case (with flimsy matching slipcover).
Parental Guide:
The rating is for thematic material, violence and brief language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:REFERENCE= 92-100/EXCELLENT= 83-91/GOOD= 74-82/AVERAGE= 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE= under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Season one of The Last Ship positively translates to video on Blu-ray Disc and features excellent high definition quality that boasts warm, inviting colors with deeply saturated primaries and vivid hues. Fleshtones are naturally delineated with warm tonal highlights and discernible complexional variety among the cast. Detail is abundant as images look crisp with clearly resolvable texture, and dimensionality that on occasion offer a near infinite visual perspective. Blacks are rich with excellent dynamic range and appreciable gradational stages. Contrast is strong which provides plenty of pop to colors and whites without overemphasis or loss of detail. The video has a punchy, pleasing, and pristine quality that looks great throughout.
The Dolby TrueHD multi-channel soundtrack features crystal clear dialogue, robust dynamics and an enriching surround sound mix. I was impressed with its use of spacial dimension and directional cues to create a realistic and occasionally immersive sound field. This worked hand in hand with shows excellent music score, and action based sequences to build suspense/tension and drive its thematic elements. This appears to be a faithful and high quality audio/video presentation that looks and sounds great on Blu-ray .
Bonus Features:
Based on William Brinkley’s popular novel, The Last Ship is an entertaining TV drama/action series, with a fairly engaging storyline, that while not especially original, contains enough thematic elements to be interesting and fun to watch. It comes to Blu-ray from TNT and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment featuring excellent high definition audio/video mated with a solid supplemental package. I plan on checking out season two of The Last Ship when it premieres later this month on the TNT Network. If you’re curious or are a fan that enjoys re-watching the series on home video this Blu-ray offering is just the ticket.
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8802 13.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )
Film:
( Max score: 100 )
90
Details:
Studio and Year: Warner/TNT - 2014
MPAA Rating: TV-14
Feature running time: 440 minutes
Genre: TV Drama/Action
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC
Video Aspect: 1.78:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish, French, Finnish, Dansk, Norsk, Suomi, Svenska
Starring: Eric Dane, Rhona Mitra, Adam Baldwin, Jocko Sims, Travis Winkle, Marissa Neitling, Charles Parnell, Christina Elmore
Directed by: Jack Bender
Written by: Steve Kane, Hank Steinberg, William Brinkly
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 9, 2015
"No cure. No country. No surrender"
My Take:
Based on William Brinkley’s popular novel of the same name, The Last Ship chronicle’s a global catastrophe that decimates 80% of the world’s populace. Due to its position in the Arctic region, the Navy guided missile class Destroyer U.S.S Nathan James and her crew of 200 avoided falling victim to the viruses devastating path of destruction. But now, Captain Tom Chandler and his crew must confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they may be among the few remaining survivors.
I didn’t catch The Last Ship during prime time but recall seeing promos for it that looked interesting so I went ahead and requested season one for review. Its post-apocalyptic plot about a global pandemic that wipes out nearly 80% of the world’s population in just a few short months provides ample fuel for the continuing storyline surrounding a U.S. Naval Destroyer and crew that find themselves alone staring into the unknown as they struggle to cope with what has happened. The focus of season one involves the ship’s Captain, played by Eric Dane, dealing his crew, the news from back home and the hope that a cure can be found by Dr. Rachel Scott, who was secretly tasked with locating the virus’ primordial strain just before it spread beyond control.
I found the show to be fairly entertaining and well balanced in terms of providing enough episodic drama, action and character depth to support the thematic tone associated with the various challenges/encounters faced by those aboard the U.S.S. Nathan James. It’s evident that great lengths were undertaken by the show’s creators to ensure that there is an authenticity surrounding the depiction of the Navy and the ship itself, which I like. The production elements are actually quite good as well which adds another appealing element. Eric Dane doesn’t have much to offer as a dramatic actor but does a decent job in the role of Captain Tom Chandler. Adam Baldwin is a seasoned character actor and is solid as well. Rhona Mitra is probably the weak link in the chain as far as the primary leads go but I had no issue with that. The supporting members of the cast as well as the various guest stars compliment the show over the course of the season.
The Last Ship doesn’t break the mold in terms of its subject matter and thematic foundation but it’s continuing plot, fleshed out characters, and TV series based action make it fairly entertaining to watch. I plan on adding it to my season watch list when season two premieres on the TNT Network
June 21st.Season one’s 10 episodes and bonus material are evenly spread over two BD-50 Blu-ray Discs that come housed in a standard amaray style case (with flimsy matching slipcover).
Parental Guide:
The rating is for thematic material, violence and brief language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:REFERENCE= 92-100/EXCELLENT= 83-91/GOOD= 74-82/AVERAGE= 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE= under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency effects:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
- Low frequency extension * (non-rated element): NA
- DSU Rating * (non-rated element):
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black Level/Shadow Detail:
- Color Reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Season one of The Last Ship positively translates to video on Blu-ray Disc and features excellent high definition quality that boasts warm, inviting colors with deeply saturated primaries and vivid hues. Fleshtones are naturally delineated with warm tonal highlights and discernible complexional variety among the cast. Detail is abundant as images look crisp with clearly resolvable texture, and dimensionality that on occasion offer a near infinite visual perspective. Blacks are rich with excellent dynamic range and appreciable gradational stages. Contrast is strong which provides plenty of pop to colors and whites without overemphasis or loss of detail. The video has a punchy, pleasing, and pristine quality that looks great throughout.
The Dolby TrueHD multi-channel soundtrack features crystal clear dialogue, robust dynamics and an enriching surround sound mix. I was impressed with its use of spacial dimension and directional cues to create a realistic and occasionally immersive sound field. This worked hand in hand with shows excellent music score, and action based sequences to build suspense/tension and drive its thematic elements. This appears to be a faithful and high quality audio/video presentation that looks and sounds great on Blu-ray .
Bonus Features:
- (HD) Inside the episode (10 segments)
- (HD) Making of The Last Ship – 2 minute featurette
- (HD) The Last Ship overview – 3 minute featurette
- (HD) Prequels: Origin of the virus (6 segments)
- (HD) Character profiles – Eric Dane, Adam Baldwin, Rhona Mitra
- (HD) The Last ship Details – 6 minute featurette
- (HD) The Navy and the U.S.S Halsey – 5 minute featurette
- (HD) 2014 Comic-Con panel – 52 minutes
- Audio commentaries
- Digital HD copy
Based on William Brinkley’s popular novel, The Last Ship is an entertaining TV drama/action series, with a fairly engaging storyline, that while not especially original, contains enough thematic elements to be interesting and fun to watch. It comes to Blu-ray from TNT and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment featuring excellent high definition audio/video mated with a solid supplemental package. I plan on checking out season two of The Last Ship when it premieres later this month on the TNT Network. If you’re curious or are a fan that enjoys re-watching the series on home video this Blu-ray offering is just the ticket.
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8802 13.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package