BLU-RAY REVIEW

Countdown

Featured In Issue 249, April/May 2020

Picture4.5
Sound4.5
WSR Score4
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
64209782
(MPAA Rating):
PG-13
(Rating Reason):
Terror, violence, bloody images, suggestive material, language and thematic elemens
(Retail Price):
$34.98
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
(Running Time In Minutes):
90
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
(Theatrical Release):
No
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
1/21/2020
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
(Director):
Justin Dec
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(Subtitles):

The premise of "Countdown" is put in two questions: What if your phone could tell you when you're going to die? Would you want to know? The "Countdown" app will let you know when. (Gary Reber)

Special features include upfront previews and a Movies Anywhere digital code.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed digitally and sourced from a 2K master Digital Intermediate format. The picture exhibits a well-craft natural visual experience. Color fidelity is true to the production design settings, both in brightly lit and dark circumstances. Hues are well balanced, natural, and presented without exaggeration. Fleshtones are naturally rendered and accurately presented throughout. Contrast is well balanced and realistic. Resolution is excellent with fine detail exhibited scene-to-scene, especially during closeups of facial features, clothing and object texture. This is a well-crafted presentation that never strays from naturalness. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is generally frontal focused with segments of action and terror that excite the soundfield. While in the horror genre, the soundtrack is heavily dialogue focused. Dialogue is generally nicely integrated spatially. In one segment it is directionalized to the surrounds and is reverberant. Atmospherics are convincing and sound effects often are powerful and bolstered with deep bass extending to sub-25 Hz in the .1 LFE channel. The orchestral score is enveloping with a wide soundstage and surround depth. This is an effective soundtrack in its presentation and execution of its terrorizing segments, as the countdown to death intensifies. (Gary Reber)