The Last Sentinel Blu-ray Review

The video presentation of "The Last Sentinel" on Blu-ray employs an older MPEG-2 transfer that leaves much to be desired. The 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer exhibits significant grain and noise, creating an almost distracting visual experience that veers into the documentary aesthetic but often feels intrusive. Particularly in darker scenes, grain levels become overwhelmingly prominent, obscuring details and resulting in a loss of dimensionality. Colors are deliberately muted, and outdoor scenes are bathed in a red glow, though skin tones are accurately rendered. However, darker scenes suffer from severe crush, leading to an obscured and murky image quality.

Detail is inconsistent throughout the film. In rundown locations, certain elements like chipped paint, rusted metal, and random debris are portrayed with decent clarity, but facial details remain average at best. Blacks are uneven and rarely achieve the deep, inky quality expected from higher-end transfers, further compromised by blooming and heavy noise that infiltrate darker corners of the screen. The film also suffers from various technical issues, such as stray vertical and horizontal lines and sporadic instances of blocking, banding, speckles, and splotches.

The transfer suffers from a lack of three-dimensionality and clarity. Contrast levels are inconsistent, foreground objects often fail to separate naturally from backgrounds, and edge enhancement introduces disruptive halos throughout the presentation. While the film's stylized color palette might justify some of these issues, the overall transfer is disappointing. However, it’s worth noting that this Blu-ray edition offers marginally better visuals than its standard DVD counterpart, making it the preferable choice for those intent on owning a physical copy of the film.

The Blu-ray release of "The Last Sentinel" presents a diversified audio experience, with options including DTS-HD 5.1, PCM stereo, and standard Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Of these, the DTS-HD 5.1 track is the most robust, providing a more immersive and well-defined surround sound environment. Gunfire and effects dynamically pan across channels, creating an engaging and enveloping auditory landscape. In contrast, the PCM stereo and Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks fall short, sounding flat and lacking depth. Dialogue clarity is generally strong across all tracks, notably clear with Tallis' gun, Angel. However, there are instances where dialogue in quieter scenes isn't as crisp as it could be, leading to occasional difficulties in discernment.

Comparatively, the Dolby Digital 5.1 track performs decently but lacks the aggression and amplitude of the DTS-HD mix. While it requires a higher volume to match the intensity, it still provides discernible discrete effects, enriching the viewing experience slightly less effectively than the DTS-HD option. The low-frequency effects (LFE) in both the DTS-HD and Dolby Digital tracks deliver sufficient depth but could benefit from tighter definition and realism.

Unfortunately, the PCM stereo and Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks are notably inferior, with compressed and muddled sound that fails to utilize surround capabilities effectively. They offer little to no atmospheric presence and lack spatial clarity. The overall audio package, though serviceable, is hindered by the film’s production values, with even its better offerings feeling akin to standard DVD mixes. Despite these limitations, the DTS-HD track remains the preferred choice for taking full advantage of "The Last Sentinel’s" dynamic range and high-energy sequences, making it the optimal selection for an engaging auditory experience aligned with the film's action-packed nature.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Last Sentinel" are a mixed bag, offering a conventional commentary track and an expected "Making of" featurette. The audio commentary by Director/Writer Jesse Johnson and Producer Bill Gottlieb, while informative on casting, locations, props, and editing, can often feel disjointed and sterile, with noticeable pauses that break the flow of the discussion. It occasionally delves into semi-realistic tones and scene analyses but lacks substantial engagement. The 15-minute "Making of" featurette provides standard behind-the-scenes content, including snippets of cast interviews and stunt scene breakdowns, yet it lacks depth and fails to offer new insights beyond the commentary. Collectively, these extras might interest hardcore fans of the genre but offer limited additional value to the casual viewer.

Extras included in this disc:

Commentary with Jesse Johnson and Bill Gottlieb: Discusses casting, filming locations, props, editing, and typical production observations.

The Making of The Last Sentinel: Behind-the-scenes content with cast interviews, stunt scene breakdowns, and special effects insights.

"The Last Sentinel" is a low-budget sci-fi/action film that caters exclusively to a niche audience who enjoy relentless gunfire, explosions, and a basic storyline dripping with clichés. The plot revolves around a post-apocalyptic future where Drones -- machines originally created to serve humanity -- rebel, leading to near human extinction. Tallis (Don 'The Dragon' Wilson), the lone survivor of a specialized squad, teams up with a young rebel (Katee Sackhoff) to combat these deadly machines. Despite the intriguing cast featuring Sackhoff and voice-actor Keith David, the film suffers from shallow character development, subpar dialogue, and an overused plot similar to "The Terminator," among other classic sci-fi franchises.

Visually, "The Last Sentinel" employs gritty aesthetics reminiscent of films such as "Saving Private Ryan" or "Black Hawk Down," though on a vastly smaller budget. While the ambition is noteworthy, the execution falls short with poorly constructed sets intended to emulate a nuclear wasteland. The film's technical limitations are starkly evident in its repetitive action sequences and low-quality special effects, including unconvincing exploding heads and machine gun tracer rounds that appear more like cartoonish laser bolts. Acting performances vary, with Wilson giving a one-note portrayal that somewhat fits his battle-hardened, desensitized character. However, the frequent underwater action scenes become monotonous and detract from the overall viewing experience.

Ultimately, "The Last Sentinel" can provide a humorous, B-movie experience if approached with the right expectations. Its low production value and repetitive nature make it best suited for fans who appreciate 'so-bad-it's-good' films. However, the movie's thin plot, clichéd dialogue, and inept special effects struggle to engage beyond providing background noise during a nostalgic gunfire-filled evening. For those seeking meaningful sci-fi content or innovative low-budget filmmaking, it's worth exploring other titles with more compelling narratives and inventive execution.

The Last Sentinel" on Blu-ray is a curious case of cinematic ambition falling short due to numerous shortcomings in budget and production values. While it features notable actors such as Katee Sackhoff and Don "The Dragon" Wilson, the film struggles to deliver anything beyond a stereotypical action/sci-fi narrative filled with run-of-the-mill characters. The plot is a derivative mix inspired by well-known tropes; unfortunately, any spark of originality is notably absent. The lack of ingenuity and imagination in both the script and direction limits its appeal, even to fans of the genre.

The Blu-ray release itself does little to salvage the film's prospects. The high-definition picture quality is underwhelming, characterized by a rough and almost repulsive video transfer. Audio tracks fare no better, offering a mediocre listening experience that further detracts from the film’s limited merits. Echo Bridge has included a couple of extras, but the supplement package feels bland and anemic, failing to add any meaningful value to the overall experience.

In conclusion, "The Last Sentinel" is a budget title that might find a niche audience among action/sci-fi enthusiasts who appreciate "so-bad-it’s-good" cinema. However, discerning viewers and those seeking quality entertainment should look elsewhere. The combination of poor video and audio presentations and lackluster storytelling renders this a release best suited for rental—if at all. "It's cheap, which in itself is no bad thing, and it's nasty and I mean that.