The Last Ship: The Complete First Season (Warner Home Video, Rated TV-14, $49.99) — A well-received show on the TNT cable network about a crew on a naval destroyer looking for a cure to a pandemic that threatens to wipe out all of humanity arrives on Blu-ray for the binge-watching, post-apocalyptic fan in the family.
Based on William Brinkely’s 1988 novel, the 10-episode collection stars Eric Dane as the gruff but lovable Capt. Eric James, Rhona Mitra as the mysterious biologist Dr. Rachel Scott (tasked with saving the world) and Adam Baldwin as the no-nonsense executive officer Mike Slattery.
The very gung-ho first season excels at blockbuster, nail-biting action while highlighting some slick U.S. Navy technology used to eradicate bad guys — from Russians to al Qaeda — who are out to stop the crew’s varied survival missions.
I would actually consider the vessel, the USS Nathan James, the real star of the series. The USS Nathan James, actually portrayed by the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer the USS Halsey, is a beautiful ship to watch and packed with power.
An excellent digital transfer, in a 1:78:1 aspect ratio that fills home theater screens, offers some fantastic-looking battle scenes, especially with the USS Nathan James’ guns booming in sound systems.
Extras are surprisingly deep for the release and include optional commentary tracks on four of the episodes with series creators Hank Steinberg and Steven Kane; featurettes on a look at the authenticity of the series (episodes even use real sailors to fill out the cast); 52-minutes worth of coverage from the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con panel; and short introductory backgrounds on all of the episodes.
Most important is a 10-minute, high-definition prequel on the origin of the virus with Dr. Scott (previously released on the TNT website). It will definitely satisfy new fans.
Project Almanac (Paramount Home Entertainment), Rated PG-13, $39.99) — Yet another “found footage” movie debuted this year at theaters giving teens their own version of “Back to the Future” featuring time travel for the hipper generation.
Jonny Weston stars as high school science genius David Raskin. After discovering his deceased father’s secret project, he, his sister and a small group of friends accidentally change the world and must deal with or try and revert the consequences.
Thankfully, the digital transfer and fairly imaginative plot shine though the often-useless shaky cam footage as filmmakers managed to avoid displaying any low-res version of the action that is usually a staple with the genre.
The sci-fi thriller’s availability on demand, coupled with a complete lack of extras (an alternate beginning and multiple endings of the movie are useless), makes the Blu-ray release at best a prime rental at home theater owners.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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