From legendary director and screenwriter John Milius (Apocalypse Now, Conan The Barbarian) comes the tale of what-could-have-been, had the Cold War gone another way. When Communist paratroopers descend on a Colorado high school football field, a group of the school’s students wages an all-out guerilla war to save their town — and their country. Featuring an all-star cast, including Patrick Swayze (Road House), Charlie Sheen (Platoon), Lea Thompson (Back To The Future), C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders), Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing), Powers Boothe (Tombstone) and Harry Dean Stanton (Alien), Red Dawn “comes up like thunder” (New York Post)!

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Video Quality

Shout! Studios presents Red Dawn with an excellent 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision/HDR. This film was originally released on Blu-Ray by the label in 2017 which was derived from an older source. That release was disappointing since it appeared to be almost identical visually to the 2012 Blu-Ray release from MGM. This movie is finally getting the treatment it deserves with a fantastic refinement of the picture.

This disc maintains the ideal level of natural film grain which unleashes a host of distinct textures in the environments, the costumes, the special effects, and more. This grain resolves consistently with nothing ever appearing clumpy or spiking throughout both the daytime and occasional nighttime scenes. This disc executes every slight environmental shift with consistency. The makeup effects render with inspiring clarity as you trace the evolution of their training. This transfer has done a fine job of cleaning up the print damage with only a few specks of dirt making it through the restoration gauntlet. The encode on this one is in good shape with no obvious dips in quality.

The implementation of Dolby Vision brings out so much depth and complexity within the visual canvas. This is a film with many exceptional hues, and this disc showcases its vivid palette with the greatest level of accuracy. The new presentation reaches a level of perfection and color detail that likely matches or exceeds the original run in theaters. Black levels are formidable with no crush present, and the highlights remain firm and never get overly hot. This new presentation is simply a phenomenal upgrade and is by far the best the film has looked on home entertainment. Fans can buy with confidence.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track and a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio which each captures this journey within its sonic limitations. There are times you want some of the explosions or gunfire to hit with a bit more force, but it comes alive as well as it should. Environmental noises such as radio announcements or certain military vehicles come through with a refined quality. The surround sound track does not open up the world unnaturally, but it adds some fine texture.

The low end of the track complements the experience with some nice flourishes. Dialogue emerges with lovely clarity even during the more chaotic developments. The soundtrack and the score from Basil Poledouris are essential for establishing the tone of this story, and everything sounds rich without major damage. The fidelity is in good shape throughout. Shout! Studios delivered everything they needed to with this one. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

A Look Back at Red Dawn: A fantastic new(er) 69-minute documentary from 2017 featuring interviews with Co-Star Doug Toby, Casting Director Jane Jenkins, Production Designer Jackson DeGovia, and Editor Thom Noble in which they discuss the production of the film, the performers assembled, the charisma of Patrick Swayze, the shooting locations, and so much more.

Red Dawn Rising: A 23-minute archival retrospective piece featuring interviews with Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, Powers Booth, director John Milius, and more. The subjects discuss the themes of the picture, the responsibilities put on Swayze, the challenges of production, and much more that is a fun watch.

Training For WWIII: A ten-minute piece with the same talent in which they discuss the training that went into preparing the performers to handle weapons and engage in combat.

Building The Red Menace: A ten-minute look at the process of conjuring up a Russian invasion complete with real-life tanks.

WWIII Comes To Town: A nearly 14-minute featurette that looks at the experience of shooting in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Theatrical Trailer: A two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Red Dawn is a classic ‘80s action film that goes way harder than you might expect given the premise. This has all the trappings of a campy (or at least less harrowing) journey, but director John Milius keeps things appropriately dark. The cast is a murderer’s row of talent from the era who all get a chance to shine. The logic is not always unimpeachable, but the movie reaches impressive heights in spite of that. Shout! Studios has provided this one with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that delivers a fantastic A/V presentation and a rich array of special features. Even if you already own this one on Blu-Ray, this new presentation is a vital upgrade all around. Highly Recommended

Red Dawn (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shout! Studios has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.