Tombstone - 4K UHD SteelBook

Our own Nate Boss reviewed Tombstone for Blu-ray some fifteen years ago, and I don’t have a whole lot to add to the proceedings there. I’ll add his thoughts in a moment. For what it’s worth to those reading, I was about eleven when I saw this film in theaters, and it’s been a favorite ever since. This film began my rabbit hole of reading about Old West True Crime and the iconic lawmen of the era. Of course, I was fascinated about the gunfight of the O.K. Corral and that mythology. This film may play to more of the romantic and heightened legends of Wyatt Earp, John “Doc” Holiday, and the Vendetta Ride against the Cowboys, but it’s still an exciting piece of work made at a time when Westerns had become somber, contemplatively revisionist affairs.

Worth repeating, this 4K disc of Tombstone offers only the original Theatrical Cut of the film, and personally, that’s just fine by me. I have the “Director’s Cut” on DVD, but I’ve never really taken to it. The five or so minutes of new material just felt extraneous and didn’t really add anything revolutionary to the film. It’s interesting to see what happened to Rooker’s McMasters, but again, it doesn’t add anything that we needed to see in order to make this a better film. The Theatrical Cut was already a great film. I know that’s a passionate topic among some who are understandably irked that the longer version isn't present in this set.

Then there’s the equally passionate and entertaining discussion of “who” actually directed Tombstone. It certainly wasn’t Kevin Jarre who was fired off the film for getting way behind schedule. Some say it was Kurt Russell. Some say credited director George Cosmatos had a heavier hand in it. Michael Biehn shared some great stories on Micahel Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, so check those out for some real inside dirt. 

Regardless of the credited director, Tombstone stands the test of time over thirty years later as a genuine fan favorite. It’s a slick-looking film. It’s a well-acted film. It has a great, invigorating score by Bruce Broughton. It takes no time at all to get caught up in the adventure. Once Robert Mitchum’s narration kicks in over old silent film footage, you’re hooked. Any movie could be so lucky as Tombstone to command this much attention and respect and this feverish drive to learn more about the making of it all these decades later. 

Now, here’s what my former colleague Nate Boss had to say about Tombstone:

"1879. The Civil War is over, and the resulting economic explosion spurs the great migration West. Farmers, ranchers, prospectors, killers and thieves seek their fortunes. Cattle drovers turn cow towns into armed camps, with murder rates higher than those of modern day New York or Los Angeles. Out of this chaos comes legendary lawman Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), retiring his badge and gun to start a peaceful life with his family. Earp's friend John, "Doc" Holliday (Val Kilmer), a Southern gentleman turned gunman and gambler also travels West, hoping the dry climate will relieve his tuberculosis. Silver is discovered in Arizona. Tombstone becomes queen of the boom towns, where the latest Paris fashions are sold from the backs of wagons. Attracted to this atmosphere of greed over one hundred exiled Texas outlaws band together to form the ruthless gang recognized by the red sashes they wear. They emerge as the earliest example of organized crime in America. They call themselves... the Cowboys."

"With those words, perhaps one of the most entertaining of westerns begins, a tale of morality, justice, and revenge, with the slightest hint of romance thrown into the mix. A tale that has grown in popularity over the years, already considered a classic by many. But the leads aren't named Eastwood or Wayne, and the director wasn't Leone or Ford.

This is 'Tombstone,' a classic western, with a slightly modern feel, if ever there was one. This is a story that needs no synopsis, no recap. It's reluctant law standing up to (and eventually against) outlaws that have formed a formidable gang, outnumbering any group, or even town standing in their way.

The characters here are all terribly flawed human beings, driven by greed more than anything. Earp and his two brothers (Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton) are in search of silver lining for their pockets. "Doc" is lining his with gambling earnings. The Cowboys have some financial motives at hand, though chaos seems to be their driving force... until spite and revenge become their only drive.

I'll say this: I'm not a big Kurt Russell guy, as his voice and body language have never done much for me, but Snake doesn't become an irritation here in the legendary lead role. In fact, Russell does a great job selling Earp's inner conflict: The will to stay the hell out of conflict and avoid future involvement as a lawman. But no man could have outperformed a certain co-star of the film, the 1990's chameleon, Val Kilmer. Sure, award ceremonies all ignored him (all besides the oh-so-credible MTV Movie Awards, giving him his only nomination), but Kilmer's drunken, smarmy, duplicitous turn as second banana steals the show with every single line, and that's no exaggeration whatsoever. Kilmer's performance is just unbelievable. It's also unbelievable to look at him at him in his prime, and look at him now (It's even a shock to compare him now to how he looked just five years ago in 'Spartan!'). He'd have killed his poor horse had 'Tombstone' been filmed this year!

This film succeeds on countless levels. One, the dialogue. Find a western film more quotable than this. It's damn near impossible. Of course, there's the famous "I'm your huckleberry" line that gets uttered a few times that is just a laugh riot, but it's not alone. Discussion of turning heads into canoes, double vision requiring double pistols to hit a mark, and plenty of pissed off threatening statements can't help but draw one into the characters and their world. Sure, some slang feels a tad out of place, a bit too modern feeling, but suspension of reality isn't always a bad thing, as characters are more fleshed out through their words than their actions.

The villains are a crucial element to any tale of good versus evil, as they make the conflict that the film has to rely on, and the motley crew in 'Tombstone' is more than capable of the task. Start with the underrated Powers Boothe ('Sin City') as Curly Bill, the leader of the chaos, a calm, collected, intimidating killer, made all the more intimidating due to the fact that Boothe is the absolute master of the blank, soulless stare. Michael Biehn stands alongside him as Johnny Ringo, a psychotic second-in-command if ever there were one. And while there are numerous other villains, mostly character actors (including Michael Rooker), the other scene stealer has to be a young Thomas Haden Church ('Sideways') as the big talking Billy Clanton, one of the men destined to get his ass handed to him at a certain showdown in some Corral or another.

'Tombstone' is a film made exponentially better by the sum of its parts. Great performances, led by Kilmer and Boothe (sorry Russell...well, alright, not sorry), enjoyable characters, great dialogue, creepy, ominous, yet developed villains, and a pace that beguiles a film of its length make this one an instant classic in the genre. Is it perfect? Hardly. But it's perfectly enjoyable, entertaining, and captivating. "Justice is Coming!" Justice to the story of Wyatt Earp."

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Tombstone rides on to 2160p with a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital release from Disney in a nice, shiny new SteelBook package. The 4K is pressed on a BD66 disc, with a BD50 serving the 1080p and bonus features. None of the bonus features are on that disc, letting the film very nearly max out the disc space. The SteelBook is cool, it’s a decent effort for new artwork and all that, but I have to say it’s a bit of a shame that Disney didn’t opt for a more affordable standard package option here in the States. You’d have to import that edition from the UK/EU. The discs load to animated main menus with standard navigation options.

Tombstone loads up for an often brilliant 2160p 2.35:1 Dolby Vision transfer. The Blu-ray that was dropped about fifteen years ago was a nice release, but it was riddled with unsightly edge-enhancement artifacts, especially for facial features if an actor had any kind of acne scarring or if they wore any kind of heavily patterned clothes. Film grain could also look very chunky and inorganic. Thankfully for this round, that’s not an issue. Those fine lines look nice and crisp without the ringing or artifacts. The film grain is nice and fine without being too intrusive. It’s a little more noticeable during night sequences, the Fred White murder standoff is a notable moment there, but again, more cinematic appearing and not distracting.

The HDR and Dolby Vision grades are managed well, highlighting the film’s already lush and vivid yellow-brown tones but also letting more true and accurate primaries come through. I felt like Blues and Reds were really seeing more pop in that arena. Skin tones are healthy, at least for the characters that are supposed to be healthy. You can still see some of the heavy makeup to make some of the cast look more tan and weather-beaten, but as far back as I can remember, you’ve always been able to see that. 

The included 1080p disc is not the 2010 transfer all over again and appears to have been sourced from the newer restoration effort. It’s notably brighter, quite a bit more brown/orange color-toned than the older disc, but it thankfully lacks the edge enhancement. This new disc doesn’t compete with the new 4K and HDR but it’s still a healthy presentation all the same. (going to try to get a comparison video up soon)

On the audio front we have the same strong DTS-HD MA 5.1 track from the previous release. I know some lament the lack of Atmos, and that might have helped, but I still enjoy the hell out of this track all the same. My worry with any Atmos upgrade is that you get something like The Road Warrior or The Terminator with cheap additional sound effects are added to “fill” the space. This track was great from the jump. Dialog is crisp and clear without issue. Those gunfights have amazing weight and impact sucking you right into the middle of that imfamous corral shootout. Again that Broughton score lends plenty of heft to the action beats but also helps build the sweeping romance of the era. Flipping into my receiver’s DTS Neural X function was a nice enhancement, giving a little more spacing for the experience, but at the same time, I’d say that’s not a necessary maneuver. Just blast it at a volume your ears can tolerate, and let the film roll!

As a whiff of this release, I’m bummed to see there wasn’t any more effort on the extra features. What we got here is what we got in 2010 on Blu-ray which wasn’t a whole lot different than what we got on the old DVD. Obviously, we miss out on that Cosmatos commentary track, but that was a Director’s Cut DVD exclusive, and in all honesty, it’s not much of a loss. Considering its absence in 1080p, it would have been a classy move on Disney’s part to at least include the Director’s Cut, even if only in SD, just so it’s a little more readily available for those who want that version. 

• The Making of Tombstone
• Director's Original Storyboards
• Trailers and TV Spots

It’s not just a great Action film, it’s not just a great Western, Tombstone is just a great film - period. Between competition from Kevin Costner’s own project to firing its director to any number of other issues that’d sink most films, Tombstone is a wild success story and a true ‘90s classic. There’s been a lot of renewed interest in this film, and not because it’s coming to 4K for the first time. With the sad, untimely death of Val Kilmer, fans are reevaluating his best performances. While I still think his natural comedic timing in films like Top Secret! don’t get enough attention, it’s impossible to mention Kilmer without also discussing his turn as “Doc” Holiday. It was an Oscar-worthy turn from an incredibly talented and unique individual. 

But we’re here for the 4K disc, and I’m pleased to say it’s another catalog success story. The new 2160p Dolby Vision transfer absolutely leaves the old Blu-ray in the dust and free of the unsightly edge enhancement artifacts. I’m still happy that the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track returns. I personally don’t see a need for a new Atmos mix, but I know that’s a sticking point for some. With that I'm a little miffed the bonus features aren’t more extensive, considering the vast interest in this film and the stories various key players have shared in interviews over the years. 

As a collector, what gives me some pause is this ongoing insistence for horrendously over-priced SteelBook-only releases here in the States. Through this Disney/Sony physical release partnership, they absolutely need to be giving U.S./North America collectors the affordable option of a standard packaging release without paying more to import. This is a great 4K effort, I think the SteelBook is actually a pretty nice piece. I’ll still call this a Highly Recommended disc but with the caveat that folks should wait for a more affordable price point or a very good sale. It’s a great disc, but it’s not $55+ great. If there were more bonus features and the Director’s Cut had at least been given a 1080p upgrade on top of the 4K of the Theatrical Cut, then we’d be talking a respectable value for that kind of price tag.