NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (October 2021): Indicator have transferred Jack Smight's Midway to Blu-ray. It is on a dual-layered disc with a supportive bitrate. Without direct comparisons this is a bump over the Universal 2013 VC-1 encoded Blu-ray reviewed HERE. This Indicator transfer, although with a lower bitrate it has the superior AVC encode and is much crisper - a typical Indicator transfer - it looks very strong with depth, true colors and stellar contrast. There is archival footage used in the film that is easy to discern in this high resolution and stock shots from 20th Century Fox's 1970 Tora! Tora! Tora! It's another flawless, clean, 1080P transfer from the UK-based company.

Also available is the two-part, longer (3 1/4-hour) television version. When Midway premiered on US television in 1978, it was split into two parts and screened over consecutive nights (Sunday 5th and Monday 6th February.) Containing scenes not present in the theatrical cut, among them an entire section devoted to the Battle of the Coral Sea, this version also features concessions to a television audience: the removal of moderate curse words, the reframing of the original scope ratio to 4:3, and mono audio. The presentation on this disc is exactly as broadcast, complete with a recap at the beginning of Part Two. It is in 1080P, lossy Dolby, cropped, with optional English (SDH) subtitles, but the quality pales in comparison to the theatrical - as evidenced by screen captures below.

NOTE: We have added 68 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

Like MacArthur, the Indicator give two options. Here we get a linear PCM mono track or a DTS-HD Master 2.1 surround track (listed as 2.1 sensurround on the menu, but our software identifies it is as 5.1) - both 24-bit, in the original English language. The mono still has some 'bass rumble'. Midway has many aerial battles with deep thrusting plane engines and utilized ammunition magazines and gun batteries, that come through with searing intensity and some separation. Midway was the second of only four films released with a Sensurround sound mix. The surround here certainly does embellish the engine noise, explosions, crashes and gunfire. The score is by John Williams (The Eiger Sanction, The Secret Ways, The Rare Breed, The Missouri Breaks, War Horse, The Fury, Images, Fitzwilly Sleepers, The Cowboys, Conrack, 1979's Dracula) sounding clean and extremely supportive in the lossless transfers. Indicator offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Steve Mitchell and Steven Jay Rubin (author of Combat Films: American Realism, 1945-2010.) This is a perfect pairing for war films with Steven's knowledge of weaponry, planes, aircraft carriers etc. and Steve's encyclopedic knowledge of film. Indicator also include a Guardian Interview with Robert Wagner from 1983 that can be played running to the film. It is an archival audio recording of the film and TV star in conversation with Joan Bakewell at the National Film Theatre, London. They Were There! is from 1976. In it, Charlton Heston presents this archival documentary featuring interviews with three combatants who survived the battle running just over 6-minutes. The Making of 'Midway' was made in 2001: a 40-minute documentary short looking at the film's production. Sensurround: The Sounds of 'Midway' is a look at the film's use of the Sensurround audio system from 2001. "The Battle of 'Midway' is an 18-minute 1942 Oscar-winning documentary directed by John Ford relaying the battle with footage shot by Navy cameramen. There is a n 18-minute Super 8 version version of Midway. In the days before home video formats, cut-down Super 8 versions of popular films were produced for audiences to enjoy in the comfort of their own homes.  This is a Super 8 presentation, released as part of the 'Universal Eight' series, that reduces Midway to an eighth of its original theatrical running time.  There are also an original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots plus an image gallery of promotional and publicity material. The package has a limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall, archival articles on the film and the events that inspired it, an overview of critical responses, and film credits.

Once again Indicator go the extra mile with another fully complete Blu-ray release. Wow. Jack Smight's Midway is historically fascinating - a turning point of WW2 in the Pacific Theatre - and has a mammoth 'Who's Who' of a cast including Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Hal Holbrook, Toshirô Mifune, Robert Mitchum, Cliff Robertson, Robert Wagner, Robert Webber, Ed Nelson, Pat Morita, Robert Ito, Glenn Corbett, Christopher George and others. Despite whatever poetic license or technical inaccuracies - Midway is a repeatable experience and I gained significant appreciation beyond watching Universals' 2013 Blu-ray reviewed HERE. This is strongly recommended to any fans of big budget war films or the extensive cast. A brilliant a/v, commentary, the longer two part TV version, and host of valuable supplements. Don't miss it.  

Gary Tooze