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

Kino Lorber have but Fire Birds to Region 'A' Blu-ray. The image quality is fairly modest on a single-layered disc. It is in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and the film is reliant on special effects that were in their infancy and pale in relation to stuff done today. It is on a single-layered Blu-ray disc and detail in close-ups can be pleasing but colors are dullish although some of the combat acrobatics are impressively shot.

Kino Lorber provide the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track with quite a few deft separations with the loud choppers and aerial fight sequences -  or a 2.0 channel stereo track (both 16-bit) in the original English language. There is a score by David Newman (Heathers) and other pop pieces like Do You Remember and Find A Way To My Heart performed by Phil Collins and Chain Of Fools by Judson Spence. Kino Lorber add optional English subtitles (see sample below) on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

Supplements include a decent audio commentary by director David Green who describes some of the coldness of the stars to each other, details of the production and locations, extolling Tommy Lee Jones, shooting certain scenes and some of the effects. He has a British accent that is easily discernable. There is also a trailer for the film.

Fire Birds has an obvious comparison to Top Gun... but with attack helicopters . The Tom Cruise film is even referenced in the commentary. Unfortunately, Fire Birds is a poor cousin to its aerial predecessor but has the cache of the stars as they are all quite good within the bounds of the script. The Kino Blu-ray has value with the commentary that I appreciated more than the film. To each his own.

Gary Tooze