4.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Months after a zombie plague has wiped out 90 percent of the American population, a small group of survivors fight their way cross-country to a rumored refuge on the island of Catalina.
Starring: Ving Rhames, Taryn Manning, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Johnny Pacar, Gary WeeksHorror | 100% |
Action | 14% |
Sci-Fi | 6% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Very fast, very dangerous.
2012 Zombie Apocalypse is a mishmash of all things Zombie movie. It doesn't improve on the genre one bit, or even bring any new ideas to
the table. The basics of the plot are something along the lines of 28 Days Later meets the Dawn of the Dead remake meets I Am Legend, where an infection has spread and turned people into
zombies, and a small band of survivors -- led by Ving Rhames -- wants only to reach a mythical safe haven where humans still live normal lives and the
dead are but a memory. It's hard to go wrong with something like this, because who doesn't like a little survival doom and gloom and every now and
then to brighten the day and daydream about no more bills, no more school, and free reign to blast some ugly undead flesh eaters? This is the
ultimate escapist genre, and should make for grand adventure, but like all other sorts, this genre is apt to spit out to some real stinkers. While
2012 Zombie
Apocalypse is pretty bad, it's not scraping the bottom of the barrel, even if its plot is basically as follows: survivors walk around, battle some
zombies, walk around, battle some zombies, walk around some more, and battle some more zombies. It's still entertaining at the most basic Zombie
genre level, even if there's no real reason to watch except to check it off a list or kill ninety minutes of one's life.
The gang's all here!
2012 Zombie Apocalypse features a passable-to-above-average 1080p, 1.78:1-framed Blu-ray transfer. This image yields adequate clarity and stability, which gives way to nice, but not exceptional, detailing on clothes, faces, and various surfaces around the film's many exterior locales. Colors favor a slightly washed out and worn-down appearance, as if a moderately heavy filter has been placed over the lens. The palette never produces anything even remotely vibrant, but basic shades are suitably represented. Some of the darkest scenes tend towards crush, but many shadowy corners appear nicely balanced and natural. The image does have some trouble with light, intermittent banding, but it's not enough to ruin the transfer. All told, this one's pretty basic, and The Asylum has done a decent job of bringing it to Blu-ray.
Unfortunately, 2012 Zombie Apocalypse doesn't contain a lossless audio option. All that's included is a proficient but generally underwhelming Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. This one does feature steady and center-based dialogue, which is regrettably the primary element to be a heard throughout the movie. For what should be an Action/Adventure/Horror film, it's certainly lacking in more involved elements. Ambience is rather limited, and mostly limited to a few instances of moaning zombies at that. There's nothing like distant screams or popping gunfire, which might have helped a great deal in creating a more authentic and terrifying atmosphere. Spacing is fair in those scenes where zombies attempt to overwhelm the screen and, by extension, the listening area. Gunshots ring out with nice power, both the blasts of a shotgun early in the movie and the thumping punches of a heavy machine gun near the end. A screeching air horn is loud but lacks that true-to-life ear-piercing clarity it needs to be sonically effective in its scene. This is mostly a passable soundtrack that gets its job done admirably enough, but it won't leave any kind of lasting impression on either novice or seasoned audiophiles. A Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is also included, though for whatever reason it's listed under the "Special Features" tab of the menu screen.
2012 Zombie Apocalypse contains two brief film-related extras. Unfortunately, the screener disc is glitchy; the featurette suffers through
extreme stalling and stuttering, and the "Gag Reel" supplement is completely
inaccessible.
2012 Zombie Apocalypse isn't the best Zombie movie ever made, as if there was any doubt about that going in. It's one of those movie that "is what it is," and savvy audiences will know going in to expect a bare-minimum plot, zero characterization, poor special effects, and a repetitive cadence. No surprises here. Oh well, it's all good, though. 2012 Zombie Apocalypse is still sorta fun in a bad movie kind of way; it won't zoom to the top of the genre heap, but fans of these sorts of movie won't go wrong in giving it a try. The Asylum's Blu-ray release of 2012 Zombie Apocalypse does feature pretty good video, a decent lossy soundtrack, and a couple of extras. Worth a rental for Zombie fans, and maybe even a purchase for genre completists.
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