6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 2.8 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.7 |
A pair of teens form an unlikely alliance with vampires and zombies in order to take on an army of invading aliens.
Starring: Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis, Josh Fadem, Denis Leary, Ed WestwickHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 13% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Freaks of Nature just tries too hard. It desperately wants to fall into the sharp, hip, and cool collection of multi-genre Action/Comedy films -- it was originally titled The Kitchen Sink -- but it instead beats the audience over the head with a lousy script, monotonous pacing, and forgettable characters. It sounds good on the surface. There's a recipe for fun in the idea of humans, vampires, and zombies fighting against alien invaders, but the movie doesn't do anything with the idea except force terrible dialogue, repetitious drama, paper-thin supporting characters, and uncreative and replaceable leads into a movie that's mostly concerned with either overwhelming the frame with over-the-top bursts of blood and gore or lamely trying to sort out familiar teenage hormone gags and teenager movie sex jokes in the prism of interspecies friendships and relationships. It works in a few bursts here and there but never does get beyond that overpowering feel that it's simply forcing itself rather than allowing for a more organic cadence and comedy to come from a pretty nifty concept.
They're here! They're all here!
Freaks of Nature features a typically proficient 1080p transfer. The digital source photography yields strong clarity, detailing, and color. Definition is sharp around the frame, whether bathed in bright light or fighting for attention in the movie's many darker nighttime segments. Raw, up-close detail is always impressive. Clothing textures reveal fine fabric and seam details, faces show fine lines and blemishes, zombie makeup complexities are easy to see, and pale vampire skin, accentuated by veiny blue lines, showcase the finer makeup textures. Secondary and background details are also impressive. For instance, rough and worn school lockers are home to some interesting dings, dents, scratches, sticker residue, and other mystery details. Colors are saturated and full. The palette springs to life with bright red blood frequently dominating, but clothing hues and various background shades are lively. Black levels hold deep and accurate in the movie's many nighttime exteriors and poorly lit interiors. Flesh tones vary wildly from pale vampires to green-tintend zombies, but each appears true to intent. Minor noise and banding appear at times, but the image is otherwise technically proficient.
Freaks of Nature's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack features some positive detail in its chaos but doesn't often reach a pinnacle of sonic mayhem and full-on immersion. The opening music is more mush than it is energetic. It's jumbled together with moaning, screaming, and general chaos. Lyrics are lost under the madness and instrumentals, all of which just gets stirred up into a rush of sound. Things tighten up well enough later on. While a few gun blasts don't really hit very hard, the track does what it can to spread the love and surround the listener in action madness. Zombie moans, sounds of battle, and basic chaos are all well integrated, whether happening nearby or heard at some distance. Rain evenly saturates the listening area later in the movie. Dialogue naturally reverberates around the school gym at the 30 minute mark, and more zombie moans at a large undead gathering minutes later likewise fills the stage. General dialogue is well prioritized, center focused, and precisely defined.
Freaks of Nature contains an alternate opening, two deleted scenes, and a gag reel. A voucher for a UV digital copy is included with purchase.
Freaks of Nature looks good on paper. On film (or digital, really), not so much. A few good moments are negated by a painfully bad script that results in terribly defined and generic characters, empty drama, recycled laughs, and awful pacing. Sony's Blu-ray unsurprisingly skimps out on special features. Video and audio are fine. Skip it.
2015
1986
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Collector's Edition
2006
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2017
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1958
Limited to 1200 Copies
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