Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Into the Badlands: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 11, 2017

Into the Badlands' first season almost feels like an extended trial run, a test to gauge interest. At six episodes in length, it's certainly shorter than most any television season out there. But considering its ten episode sophomore outing and a 16-episode-strong third season on the way, consider that test passed. Aced? Eh, probably not, but definitely passed. Into the Badlands takes the post-apocolptic genre down some new and interesting paths, essentially turning back the clock and turning up some fictionalized bits and pieces to give the show a unique flavor and a setting quite unlike anything anyone has seen before. A blend of future-set apocalyptic grim, medieval feudalism, steampunk, and samurai, all the while absent firearms, the show certainly gives viewers an interesting glimpse at its manufactured but unquestionably distinctive setting for a future that's familiarly structured and ever-violent. It's certainly not going to be everyone's proverbial cup of tea, and it does make fairly standard modern TV drama a core part of its narrative ebbs and flows, but all of the new and unusual support elements and environment definition counterbalance any stale dramatic angles and make the show well worth a look-see.

In a world where wars long ago wiped out the core of civilization and where guns have been outlawed, a new system of governance has risen. Barons rule chunks of territory, and highly skilled killers known as Clippers do their dirty work. One such Clipper is Sunny (Daniel Wu) who is loyal to his Baron Quinn (Marton Csokas). Sunny has shed the blood of more than 400 men in the protection of his Baron's interests. In the field, Sunny comes across a kidnapped boy named M.K. (Aramis Knight) who is wanted by a rival Baron known as "The Widow" (Emily Beecham) and who holds dark powers. Sunny trains M.K. in the way of the Clipper while engaging in an illicit affair with his lover, Veil (Madeleine Mantock). Meanwhile, Quinn is looking to supplant his wife Lydia (Orla Brady) with a new woman, Jade (Sarah Bolger), who has her eye on Quinn's son, Ryder (Oliver Stark).

Into the Badlands doesn't comfortably fit into any one genre. "Apocalyptic" would probably one most close to describing it, but even then the show lacks the traditional genre mess of Mad Max, the grit of The Walking Dead, or the bleakness of The Road. It's certainly its own beast, uniquely crafted and finely honed in familiar refrains but put together in ways that range from stale to interesting to occasionally riveting, usually falling into the comfortable middle of that descriptive trio. The show explores externally simple but inwardly complex power structures and family dynamics both traditional and nontraditional and how loyalty, violence, love, and other characteristics both define and forever alter the world as it's established from the first episode forward.

Quinn and Sunny share a father-son relationship (though they are not kin) that is tested in dark and disturbing ways throughout the season. Sunny becomes something of a father figure to M.K. Broken promises, forbidden love, passions becoming burdens, and all sorts of intriguing turns shape the show's quick but structurally dense six episode run. But even in six episodes, Creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar get a lot of mileage and essentially turn the show on its head in that brief runtime, so there's never a dull moment, wasted action, or filler to be found. The downside is that the show deals in some soap opera theatrics, at times, and there are more than a few plot mechanics that will remind viewers of the oversaturated television landscape where ruthless quests for power, shifting allegiances, and character manipulations rule the day. It's certainly more emotionally gritty than it is tangibly gritty; the show's visuals, bright and exploding with deeply saturated color, contrast with the much darker inner turmoil. Still, it's nice to see a show that's not a slave to a dark, bleak, hopeless façade, instead working that angle often from the inside out rather than from the outside in.

Into the Badlands: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Into the Badlands: The Complete First Season was shot digitally, and Anchor Bay's 1080p transfer will certainly remind viewers with every shot. It's very smooth and flat and delivers dense noise of various intensities that is visible even during bright daytime exteriors, which are often showcases for blown-out highlights across the sky. Colors are pushed very hard. Contrast is over pumped, often to near comic levels, resulting in a seriously hot, hard-pushing, and heavily oversaturated image. Some color bleeding is to be expected as well. Detailing is fairly strong, though, even with the image's somewhat pasty façade. Facial textures are richly complex in close-up. Sunny's leatherette coat shows tangible wear and material density. Facial hair is complex by-the-strand. Environments are very sharp and refined. Old cars, motorcycles, and other weathered mechanical equipment shine. Black levels are fair, affected by the overcooked contrast, ditto flesh tones. Beyond the extreme noise, no serious source or compression issues are apparent. All of that said, though, things appear to be in working order as the filmmakers intended.

Into the Badlands: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Into the Badlands: The Complete First Season features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Anchor Bay's presentation doesn't do much to distinguish itself. It's not all that extreme, not working particularly hard to push and offer a full-throttled sort of listen. Music often sounds as if held back a bit in reserve, offering good extension to the sides but not offering the sort of high energy aggression one might expect, particularly with its more sharp-edged score. Still, width pleases, and the track finds a satisfying extension to action scenes where swooshes, hits, falls, screams, clanks, and other non-firearm battles engage with all the proper detail, precision spacing, elemental distinction, and sound placement one would expect. Atmospherics are frequently pleasing, offering quality supportive immersion that draws the listener into a number of locations, whether serene exteriors or the training grounds inside the Baron's complex. Dialogue delivers strong clarity, prioritization, and proper front-side placement.

Into the Badlands: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Into the Badlands: The Complete First Season contains all of its supplemental content on disc two. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Inside... (1080p, various runtimes): Brief recaps for each of the season's six episodes, available individually.
• Anatomy of a Fight (1080p, various runtimes): A closer look at how some key action scenes were crafted for each episode, available individually.
• Building the World of Into the Badlands (1080p, 2:54): A look at the production values: sets, costumes, weapons and marital arts, the post-apocalyptic steampunk society, vehicles, and more.
• The Characters of Into the Badlands: The Barons (1080p, 3:23): A closer look at these key characters and the important people around them.
• The Characters of Into the Badlands: The Clippers (1080p, 3:15): Examining Sunny, the Clipper hierarchy and their place in the world, and the M.K., Tilda, and Veil characters.
• The Master: Into the Badlands Fight Camp Episode 1 (1080p, 2:57): The actors train for their roles in New Orleans.
• Creating Real Kung Fu: Into the Badlands Fight Camp Episode 2 (1080p, 3:22): More insight into fight training.
• Bringing It All Together: Into the Badlands Fight Camp Episode 3 (1080p, 2:38): Even more access into the New Orleans fight training facility.
• Into the Badlands Digital Comic (1080p, 22:55): Comic page images scroll along the screen from top to bottom. The pause button will earn its keep here.

Into the Badlands: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Into the Badlands has it all. It's a trailblazer of a show that features Barons who are essentially kings, Clippers who are essentially warriors, a few mavericks, a lot of dramatic heat, certainly some magic and arguably a few wizards, even steam-powered pistons. Shoot, there might be a few pelicans and hawks. But there are definitely no Raptors or Knicks. In all seriousness, the show is well put together. It does dabble in some dramatic cliché, but it's a very visceral and largely unique show that turns the post-apocalyptic style on its head and puts together a construct of different pieces that are, together, uniquely singular. It's a quality show that won't appeal to all but that will speak loudly to many who give it a fair shake. Into the Badlands: The Complete First Season features solid video and audio along with a healthy allotment of extra content. Recommended.