6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
One infected worker who feverishly picks up his meager pay then setting off an unstoppable chain of events. American turbine engineer Nicholas Burton has fallen in love with local girl Ishani Sharma. Nicholas has to battle his way across three hundred miles of ferociously infected Indian landscapes to reach Ishani and his unborn child. With the help of a young street kid Javed, he has to rely on his wits and sheer brute force using any means possible to try and save them.
Starring: Joseph MillsonHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
"The Dead." It's a beautifully simple title. No adjectives, no fuss, just "The Dead." No "Living" or "Walking" qualifiers, just a clear, to-the-point message of Zombie movie simplicity, a welcome simplicity in a genre that can range from the the absurd to complex social commentary. The Dead 2 follows up on, yes, The Dead, a decent small-budget Zombie flick from the Ford Brothers, Howard and Jonathan. The siblings once again team up for this sequel, which isn't so dissimilar. The action shifts further East from Africa to India but it's otherwise a basic tale of survival in a zombie-infested world. Simple.
Cruisin' for an undead bruisin'
The Dead 2 ambles onto Blu-ray with a mixed bag 1080p transfer. The film is naturally bleak and hot, with a warm, somewhat washed-out palette that favors a sweaty, dreary, inhospitable backdrop. Splashes of color contrast against an earthy backdrop that dominates the film, but never are colors all that precise. They're robust, yes, but not eye-catchingly natural. The film begins with a disturbing amount of flatness, lack of detail, and light smeariness that favors a DVD more than a Blu-ray. Fortunately, things tighten up once Nicholas is introduced. Details suddenly appear firmer -- faces are noticeably sharper -- but not so much so that the appearance of light softness and only modest definition on background terrain and foliage goes away. Black crush is frequent in darker scenes, and skin tones favor that evident warmth. Heavy banding mars a few shots, notably around the 1:15:00 mark. The film's flat, processed look certainly gives it a unique flavor but eye candy this most certainly is not.
The Dead 2 bites into Blu-ray with a potent Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is frequently aggressive but does take a few missteps along the way. There's generally good heft to music -- bass is deep -- and a fair amount of spacing and surround support. Clarity remains strong even as the music approaches high volumes at reference level. Some ambient effects help shape the barren locations through which Nicholas and Javed make their way in the film's middle stretch. More chaotic effects include screams and ringing phones and general chaotic din within a hospital. Gunshots range from disappointingly puny (around the 25:30 mark) to aggressive and satisfying (the 46:20 mark and again near film's end when a character empties an AK-47 into a throng of zombies). Helicopters rumble and jets zip through the stage with solid presence and authority at several junctures, and near the end in particular. Dialogue delivery is clear and focused throughout.
The Dead 2 contains a featurette and a pair of deleted scenes.
The Dead 2 doesn't really improve upon the original, but it maintains the same basic style, at least. The series is taking shape as something that can be counted on to be at least modestly entertaining, though certainly not great or in the mold of the genre's may classic films. The story lacks novelty and the zombie action, too, never really amounts to anything interestingly out of left field, but the film does most everything right within its obvious constraints. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of The Dead 2 delivers serviceable video, good audio, and a couple of extras. Recommended as a purchase to genre fans who find it on a good sale.
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