8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
The Walking Dead tells the story of the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse and follows a small group of survivors traveling across the United States in search of a new home away from the hordes of zombies. The group is led by Rick Grimes, who was a police officer in the old world. As their situation grows more and more grim, the group's desperation to survive pushes them to do almost anything to stay alive.
Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Lauren CohanComic book | 100% |
Thriller | 93% |
Horror | 88% |
Supernatural | 83% |
Melodrama | 54% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Five-disc set (5 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
In this life now, you kill or you die. Or you die and you kill.
Sorry, Breaking Bad, but with its third season The Walking Dead
may
have finally stepped up and overtaken the acclaimed drug manufacturing drama as television's best program. That said, The Walking
Dead pushes so far towards the dark, draining, emotionally deflating end of the spectrum that it's almost too much of a good thing. For
whatever ups might find their way into the survivors' lives, the show is always there to knock them down, sometimes making them stronger,
sometimes making them weaker, occasionally making them different people in either the short or the long term, maybe even both. It shows that
internal pain, and the ills of the world that cause that pain, often hurts far more than the physical pain that can and so often does visit the
characters.
What makes all of that so powerful is how well the show manipulates the audience. The Walking Dead -- and this season in particular --
often leaves its audiences defeated, emotionally
wrecked, nervous, and frightened but at the same time wanting more. It's how Horror is supposed to be done, creating a truly terrifying
environment
and
overwhelming the screen with hopelessness but at the same time pulling its viewers further into that world and leaving them wanting more of the
same, secretly hoping for more pain because, in the safety of the home, that pain is fleeting rather life-scarring, terrible but manageable, here
now and gone when the episode is over or, at Horror's finest, lingering only for a bit afterwards. The show delivers that. It's terribly dark and
consistently
unsettling, arguably reaching the bottom with the emptiness and hopelessness that both the characters and the audience feel by the end of "Killer
Within," one of the most devastating, but incredible, hours of television ever aired. It's a question of where the series goes from there,
but
rest assured it's not finished beating its audience and its characters towards more hurt, the sort of hurt that makes for incredibly deep, moving, and
well-constructed drama.
What new challenges and revelations await in season three?
The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season's high definition presentation largely mirrors those of its predecessors. The show retains what is a slightly dull, lightly soft appearance, one in which bold colors are at a premium and detail never quite reaches the upper limits of the format's capabilities. Fortunately, Anchor Bay's Blu-ray does beautifully replicate the show's natural appearance. Even through that touch of softness, the transfer reveals some fantastic details, not limited to complex facial and clothing lines but rubble, rust, and debris around the prison and the intact brick and concrete textures of Woodbury. There's a light grittiness to the image. Fine grain remains throughout, but never overwhelms the screen. Color definition is as good as the show's intent allows. Bright outdoor greens fare nicely, but there's a subtle feel of gray and earthen shades running through the show. Black levels are excellent, and flesh tones don't drift too far from character norms. The image shows very light banding and blockiness in a few spots, but otherwise holds up well. It's not necessarily classic "reference" material but this transfer displays the show as it was meant to be seen.
The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season features an exceptional Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack, one that handles the show's necessary extremes with equal precision. The track often explodes in action and gunfire. Shots ring out with superb clarity and natural accuracy, not to mention explosive heft. Whether chaotic action effects to start episode three or the eruption of .50 caliber machine gun fire in the final epode that sonically shreds the soundstage and punches through with incredibly deep and potent but balanced bass, gunfire is one of the track's best assets, though certainly a few close-quaters interior shots fail to really find that deafening, ear-ringing sort of boom that would accompany a similar real-life shot (in fact, there's only one scene in the entire season where the characters deliberately cover their ears to protect their hearing; most likely they'd all be on the wrong side of hearing loss in real life). However, that seems like a problem with the source material, not the Blu-ray reproduction thereof. Suffice it to say, though, that most of the shootouts and zombie killings with firearms come through with exceptional accuracy and authenticity. Supportive effects sound great, too. Whether the rumble of Darryl's bike, the whirring of a helicopter, blaring prison alarms, or the moaning of clanky old prison iron doors within the cavernous, dreary spaces, the stage is always filled with accurate and enjoyable sound effects. The track handles exterior ambience nicely, too, with chatty cicadas or buzzing crickets naturally defining exterior environments. Dialogue comes through with strong foundational center-focused clarity, while music enjoys natural stage presence and full energy. This is an excellent track in every area of concern.
The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season contains several supplements, all of which are featured on disc five, save for episode-specific
commentaries.
The Walking Dead blends fantasy survival entertainment with the grim realities of end times. It's hopeless, dark, nearly unwatchable in places, but it's insanely addicting, too, creating a world that's absolutely repulsive on every level but at the same time a world the audience does not want to escape. Season three in particular is defined by exceptionally hard choices, disastrous turns of events, emotional overloads, heartbreak, and intense action. There are gallons of blood spilled from the living and from the dead, but season three is more about people breaking on the inside rather than on the outside. It's about new hopes, dashed dreams, warped sensibilities, questioned allegiances, loss, gain, and everything in between. It's an incredible program that's only getting better, and season three is the best season yet. The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season features strong video and audio. A good assortment of extras are included. This release earns my highest recommendation.
2010
3-Disc Special Edition
2010
Special Edition with Mask
2010
Limited Edition
2010
Lenticular Cover
2010
2011-2012
Exclusive McFarlane Toys Zombie Statue Case
2011-2012
4-Disc Limited Edition
2011-2012
Lenticular Cover
2011-2012
Exclusive McFarlane Toys Governor's Aquarium Case
2012-2013
2012-2013
w/ Soundtrack
2012-2013
Combo Pack
2012-2013
5-Disc Limited Edition
2012-2013
2012-2013
2013-2014
Exclusive McFarlane Toys Tree Walker Case
2013-2014
2013-2014
Prison Key Edition
2013-2014
with Soundtrack
2013-2014
2013-2014
Digipack
2013-2014
2014-2015
2014-2015
2014-2015
with Funko Mystery Mini Daryl Dixon
2014-2015
Limited Edition
2014-2015
Exclusive McFarlane Toys
2014-2015
2015-2016
2015-2016
Lenticular Cover
2015-2016
with exclusive bonus disc
2015-2016
Limited Edition
2015-2016
2016-2017
2016-2017
Lenticular Cover
2016-2017
2016-2017
Limited Edition Spike Walker Statue
2016-2017
2017-2018
2017-2018
2017-2018
Lenticular Cover
2017-2018
2018-2019
2019-2021
2021-2022
Extreme Unrated Set
2007
2009
2007
2010
2013
Unrated
2011
2007
Director's Cut
1997
2005-2020
2018
Collector's Edition | + Theatrical Cut on BD
2004
2007
2016
2018
2016
Lenticular Slipcover
2016
2016
2002
2012
2015