Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie Review

The Floating Dead.

Trauma to the brain. It's the only way to really kill a zombie (other than nuking it from orbit, just to be sure). But take off a zombie's head at the neck, leave the brain intact, and what's left is a dangerous kickball of a noggin that still chomps its jaws in the direction of the living, even if there's nowhere for any food it might be luckily enough gobble to go (why do zombies eat, anyway? It's certainly not for dietary requirements and it's not like they have much of a body to feed or a system to run, and that they can apparently survive even without food really begs an answer to the question). Well, at least a munching severed head significantly speeds up the whole process of "in one end and out the other." But if the idea of a living, eating severed head isn't quite nauseating enough, The Walking Dead season three's "Governor" character takes it a step further, beyond the grotesque and into the psychologically disturbing and surreal with with his own private collection of severed zombie heads resting comfortably in a cluster of aquariums. And now, thanks to the good folks at McFarlane Toys, Anchor Bay, and AMC, everybody can have their own personal replica, nonliving(dead) heads included. Batteries, however, are not included. Age 18 and up (for the gore of it all).

The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This special edition "Governor's Aquarium" box set comes in a rather large package, measuring in at an impressive 14" in height, 10.5" in width, and 9" in depth. Opening from the top reveals a double sided instruction page with details on setting up the product and installing batteries. A Walking Dead merchandise booklet is also included, as is, of course, the Blu-ray set itself, all sitting within a notch in the styrofoam housing. Content wise, the Blu-ray product is identical to the standalone season three release, but it comes housed in an attractive and durable DigiPack casing. Unfortunately, it features stacked discs rather than spots for each individual disc. For the serious collector, the protective styrofoam is marked with the official AMC logo. Inside is the prize, a two-tank replica of the Governor's zombie head aquarium. Five zombie heads are included, two wrapped tightly in tissue paper in the top tank, three in the bottom. Unwrapping reveals very detailed and impressively gruesome zombie heads. Unfortunately, they're static; it would be cool if the heads bobbed and eyes blinked, but that's cost prohibitive. Each of the five heads includes a firm but lightly springy hook so that they may attach to notches inside the tanks to give the illusion that they're floating rather than allowing gravity to plop them to the bottom and lie any which way. Also inside are two baggies of plastic rotting flesh pieces to further sell the illusion.

Here's the kicker: these models are rated for underwater usage. Just attach the heads to the tank and fill them both with water. Affix the removable lids and, voilà, floating zombie heads! Before placing them in the outer container (which is the most disappointing part of the set; it's made from rather cheap plastic, but it looks nice enough from a distance and sells the illusion), turn the housing over, remove the battery plate with a small Phillips screwdriver, and insert four AAA batteries (again, not included, and it's too bad it doesn't run on a power adapter so it could be left on constantly or, at the very least, frequently without the hassle of removing the tanks and replacing the juice). Once that's done, it's almost time to party with five new friends. Replace the battery cover, turn the unit right side up, and insert the tanks. Now, for the cool part. Place it in a darkened room and turn it on. The power button has been cleverly disguised as the number "3" in the "Season 3" text on the front of the tank. Six small lights will illuminate the heads. It's a wonderful effect and it looks terrific in the dark. The final product -- measuring in at 9.5" high, 6" wide, and 4.5" deep -- will make for a great conversion piece between Walking Dead fans, or, really, anybody who sees it. It's one of the most unusual but undeniably cool collectibles on the Blu-ray market.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is the definitive edition of The Walking Dead's third season. The DigiBook packaging is cooler than the standalone release's boring Blu-ray case, though it is a small disappointment that it stacks four of the five discs rather than providing each its own flap. Nevertheless, it'll look great on the shelf, and speaking of looking great on display, the aquarium -- despite its rather cheap outer housing -- looks fantastic, and the highly detailed zombie floating heads, which are submersible, look even better. For the price, which is about $50 for the Blu-ray set and $50 for the aquarium, it's a bargain for The Walking Dead enthusiast. And for that kind of low cost, the shortcut on the outer housing is understandable. It's definitely worth the premium for the die hards. This specific package comes highly recommended, and season three in any form on Blu-ray earns my highest recommendation.