Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Tremors 5: Bloodlines Blu-ray Movie Review

After, after, after, aftershocks.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 3, 2015

The Tremors franchise has evolved from the story of subterranean dwelling oversized worm-like creatures called "Graboids" into the Burt Gummer show. A secondary character in the first film and known for his absolute love for firearms and on-screen marriage to Reba McEntire, Burt has been the one series mainstay for the duration. Even as the Graboids evolve and terrorize people through all their varied stages of life, good old Burt -- always packing cutting edge heat and often seen wearing his trusty Atlanta Hawks baseball style cap -- has stayed around to mow 'em down as quickly as the Graboids, and all varieties thereof, rise up out of the ground or, lately, swoop down from the sky or blast fire from their rear ends. Yeah, it's become one of those franchises, but it's still all in good fun and, with Michael Gross firmly entrenched as the franchise's face, in good on-screen hands. Gross, and his one-man army Burt Gummer, returns for Tremors 5: Bloodlines, the latest direct-to-video film in the franchise and one of the better entires of the bunch. It obviously can't touch the original camp classic, and the movie doesn't really break any new ground, but for a franchise that's starting to feel stretched out, the results easily fall on the plus side of the ledger.

The star of the show.

Burt Gummer (Gross) has his own survivalist show, and he's banking on his close encounters with Graboids to grab him some viewership. He's approached by Travis Welker (Jamie Kennedy) who sees untapped potential in Burt's celebrity and negotiates with him to join the team and up his standing. Soon thereafter, they're approached by an official from the South African Wildlife Ministry who bears bad news: an "Assblaster" variation of the Graboids has been spotted in his country, and he wants Burt to come take care of it. Travis negotiates a sizable bit of funding for Burt's show in exchange, and it's off to Africa to deal with the terrors against whom Burt has a personal vendetta. And they, too, it seems, with him.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines delivers about as expected of the fifth film in a franchise that was born on a blend of mild horror and moderate comedy. The basic storyline isn't particularly interesting. The African venue feels more like an excuse to shake up the status quo while still maintaining the stays quo; the earthy African terrain isn't particularly varied from the franchise's home of Perfection, so it still feels the same even as it's taking place halfway around the world. One can only believe that the Graboids have yet to rise up in a modern city because of budget constraints, but some such variety might be smart to pursue in the near future lest the franchise really start to feel like it's just showing audiences something they've seen before. That said, Bloodlines is a well made and entertaining affair. It follows formula and focuses with laser-life efficiency on Burt. There's no question he, and not the creatures, is the star of the show, contrary to the franchise's roots where even Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, the latter of whom has long since given way to Gross as the franchise's top-billed common thread, couldn't outclass the sheer girth, fear factor, and fun the Graboids provided. But five films in, it's nice to have a stable, relatable face rather than just throw random people into the same situation. As the series has taken a general downward trend with its "evolutionary" look at the creatures, having that center really helps to maintain audience interest, particularly since Gross is just so darn good and falling into the Burt Gummer character and milking his tendencies for all they're worth, and then some.

The film is otherwise a straightforward experience, a picture that doesn't really expand or explore the universe to any sort of real, honest, dramatic depth. But then again, that's not what the Tremors experience is about. The film smartly builds a story that allows its best core assets to shine -- chiefly Burt vs. the monsters -- while maintaining basic formula characteristics along the way. Production values are great, perhaps the best since the original and certainly several ticks above "acceptable" for a DTV release. The visual effects are solid, the action robust, the blood and slime copious, and the pace almost relentless. When the action slows down, Gross carries the film with a relatable wit and charm considering his effortless portrayal and deep understanding of the superficial characteristics that make the character tick, and keep the audience rooting him on. Not much else matters. The plot offers nothing of real, meaty substance but it carries the experience well enough towards its end goals of basic, ooey-gooey monster fun, presented here slickly and enthusiastically, which for where this series is in its lifespan is about all one can expect.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Tremors 5: Bloodlines features a crisp, highly detailed 1080p transfer. The digital video source never appears overly glossy or flat, instead delivering a well defined image that doesn't pass for film but shows off details and colors with the same depth and intimacy. Faces are complex, effortlessly revealing every line, pore, and bead of sweat. Terrain is rough and naturally textured, enjoying pinpoint definition even some distance from the camera. Colors are healthy and bold, with blood and slimy orange Graboid gore nicely contrasting against the largely earthy terrain behind. Black levels are suitably deep and flesh tones are of no concern. Minor noise creeps in at times but banding, aliasing, macroblocking and other difficulties are nowhere to be found. This is an impressive, top-end transfer from Universal.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Tremors 5: Bloodlines emerges on Blu-ray with just the sort of soundtrack that would grab the attention of the series' subterranean baddies. It's aggressive, energetic, and nonstop. Music is well spaced and nicely detailed throughout the range, yielding both fair surround support and a positive low end. Action scenes are appropriately chaotic but, at the same time, precisely defined. Every crash, bang, bit of flying debris, gunshot, and other aggressive action elements come together for numerous examples of harmonious disorder that yank the listener into the madness and build an entertainingly effective violent landscape. Likewise, the track features big swooping creature movement and piercing human screams that add to the sonic insanity. Minor support details -- external ambience, gently falling pebbles and dirt -- help to more gently draw the listener into the film's environments. General dialogue is clearly articulated and consistently prioritized with firm center placement.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Tremors 5: Bloodlines features several extras in a fairly frustrating package. Navigate to the asterisks (*) symbol to access the supplements. Why the studio thought symbology rather than text for the main menu screen was in any way a good idea is a total mystery. Keep it simple, people, and use words, not pictures. Frustrating and/or confusing viewers right out of the gate is never a good idea. The package also contains a DVD copy of the film as well as a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p, 10:21): A collection of non-selectable and unidentified (beyond random numbers and computer file names appearing on the bottom of the screen) scenes.
• Outtakes (1080p, 6:58).
• Tremors 5: Behind the Bloodlines (1080p, 8:10): A standard behind the scenes look at the core story, the shoot, characters, and the franchise in general.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tremors 5: Bloodlines falls in the middle of the pack. It's the best in the series since the second and arguably a bit better in terms of production values but a little less in terms of story. It's the fifth film, and it's a solid experience for a franchise that probably should have stopped at one or two, particularly if Michael Gross hadn't remained onboard. Gross makes the series and has become the face of the franchise, supplanting even the classic underground Graboids that started it all. And that's a good thing, because Gross keeps the character feeling fresh and funny in every scene. Fans should enjoys this one well enough and probably more than the last couple of entries. Universal's Blu-ray delivers excellent video and audio. Supplements don't excite but they're worth a look. Recommended, and a must-own for serious Tremors fans, even those who may have given up after the third or fourth films.