Warm Bodies 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Warm Bodies 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

A rom-zom-com (romantic zombie comedy).

Warm Bodies is a rom-zom-com – a romantic-zombie-comedy (a horror sub-genre created by Edgar Wright with the release of Shaun of the Dead). Based on the novel by Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies may have been inspired by Shaun of the Dead and other horror comedies but the film feels like an engaging one-of-a-kind wonder all the same. Produced by David Hoberman (Wonder, The Fighter), Todd Lieberman (The Muppets, Traitor), and Bruna Papandrea (All Good Things, Gone Girl), Warm Bodies is surprisingly charming and should be considered a must-see for genre fans.

R (Nicholas Hoult) has already become a decaying zombie – yet that doesn't stop him from saving the life of the beautiful Julie (Teresa Palmer). As R and Julie become close with one another, the unlikely pair begin an unexpected romance. Stuck at a defunct airport with hordes of other zombies in a post-apocalyptic environment, R and Julie face hordes of other zombies in a post-apocalyptic world.

R later meets Julie's friend, Nora (Analeigh Tipton), who joins in on their unexpected adventure. Yet R must also deal with Julie's alive boyfriend, Perry (Dave Franco) and Julie's apocalypse-surviving dad – leader of the resistance – Grigo (John Malkovich). Can the unexpected friendship between R and Julie survive? Can R ever be turned back into a living human being?

The performances are at the heart of the filmmaking. Nicholas Hoult delivers one of his best leading performances as the zombie, R. Hoult imbues the role with a lot of warmth: important for a film that explores a romance between a zombie and a living human-being. Teresa Palmer delivers a similarly compelling performance in the lead female role. Palmer manages to make the far-fetched story-line seem believable. Palmer imbues grace and strength in her role as Julie.

The production design by Martin Whist (Super 8, Bad Times at the El Royale) is exceptional. With a compelling set around an airport, the level of detail displayed in the production is first-rate and this helps the storytelling come-to-life (pun intended) for the zombie apocalypse. Whist is a first-rate production designer and this is an excellent effort displaying their unique strengths as an artist.

A must-own steelbook of an under-the-radar gem.

The art direction by Gilles Aird (Whiteout, Secret Window) and Jean Kazemirchuk (Journey to the Center of the Earth, Punisher: War Zone) is a good aid to the production. Aird and Kazemirchuk certainly imbue some creativity in to the artistic designs. These elements are also complimented with impressive costumes by George L. Little (Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker).
The score composed by Marco Beltrami (Scream, Hellboy) and Buck Sanders (Ford v Ferrari, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark) is first-rate fun. Beltrami is one of the best horror film composers of all time – cemented by his exceptional scores for the Scream film series and other gems from Wes Craven. A exceptional co-composer, Sanders also helps the material fit the film well. Beltrami provides the filmmaking with the genre sensibilities necessary to make the production hit the right notes.

Warm Bodies is graced with excellent cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe (Thor: Ragnarok, The Twilight Saga: New Moon). Warm Bodies is a beautiful looking movie and the cinematographic efforts here help demonstrate both the beauty and horror of the rom-zom-com. Aguirresarobe showcases light in such a delicate and moving way: there is something to be said about the well-balanced photography on the Airport sets.

Written for the screen and directed by Jonathan Levine (Long Shot, 50/50), Warm Bodies is heartfelt as a genre-defying production. The script has great dialogue and a compelling storyline to boot. The film manages to have enough fun with the horror tropes to entice genre enthusiasts while simultaneously exploring the romance between R and Julie. Levine is an underrated filmmaker who has made plenty of entertaining movies. The director showcases a unique visual style. Warm Bodies is the best Levine film to date.

For more information on Warm Bodies and an alternate take on the feature-film, please refer to the review by my colleague Jeffrey Kauffman.

Warm Bodies 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on 4K UHD in the United Kingdom, Warm Bodies is presented in 2160p in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1 widescreen. The release presents an upscaled 4K presentation. Nonetheless, the 4K UHD presentation offers a nice improvement in picture-quality over the previously-available Blu-ray edition.

The 4K UHD release offers expanded color reproduction with HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR color grades. Though the detail increase might be minimal, the release certainly doesn't lack in that regard: Warm Bodies appears crisp throughout. An outstanding 2160p presentation.

Warm Bodies 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes an excellent Dolby Atmos surround sound presentation. The lossless audio quality is first-rate on the release. The sound mix is engaging and dynamic. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The surround sound channels are actively used and help the presentation excel to greater heights. The score is well highlighted by the sound mix as well. Zombie groans are well reproduced. Dolby Atmos equipped viewers (and/or zombies) will appreciate the sound mix.

Warm Bodies 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD collectors edition includes collectible steelbook packaging. The steelbook is beautiful and a must-have for fans of Warm Bodies. The high-gloss steelbook has a superb print quality: it is as nice as many premium steelbook editions are.

Though the 4K UHD steelbook release doesn't have any embossing or debossing, the high-gloss finish is first-rate and the colorful design looks outstanding. The art-work showcased on the front, back, and interior is well selected. Steelbook collecting zombies (and/or humans) will love the quality design.

Audio Commentary with Director Jonathan Levine and Actors Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer

Boy Meets, Er, Doesn't Eat Girl (HD, 9:49)

R&J (HD, 16:21)

A Little Less Dead (HD, 16:41)

Extreme Zombie Make-Over! (HD, 10:10)

A Wreck in Progress (HD, 14:58)

Bustin' Caps (HD, 10:08)

Beware the Boneys (HD, 7:03)

Whimsical Sweetness: Teresa Palmer's Warm Bodies Home Movies (HD, 12:37)

Zombie Acting Tips with Rob Cordory (HD, 4:43)

Deleted Scenes (with optional Director Commentary) (HD, 11:04)

Alternate Boney Intro (HD, 00:34)

Flashback to Perry (HD, 00:53)

R & Julie on the Plane Floor (HD, 1:54)

R with Kids (HD, 1:14)

Julie & Nora Walk R, Meet Kevin (HD, 1:30)

R Sees Boney Attack (HD, 1:14)

R, Julie & Nora at the Subway (HD, 00:54)

Nora & Kevin Shoot Boneys (HD, 00:37)

Zombies & Humans (HD, 2:10)

Shrug & Groan Gag Reel (HD, 5:07)

Warm Bodies 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Warm Bodies is a modern zombie classic. The rom-zom-com genre was invented by Edgar Wright with Shaun of the Dead and it is given more weight with this under-the-radar gem. The film features terrific performances by Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer. The 4K UHD offers an impressive 2160p video presentation and a superb Dolby Atmos sound mix. The Blu-ray retains the supplemental package provided on the original release. Highly recommended.