'The Walking Dead':
Season 1 Blu-ray review
The Walking Dead is a perfectly admirable stab at attempting to transfer superlative source material to our screens in as entertaining a way as possible, yet it just can't compare to the comic. Robert Kirkman's paean to the Penny Dreadful series of the 19th century and EC Comics of the 1950s practically jumped off the page at you as Sheriff Rick Grimes attempted to reconcile with his wife and child having awoken from a coma following a botched arrest. He recovers into a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested hell and must use his training and cunning to outwit the infected, yet soon comes to realise that it is the survivors as opposed to the afflicted who are actually the walking dead.The TV series is undeniably well made, but unfortunately shoots its bolt too early with the incredible opening episode dominating the landscape and unfortunately the piece dwindles away as the (short) season continues and proceedings are skewed away from full-blooded horror action to a more sedate character-led pace. Not that it should really be taken as a criticism; it's refreshing to find a quality American drama that hangs itself on such a niche genre yet still effortlessly keeps the tension levels high.
Andrew Lincoln (Teachers) is probably not the most obvious choice for the lead, and much as Kirkman attempts to indoctrinate fans in the ‘making of’ by stating that “he even looks like Rick from the comics!”, a cursory comparison shows little likeness. However, Egg from This Life does a very able job, especially in the pilot (directed and scripted by Frank Darabont), in showing us the human face of the catastrophe that has fallen mankind. Many will baulk at the fact that the opening is nigh on identical to 28 Days Later, but the comic actually beat Garland and Boyle to the punch in terms of its genesis.
The brevity of the season is the major issue with this release. The asking price for 6 episodes and a few extras is borderline criminal and AMC were obviously prepared to sink a fair amount of cash into the budget of the show but didn't trust the material and the fans to coalesce in ensuring that a second season would be optioned (which it now has). Whilst there are purely soap operatic moments in the later episodes, it’s certainly worth staying to the final bite where the noble sacrifice that a number of our noble band of travellers make in order to save their fellow members also saves them from the inevitability of death in this nightmarish world they find themselves in.
The Blu-ray picture allows the special effects of Greg Nicotero and the KNB team to really shine, while a crystal clear Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack really accentuates the scares.
Released on Blu-ray and DVD on Monday 16th May 2011 by E1 Entertainment.
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