28 Weeks Later Blu-ray delivers stunning video and reference-quality audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
28 Weeks Later picks up six months after the rage virus has annihilated the Mainland Britain. The U.S. Army declares that the war against infection has been won, and that the reconstruction of the country can begin. As the first wave of refugees return, a family is reunited - but one of them unwittingly carries a terrible secret that threatens to reignite the deadly explosion of bloodlust, carnage and chaos.
Step one: kill the infected. Step two: containment. If containment fails, step three:
extermination. They won't stop until everyone is dead.
28 Weeks Later
is a more
straightforward, mainstream film than its predecessor, 28 Days Later, but it is still
just as incredibly effective. Shot with a bigger budget and more sophisticated equipment (all the
while maintaining the general feeling of the first film), Weeks delivers on several levels--
it's scary and gruesome, but it also humanizes the rage victims in the film, all the while giving
the
viewer hope for the future of this world and at the same time letting us know that this disaster
is far
from over. While not quite as good as the original, this film stays true to the
story
and moves it forward in a logical manner. The story is set 28 weeks after the outbreak
of
Rage across England, a viral infection that almost instantaneously transforms its victims
into blood-spitting, crazed "monsters" that are driven by the need to devour human flesh. In
the 28 weeks since the outbreak, we learn that the virus has been all but eradicated. The
infected have died of starvation (presumably with no more victims to devour) and a U.S. led
NATO
force has been put in place to begin the repatriation process.
Code Red
Our protagonists are
siblings, Andy and Tammy (Mackintosh Muggleton and Imogen Poots), who are returning to
London to meet their father, played by the ever dependable Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty,
Trainspotting). I hesitate to say more about the plot because each of these characters'
motivations and
the consequences of their actions are very integral to the unfolding of the story. One aspect of
the film I truly
enjoyed was watching the dynamics of this family being thrust into the middle of such a
horrific situation. I felt that there was really no plot contrivances at all in this film. These
characters behave like I imagine I or most normal people would respond to such circumstances.
Every action leading up to the eventual re-introduction of the virus into society seems so
innocent that, even though you know it is coming, you never jump out of your seat and shout
for this character or that to not do what they are about to do. They are driven by real emotions
and fears, not by some dumbed down script to get the action from point A to point B. One
problem I did have with the plot dealt with the U.S. Military's use of what they termed "Code
Red." I'm not going to divulge any details, but needless to say I have reservations that the
military would resort to implementing this plan as early on as it did. I understand the rationale
behind it to be sure and I certainly could not imagine having to be in charge with such an order
looming in a situation such as that depicted in the film. I would just like to think that there
would be another solution available before resorting to your last option so quickly.
Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has proven himself here not merely to be a competent filmmaker
but a remarkable one. With only a handful of films under his belt (including the critically
acclaimed
Intacto) Juan Carlos should start popping up on many Hollywood short lists alongside
other
A-list directors. I was very, very impressed with his work here. His ability to stay true to the first
film
and make a sequel that in almost every way lives up to what has become a classic horror film is
incredibly impressive. Much of this film's visual style is reminiscent of a Michael Bay film, but in
this
case that's not a bad thing. Fresnadillo handles the quick edits and fast paced action with grace
and leaves the viewer feeling like part of the action and not feeling a headache from the way Bay
handles quick cuts and rapid camera movements. I believe we will see many good things from
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
in the future.
Like 28 Days Later, portions of Weeks were filmed at times with lesser quality
sources so as to
stay true to the original movie. As a result, the material shot on DV and 16mm will be
covered in an inherent fine layer of grain. These scenes were most evident when "the infected"
appear on screen, and this was confirmed by Fresnadillo in the commentary track. He wanted
the camera to be "infected" when infection is on-screen. This was a key stylistic choice in
making the film. As such, I cannot mark the video presentation down for stylistic choices of the
director. For years, movie fans have demanded their films be presented as the director
intended--in their original aspect
ratio, including original audio tracks (even Monaural tracks in a multi-channel audio age), and
even
original poster artwork for disc covers (though in the "floating heads" Photoshop era this one is
not likely to be resolved anytime soon). Now in the high-definition era, "flaws" in movies will
become more and more apparent, but when those flaws are there for a reason I find it
incomprehensible to complain about an image quality that is being presented just as it was
meant to be seen and as it was seen in theaters.
Still, despite the artistic choices
made, this 1080p presentation of the 1.85:1 aspect ratio film does indeed look wonderful. The
disc is advertised to run at an average of
37Mbps
and I saw it peak at 50Mbps on my PS3. Much of the film is dark and blacks levels don't
disappoint.
The portions of the movie shot in 35mm really stand out as true reference material. You'll be
hard pressed to find a better authored video presentation on Blu-ray, except maybe from other
Fox titles. Fox has truly become an
industry leader in accurately reproducing the theatrical experience as closely as possible for the
home theater audience.
Sonically, this is a demo-worthy disc that will test the limits of the best home theater systems
out there. As per their norm, a DTS HD 5.1 Master Lossless Audio track is the featured audio
source on
this disc. Unfortunately, few players currently on the market can decode this track (including
the Playstation 3) but it is still playable as a 1.5Mbps core DTS track that is, in a word,
remarkable. Still, I cannot wait to have the ability to decode the Master track, if for no other
reason than to hear how it can possibly sound any better than what we get in the core track.
Directionality is superb. Fighter jets fly from one end of your room to the other; the crackle of
gunfire makes you want
to take cover behind your sofa; the screams of the infected and of their intended victims make
you want to hide in the closet. This track sounds remarkably natural and clear while maintaining
its aggressive nature. Bass is ever present but not completely overpowering. It will shake the
windows and get your heart pounding, but only when the situation demands it. Likewise,
dialogue and quieter moments come through crystal clear. You will be enveloped by the track
and it definitely puts you in the middle of the action. The movie's main theme, carried over from
the previous film, is one of my favorites. Starting as a melancholic bass guitar at the outset of
the track and becoming a series of edgy electric guitar riffs, John Murphy's theme is powerful,
energetic, and fits the mood of this film perfectly.
Fox has provided an average set of supplements on this Blu-ray disc. First up is a feature
commentary with director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and writer/producer Enrique López-Lavigne.
It's your standard fare commentary track that is informative for fans and those interested in the
technical aspects of the making of the film. It certainly does a much better job of conveying the
challenges of making the film than the short documentaries presented on the disc.
Next are deleted scenes with optional commentary. Both scenes are presented in 480p (as are
all the
other supplements on the disc save for the trailers). I don't feel that these scenes would have
added anything to the film, but Juan Carlos tells us why he thought they were important and
why it was difficult to get rid of them. I found it interesting that they admit that sometimes
ideas that sound great on paper just don't work on film. I liked the refreshing candor from this
director.
The disc also includes two featurettes: Code Red and The
Infected. These are primarily filler pieces with a few interesting tidbits but are nowhere near
as interesting the feature commentary.
Rounding off the disc are 28 Days Later:
Stage 1 Development and 28 Days Later: Stage 3 Decimation. These are short
animated
comic books that show what happened leading up to the events of the first film and about two
rival survivors during the aftermath, respectively. The special features are wrapped up with
trailers for this film and its predecessor, 28 Days Later, both presented in 1080p.
The second (and hopefully not the last) installment of the 28 Days series is a solid follow-up
effort to the first film. It's fast paced, scary, at times unpredictable, gory, and a darn good
presentation on Blu-ray. The visual and audio aspects of the disc are top notch as we have come to
expect from Fox's releases. Unfortunately, the extras on the disc are not quite what I was hoping
for and I have to mark down the overall score as a result.
Fox continues to impress with
the high quality of their releases. Despite a higher price tag, I believe that Fox will soon become
Blu-ray's leading studio based on their efforts so far and the vast number of quality films available
in their archive
to release on this format. This disc is easily recommended.
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