Maggie
(2015/Lionsgate Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: B- Film: B-
Maggie
is not The
Walking Dead,
though it is a drama. In many ways, it is the exact opposite of
World
War Z.
Dealing with the Zombie virus almost like an STD, Maggie pits Arnold
Schwarzenegger in a role like you have never seen him - a deeply
disturbed father who is struggling with when and where to shoot this
Zombified daughter (Abigail Breslin) down. The film takes a very
realistic approach to a Zombie outbreak, with chilling voiceovers of
news broadcasts, Police Officers rounding people up into
contamination, and normal folks just struggling to survive. This is
a post apocalyptic world in a realistic light not unlike Gareth
Edwards' debut feature - Monsters.
Though
Arnold is great in this role, it really could have been any other
actor of his caliber like Bruce Willis or even Liam Neeson but that
doesn't take away from his controlled performance, showing him
unshaven and psychologically disturbed. Say what you will about
Arnold, but he has been a more versatile actor since the 1980s.
Abigail Breslin really steals the show here, proving that she is an
Oscar worthy young actress perfectly showcasing the progression of
her illness and nearly out acting everyone else in the film. I'm
really excited to see her career develop as she gets older.
After
his daughter (Abigail Breslin) is infected with a virus that
transforms her into a zombie, a small-town farmer (Arnold
Schwarzenegger) will stop at nothing to save her. That being the
general synopsis, the story is pretty original - with Maggie falling
in love with an effected boy and that was what passed to her. It
brings up an angle on the Zombie genre in a way that I haven't quite
seen before which is memorial.
So
how about the Zombies themselves? Being a huge Zombie fan, I've seen
all of the classics and will say that these Undead Baddies do end up
looking pretty damn cool. Very similar to the classic Romero Zombie,
these are slow moving and vicious killers with black blood and creepy
looking eyes… being a more realistic representation of what they
would look like.
The
film is darkly lit throughout and has lots of grays and black tones
throughout. However, the crisp 1080p transfer isn't noisy/grainy or
muddled but evenly tones with a 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a
lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 track that doesn't disappoint.
Extras
include...
Director's
Commentary
Making
Maggie Featurette
Deleted
Scene
Cast/Crew
Interviews
Trailer
Gallery
All
in all, I would suggest Maggie to drama lovers and Zombie lovers.
It's not a nail biting thriller, but a deep psychological study on
the human condition, which is welcome in this day of average Zombie
flicks.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.facebook.com/jhl5films
