The
Dead Lands
(2014/Magnolia/MagNet Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: B Film: B
When
Peter Jackson and James Cameron take the time out of their busy
schedules to praise a film, I am at least going to give it a watch.
While the revenge story in Toa Fraser's The
Dead Lands
(2014) may
feel a little familiar, the New Zealand made film came to the US
quietly in limited release and is just now finding its way onto disc.
Hongi
(James Rolleston) - a Maori chieftain's teenage son - must avenge his
father's murder in order to bring peace and honor to the souls of his
loved ones after his tribe is slaughtered through an act of
treachery. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains, led by Wirepa
(Te Kohe Tuhaka), Hongi's only hope is to pass through the feared and
forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious
Warrior (Lawrence Makoare), a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area
for years.
Comparisons
to Mel Gibson's Apocalypto
(reviewed elsewhere on this site) come to mind, especially with the
realism of the tribe in terms of casting and costumes. The look is
very strong as is the action and set pieces throughout. All in all,
this is a great watch and definitely worthy of a Blu-ray with eye
popping cinematography.
The
presentation here is fantastic, presented in 1080p High Definition
with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and a DTS-HD Master Audio
5.1, MagNet has done a fantastic job with the transfer on this
release.
Extras
are The
Making Of The Dead Lands,
Behind
The Scenes Comparisons,
Exploring The Dead Lands: Creating A
Traditional Maori World, Theatrical Premiere Q&A and
an Interview
With James Cameron.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.facebook.com/jhl5films
