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Tremors 5: Bloodlines
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Universal Pictures Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (13th November 2015). |
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The Film
 It truly is amazing to witness the arbitrary nature of cinema. What universal force is at work, deciding which properties will live on longer than anyone expected, while others – seemingly more worthy – wither and die upon release? Viewers aren’t likely to see a sequel to the immensely awesome “Dredd” (2012) anytime soon, but they can watch the FIFTH entry in the Tremors franchise, “Tremors 5: Bloodlines” (2015). How did we get here? “Tremors” (1990) is an absolutely fantastic creature feature. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward share great screen chemistry as a couple of no collar, desert dwelling best friends who stumble upon giant worms that eat people. Equally memorable characters include a couple, played by Michael Gross and Reba McEntire, who are major gun enthusiasts able to take care of any animal problems. The movie had a fun atmosphere, great energy and impressive creature effects created by some of the industry’s top names. But it wasn’t a major box office hit. Still, it wasn’t terribly surprising when “Tremors 2: Aftershocks” (1996) became a reality. It’s decent as far as sequels go, if my 19-year-old memory is still accurate. Then came “Tremors 3: Back to Perfection” (2001), which I did not see. Nor did I catch “Tremors 4: The Legend Begins” (2004), which by all accounts is quite terrible. Just before that film was released, the Sci-Fi Channel produced a television series, “Tremors: The Series” (2003 – unique title idea there), which was aired out of order and essentially D.O.A. based on eyewitness reports. So here we are, eleven years after the last film and the franchise has a new addition. As expected, series stalwart Michael Gross has returned for the sixth consecutive time to collect an easy paycheck. And this time he’s bringing along with him… Jamie Kennedy? “This ought to be an annoying 90 minutes”, I said to myself. Turns out, not only isn’t Kennedy his typical (former?) whiny, annoying persona but this entry is pretty cool and likely the best since the first film twenty six years ago. Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) is a survivalist. He has always been a survivalist - so it only makes sense in this age of social media and online television that he would have his own survivalist show. While out filming on location, Burt’s cameraman leaves for another job and has Travis Welker (Jamie Kennedy) take his place. Travis does some dirt bike stunts and extreme riding early on, establishing him as a risk taker and also letting us know that during the climax he will definitely be using a dirt bike and doing extreme stuff. Just after his arrival a chopper arrives carrying Erich Van Wyck (Daniel Janks), an emissary from South Africa who needs Gummer’s help. It seems there was a graboid attack recently, despite Gummer’s claims that graboids only live in North America. He’s ambivalent about going, but when Travis is able to secure them funding for providing his service Burt quickly agrees. Upon arriving in South Africa Burt is distressed to learn his cache of heavy firepower has been held up by the government. His alternative options are… less than adequate. Armed with what little he has, Gummer and Travis hook up with some of the locals to learn more about their enemy – a new breed of graboid, leaner and more fearsome than those seen in Perfection. They’ve also got to contend with ass blasters, those flight-capable mini graboids that use a burst of, well, flaming farts to take off. Not everything is as it seems, however, when Burt learns he may have been brought here under false pretenses. These shady South Africans want to capture a graboid, but Burt’s only got one thing on his mind: kill. “Tremors 5” keeps things tight at a relatively brisk 99 minutes, with little fat or lag time to slow the steady pace. This isn’t the lean beast that is the first film, but there weren’t any moments when I was checking the timecode to see how much was left either. Most of this is due to Michael Gross’ portrayal of Burt Gummer. Gross knows this character inside and out and it shows. He’s still full of grit and determination, able to think his way out of problem situations assuredly. If he has an issue, it’s being too rigid and pedantic, though the film finds ways to poke fun at Burt’s ego. That also brings up the worst moment in the film, when Burt, trapped in a lion cage, is confronted by an actual lion that proceeds to urinate all over his face. That puerile humor is incongruous with any other funny bits, but it’s such a minor moment it hardly spoils the film. I had expected Jamie Kennedy to ruin this entry. His humor has never appealed to me in the least. Here, though, he’s actually a decent human being and a pretty sharp thinker. And he doesn’t have a single intolerable moment. Could this be a new Jamie Kennedy? I sure hope so. As Gummer sidekick-of-sorts, Travis is constantly trying to prove his worth much to Burt’s chagrin. There are some nicely done moments where the two work together and operate on the same page, foreshadowing a late third act reveal that shouldn’t really surprise anyone. As for the graboids and ass blasters here… well… they’re forgettable. This film didn’t have a huge budget, and even if it did it’s doubtful practical effects would have been used. The CGI used to bring these creatures to life is mediocre at best. When characters interact with the graboids it looks like a cartoon, robbing the film of any possible tension or believable interactions. Still, “Tremors 5: Bloodlines” is a fun ride and, dare I say, another entry in this franchise could be a winner if done right. And by “done right” I mean bringing back Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Reba McEntire to join Gross and Kennedy for one final, all-out graboid slugfest. Bacon has said he’d make a return, so it is possible. It seems unlikely this fifth film will be the last, so another picture is all but assured. Let’s hope Universal does it right and ends the series on a high note.
Video
There are likewise few complaints to be made regarding the film’s 1.78:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded picture. The image is pristine, featuring excellent clarity, strong fine details and a strong sense of depth. Some of the nature shots look like a Discovery HD special. Black levels are equally impressive, remaining inky and dark throughout. The only problem here is the CGI, which is hardly inconspicuous against the wealth of natural beauty. This is a fantastic transfer that should please hi-def enthusiasts.
Audio
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track (48kHz/24-bit), much like the film’s tremor-causing creatures, is a beast. Bass delivery is robust and thundering, allowing the low end frequency to reverberate powerfully. The sound mix is very well done, allowing for discreet placement of effects and utilizing the rear speakers to help aid in a sense of immersion. Dialogue is clean, clear and has a nice balance within this active track. Explosions that occur in the film’s third act pack a serious punch, too. The disc also includes French, German, Castilian Spanish, L.A. Spanish, and Italian DTS 5.1 surround sound options. Subtitles are available in – deep breath – English for the hearing impaired, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, L.A. Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Arabic, Hindi and Icelandic.
Extras
“Tremors 5: Bloodlines” isn’t packed to the gills, but there are some worthwhile supplements including deleted & extended scenes, outtakes and a featurette. DISC ONE: BLU-RAY A reel of deleted & extended scenes (1080p) runs for 10 minutes and 21 seconds. Some outtakes (1080p) are included, running for 6 minutes and 58 seconds. “Tremors 5: Behind the Bloodlines” (1080p) is a featurette that runs for 8 minutes and 10 seconds, this is simply a quick inside look at the making of the film. Bonus trailers (1080p) are included for the following: - “R.L. Stine’s Monsterville: The Cabinet of Souls” runs for 1 minute and 42 seconds. - “R.L. Stine’s Haunting Hour: Don’t Even Think About It” runs for 1 minute and 14 seconds. - “Back to the Future Blu-ray trilogy promo” runs for 52 seconds. DISC TWO: DVD This is a DVD copy of the feature film. An insert is included with a digital copy download code.
Packaging
The two-disc set comes housed in a standard Blu-ray eco case. A slip-cover is included with first pressings.
Overall
Much better than I was expecting, “Tremors 5: Bloodlines” is a fun ride with two capable leads, hampered only by the use of mediocre CGI that robs the film of feeling, well, more like a film.
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