Blu-ray review: THE DEAD 2

THE DEAD 2
Written & Directed by:  Howard J. Ford and Jonathan Ford
Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment

  Three years ago I wrote a review of the Ford Brothers zombie film, THE DEAD.  You can read that review here.  THE DEAD was one of the best zombie films I have ever seen.  I loved every second of that film.   I was very excited to hear that they were making a sequel.   As you know, most sequels are never as good as the original film, but I am happy to report that THE DEAD 2 is just as good as the first.   In fact, it is almost a carbon copy of the first film, with different characters in a different location, but as good as the first film was, I was fine with "more of the same". 
Here is the basic plot of the film from the film's official press release:

A ship docks fresh from Somalia which contains one infected worker that passes unnoticed into the very heart of India’s overpopulated bustling streets, setting off an unstoppable chain of events. Meanwhile, American turbine engineer Nicholas Burton (Joseph Millson, Casino Royale) is working in the stark yet tranquil Indian countryside when he receives a call from his love Ishani (Meenu), a local girl who lives on the outskirts of the slums of Mumbai and who has hidden their relationship from her tradition-minded father. She reveals she is now pregnant and scared for her life as chaos and terror have taken ahold of the cities as the dead return to life and attack the living.  Nicholas has to battle his way across their 300 mile landscape filled with flesh-eating – and infectious – undead.  With the help of young street kid Javed (Anand Goyal), he has to rely on his wits and sheer brute force to try and save them all, as the clock ticks off the minutes before the last flight out of a living hell...

 

  I have read some reviews of this film with complaints that this film was too similar to the first.  As I stated before that is true, but my answer to that is that I didn't want the first movie to end. It was just that good.  So for me, I had no problem with this sequel being like the first film.  I think that is why so many sequels don't work, because the filmmakers try to be drastically different in their approach to the second film.   Sticking with what worked the first time seems to work, an example that comes to mind is EVIL DEAD 2.   That was a film that was better than the original, but was basically a remake of the first film. 

 

  If you saw THE DEAD, then you know exactly what to expect from THE DEAD 2.   It is more of the best zombie mayhem you will see in most zombie movies these days.    The story is simple, yet interesting enough to keep you entertained the entire running time.  The cinematography of this film is amazing as well.  Just like the first film which took place in Africa, the scenery in this film now set in India was breathtaking at times.   Great camera angles and camerawork are a nice addition to what is already a great film.

 

  THE DEAD 2 is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.  I highly recommend you check this one out!  Special Features include:

 

*  Deleted Scenes

*  The Making of THE DEAD 2

 

 

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray