Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This was a decent transfer but no better.
Overall clarity was reasonable, though I thought the image seemed softer than expected at times. Still, most of the movie displayed pretty good delineation. I saw no issues with jagged edges or moiré effects, and edge haloes remained absent. Print flaws were also a non-factor in this clean presentation.
Colors remained stylized and opted for a mix of tones. The usual teal/orange materialized, but other hues popped up as well. I thought the hues looked fine when I considered those choices.
Blacks appeared deep and dense, and shadows demonstrated decent clarity and delineation; occasional elements appeared a little murky, but not to a distracting degree. This was a mostly positive image, though it lacked consistency.
I felt fairly pleased with the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Guide, though it lacked a ton of ambition. This meant that we got a fair amount of activity from the five channels but the elements didn’t mesh as smoothly as I’d like. While the effects popped up in the right spots and moved around the spectrum, they lacked great smoothness/integration and could feel a bit awkward.
Still, the soundscape gave us a decent feel for the action settings, and audio quality was fine. Speech was distinctive and concise, without edginess or other concerns. Music boasted nice range and clarity, while effects offered reasonable accuracy and heft. All of this combined for a good but not great mix.
Four featurettes appear. Scouts Guide to Filmmaking goes for 29 minutes, 34 seconds and offers info from screenwriters Carrie Evans and Emi Mochizuki, producer Todd Garner, writer/director Christopher Landon, director of photography Brandon Trost, special makeup effects designer Tony Gardner, production designer Nathan Amondson, and actors David Koechner, Tye Sheridan, Joey Morgan, Logan Miller, and Sarah Dumont. We learn of the movie’s roots and developments, story/character areas, cast and performances, influences and Landon’s impact on the production, sets and locations, effects and zombie design, photography, and related topics. “Guide” brings us a pretty good overview of production areas.
During the five-minute, 37-second Zombie Makeup FX Handbook, we hear from Trost, Gardner, Garner and Landon. As implied by the title, “Handbook” discusses the various zombie effects in the movie. It delivers a short but informative examination of the subject matter.
Undead Movement Guidelines: Zombie Choreography fills five minutes, 12 seconds with notes from Koechner, Landon, and zombie choreographer Mark Steger. We learn about zombie acting and character elements in this likable, engaging piece.
Finally, Uniforms and You: Costume Design lasts five minutes, 11 seconds and present comments from Amondson, Trost, and costume designer Marylou Lim. We get notes about the clothes worn by the movie’s characters. Another short but useful featurette, “Uniforms” works well.
Two Deleted Scenes show up as well. We get “Extended Scouting Video” (1:08) and “Pharmacy” (1:28). The first shows more of the “recruitment video” Scout Leader Rogers uses, while the second gives us more of the boys’ growing realization that the town is deserted. Neither adds much, though at least “Pharmacy” explains why Carter has so many condoms in a later scene.
A second disc presents a DVD copy of Guide. It lacks any of the Blu-ray’s extras.
With Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, we find an average horror/comedy experience. Though it delivers moderate entertainment, it doesn’t bring much new to the genre. The Blu-ray offers generally good picture and audio with a small roster of bonus materials. I find it tough to get excited about this mediocre film.
