Yet another entry in the never-ending series of zombie movies, 2013’s Warm Bodies gives us a somewhat unusual take on the genre. In this universe, much of Earth consists of the undead.

While most of the zombies do little more than grunt and pursue brains, R (Nicholas Hoult) proves to offer an unusually introspective specimen. He shows more signs of humanity than his peers, and this allows him to develop a deeper than expected relationship with a human named Julie (Teresa Palmer).

On the surface, that synopsis leads one to think Bodies offers nothing more than a zombie take on Twilight. After all, the promise of a romance between supernatural and human characters that challenges all involved seems pretty strongly in the Twilight vein, so one might fear Bodies brings nothing more than a cheap ripoff.

One needn’t fret about that at all, though. Despite superficial similarities, Bodies offers an experience very different than the sudsy melodrama of Bella, Edward and Old What’s His Face – You Know, The Wolf Boy.

Not that Bodies doesn’t come with its own form of romantic pretensions, as it wears one particular influence on its sleeve: Shakespeare. The names R and Julie aren’t accidental, as the film clearly borrows heavily from Romeo and Juliet - heck, the movie even opts for a scene focused around a balcony!

Even with that obvious influence, Bodies manages to create its own experience, and it melds genres in a fairly satisfying manner. Though it largely focuses on the R/Julie relationship and connected drama, it contributes notable dollops of comedy, action and horror as well, all of which give it balance.

A good cast helps, and even while dragged down by an iffy American accent, Hoult does well as our lead zombie. He manages to evoke the character’s evolution and adds verve to a role that could’ve become too mannered.

Palmer makes Julie likable and appealing, and the supporting performers flesh out the film nicely. With a group that includes Rob Corddry and John Malkovich, there’s plenty of talent to abet the proceedings, and they help add depth to the film.

Bodies sags a little at times, and it can lean a little sappy toward the end. Nonetheless, it winds up as a largely charming and enjoyable riff on the zombie genre.

Warm Bodies appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. The image worked well.

Sharpness looked good. No obvious signs of softness materialized, so we found a movie with tight, concise visuals at all times.

Jaggies and shimmering failed to distract, and edge haloes remained absent. The movie also lacked any source flaws and was consistently clean.

In terms of colors, Bodies went with subdued tones, as the movie tended toward a teal impression. The hues never stood out as memorable, but they weren’t supposed to be impressive, so they were fine for this story’s stripped palette. HDR gave the tones added impact.

Blacks were deep, and shadows were well-depicted. HDR brought extra power to whites and contrast. The image offered a solid “A-” presentation.

Downconverted to Dolby True HD 7.1, the movie’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack lacked a ton of ambition, though I didn’t view that as a flaw. A story like this came heavy on ambience and light on opportunities for fireworks, so the absence of showy sequences failed to become a problem.

Music filled the various channels in a satisfying manner, and low-key effects fleshed out the spectrum in a logical way. Nothing dazzled but the mix seemed workable for the material and kicked to life well when needed.

Audio quality pleased. Speech was concise and natural, while effects – as subdued as they tended to be – remained accurate and full-bodied. Music was vibrant and dynamic. While this was never a memorable track, it suited the story.

How did the 4K UHD compare to the original Blu-ray? The Atmos audio seemed a bit more robust and engaging, while visuals looked tighter and showed superior colors and clarity in low-light shots. Due to the film’s drab visual design, the image wasn’t a huge upgrade, but the 4K did become the more satisfying version.

The 4K offers the same extras as the Blu-ray, and we open with an audio commentary from director Jonathan Levine and actors Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer. All three sit together for a running, screen-specific look at the source and its adaptation, story/characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, various effects, music and related domains.

My only complaint here relates to Palmer. She displays an annoyingly goofy personality through the commentary, as she uses a variety of irritating vocal inflections and fails to achieve the comedic results she appears to desire.

Despite that, we get a fairly good look at the film. Levine offers most of the track’s concrete information and helps ground the piece, as Hoult doesn’t add a ton. Palmer’s antics make this a tough discussion to swallow, but it’s useful enough to merit a listen.

A slew of featurettes follow, and we start with Boy Meets, Er, Doesn’t Eat Girl. It goes for nine minutes, 49 seconds and offers info from Levine, producer Bruna Papandrea, author Isaac Marion, and executive producer Laurie Webb.

“Meets” discusses the source book and its adaptation for the screen. Despite its brevity, “Meets” offers a pretty informative look at the project’s origins.

We examine characters via R&J. It lasts 16 minutes, 21 seconds and features Papandrea, Levine, Hoult, Palmer, producer Todd Lieberman and actor Analeigh Tipton. They discuss the two lead actors and their performances. While we head some decent observations, “R&J” tends to feel fluffy.

With the 16-minute, 41-second A Little Less Dead, we hear from Lieberman, Palmer, Papandrea, Levine, Hoult, Tipton, executive producer Nicholas Stern, and actors Rob Corddry, John Malkovich and Dave Franco. “Dead” looks at supporting cast and performances. It echoes “R&J”, though it tends to seem a bit more substantial.

Extreme Zombie Make-Over fills 10 minutes, 11 seconds with notes from Papandrea, Levine, Hoult, Lieberman, Corddry, and makeup special effects artist Adrien Morot. “Extreme” views zombie design and makeup execution. It brings us a quick but informative overview.

During the 14-minute, 59-second A Wreck in Progress, we find material from Papandrea, Levine, Hoult, Palmer, Stern, production designer Martin Whist, and 2nd unit director Stephen Woolfenden. “Wreck” covers sets/locations and cinematography/production design. It turns into another efficient and useful show.

After this we get Bustin’ Caps, a 10-minute, nine-second program with Palmer, Tipton, Franco, Woolfenden, Levine, and Hoult. “Caps” digs into stunts and action, with an emphasis on the actors’ endeavors. Expect a quality program.

For the seven-minute, four-second Beware the Boneys, we hear from Palmer, Hoult, Corddry, Franco, Morot, Levine, Woolfenden, and VFX supervisor Dan Schrecker. Here we learn about the design of the Boneys and how the team brought them to life. Once again, we find a lot of good notes.

Behind the scenes footage appears via Teresa Palmer’s Home Movies. This collection takes up 12 minutes, 38 seconds and shows material she shot during the production. A few minor insights emerge, but mostly Palmer laughs and goofs with others.

Actor Rob Corddry stars in Zombie Acting Tips. This reel runs four minutes, 43 seconds and boasts additional remarks from Palmer, Hoult and Franco. Part of Screen Junkies, this is mostly a comedic promo piece.

Nine Deleted Scenes fill a total of 11 minutes, 11 seconds. As usual, these offer a bit more character exposition but not much that adds to the experience. I do like the extended ending, though.

We can watch the scenes with or without commentary from Levine. He discusses aspects of the segments as well as why he cut them. Levine proves to be informative and revealing.

A Gag Reel lasts five minutes, seven seconds. It delivers the standard goofs and giggles, so don’t expect much from it.

A second disc provides a Blu-ray copy of the film. It includes the same extras as the 4K.

A zombie flick that combines a mix of other genres as well, Warm Bodies delivers a satisfying cinematic experience. The movie manages to mix its influences into an appealing whole. The 4K UHD gives us high quality picture and audio as well as a strong array of bonus materials. Bodies brings life to the zombie world.

To rate this film visit the prior review of WARM BODIES