Saturday, November 7, 2015

Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies - Blu-ray Review - Troma Entertainment

When nobody else will fight them, call in the professional wrestlers.

Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies Blu-ray cover


Released by: Troma Entertainment
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Production Year: 2014
Region Code: A 
Running Time: 1:31:34
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: 1080p (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: None


THE FILM - [ 2 / 5 ]:

Pro-Wrestlers Vs. Zombies is exactly as it sounds — sports entertainment icons and local ring talent using their signature fighting styles, athleticism and anything they can get their hands on to fend off the undead. An abandoned prison is the battlefield as a troupe of professional wrestlers are booked for a private show, only to be faced with the undead. Unfortunately for the zombie nation, they aren’t just facing any group of professional wrestlers, they are facing living legends like WWE Hall of Fame “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Matt Hardy, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, former ECW World champion “The Franchise” Shane Douglas and even Olympic medalist turned WWE and TNA World champion Kurt Angle!

Troma has entered the "square circle" with their foray in to sports and zombies. Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies is a spoof on the zombie genre and even on wrestling to a degree. The film is a bit silly fun and the blood at times appears to look like grape jelly. No the acting is not spectacular but that shouldn't be a surprise. It is nice to see Roddy Piper though and it's sad that he is no longer with us. Since zombies are so popular and there's always a something vs zombies film coming out, it was only a matter of time until wrestlers became involved. 


AUDIO - [ 2.5 / 5 ]:

"Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies" sports an English Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track. The audio quality overall, is okay. The dialogue was fairly easy to understand but at times it could be drowned out by the music used in the film. The sound level of the music varied often and sometimes it overwhelmed the dialogue and sound effects. 


VIDEO - [ 2.5 / 5 ]:

"Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies" arrives on to Blu-ray courtesy of Troma Entertainment. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. This film is a bit flat and cold in hue as far as colors are concerned. While the film is not particularly sharp, some of the more brighter scenes and close ups feature an increased amount of detail. In some of the darker scenes, the video looked very gritty in appearance. 


SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 2.5 / 5 ]:

Intro (2:08) - After inserting the Blu-ray, an intro by Lloyd Kaufman plays automatically. Lloyd pays tribute to Roddy Piper, talks briefly about the film and also shows a clip of two Tromettes wrestling.

Audio Commentary with director Cody Knotts - Sadly this commentary track is out of sync from the start. While Mr. Knotts does talk about what is happening on the screen, it obviously doesn't work well due to it being out on sync. It is still work listening to for some background information on the actors and production. 

40 Years of Troma (2:03) - A montage of shots from several Troma films.

TROMoMA (11:40) - This featurette talks about "Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1" being part of the "Contender Series" at the Museum of Modern Art. Members of the cast also perform a dance. 

Lloyd Kaufman's "It Gets Better" (1:36) - Lloyd talks about bullying, while bullying the crew.

Radiation March  (:56) - A very brief old dance performance piece that talks about the dangers of pollution. 

Tromatic Trailers 
  • "Return to Nuke 'Em High Vol. 1" (3:24)
  • "Return to Nuke 'Em High Vol. 2" (1:48)
  • "The Toxic Avenger" (3:11)
  • "Troma's War" (2:31)
Trailer (1:47)


IN CONCLUSION:

While the film wasn't really for me, it may be for you. I admit that I don't watch professional wrestling anymore. I did many years ago. Anyhow, wrestling fans should find some enjoyment in the film. Plus of course there are zombies. The Blu-ray has fair audio and video. 


OVERALL: [ 2.5 / 5 ]