Pride + Prejudice + Zombies appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-Ray Disc. The movie delivered a terrific transfer.
Sharpness excelled. If any softness emerged, I didn’t detect it, as the image consistently looked accurate and concise. I saw no shimmering or jaggies, and edge haloes remained absent. Print flaws failed to impact the production as well.
Apparently not even period zombie movies remain immune from the oppression of teal and orange, as those hues dominated Pride. While these choices seemed tedious, the Blu-ray reproduced them well. Blacks appeared deep and rich, while low-light shots displayed smooth, clear elements. This became a highly pleasing image.
I also felt happy with the exciting DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Pride, as it provided a lot of information. With all sorts of action scenes, the movie enjoyed many chances to shine, and it explored these moments well, with plenty of material from all the channels. These components meshed smoothly and created an involving soundscape.
Audio quality seemed strong. Music was bright and peppy, and speech appeared natural and concise. Effects offered accurate, dynamic elements that packed a good punch. The mix added a lot of pizzazz to the movie.
When we move to extras, we find four featurettes: The Badass Bennet Sisters (3:59), Courtship, Class and Carnage (6:54), From Austen to Zombies (6:00) and Creating the Unmentionables (3:31). Across these, we hear from writer/director Burr Steers, producers Allison Shearmur and Sean McKittrick, fight coordinator Maurice Lee, prosthetics designer Mark Coulier, and actors Matt Smith, Lily James, Millie Brady, Bella Heathcote, Suki Waterhouse, Ellie Bamber, Douglas Booth, Sam Riley, Charles Dance, Lena Headey, Jack Huston, and Sally Phillips.
The featurettes look at stunts and action, cast and performances, story/characters, makeup and effects. These tend to be fairly general, but they offer a reasonable amount of information and deserve a look.
Eight Deleted Scenes fill a total of nine minutes, 55 seconds. Most of these focus on extra exposition for secondary characters, but we get a little added detail for the leads and the overall story as well. While I can’t say they make a big difference, they do expand matters in a moderate manner.
A Gag Reel runs one minute, 38 seconds. Should you expect more than the standard assortment of goofs and giggles? Nope, but at least it’s a brief compilation.
In a similar vein, Mr. Collins Line-O-Rama lasts two minutes, 39 seconds. This piece focuses on improv bits from Matt Smith as well as some of his blooper moments. It provides mild amusement.
The disc opens with ads for Ghostbusters (2016), The 5th Wave, The Brothers Grimsby, The Bronze and Preacher. No trailer for Pride appears here.
If Pride and Prejudice and Zombies better embraced its inherent goofiness, it might offer an engaging mix of period drama, action and horror. However, it takes itself so seriously that it fails to turn into anything that creates a consistently interesting experience. The Blu-ray boasts excellent picture and audio but lacks substantial bonus materials. Pride provides a watchable flick without real strengths.