Review: Tremors 2: Aftershocks Limited Edition 4K UHD
4K UHD: Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996)
Having reviewed and enjoyed Arrow’s 4K UHD release of Tremors, I was delighted when the sequel was announced as another 4K UHD release.
Set 6 years after the original movie (the same period between the movies themselves), Earl Bassett (Fred Ward) has long since used up the fame that was bestowed upon him after the events of the 1st movie, and now also having to cope without his partner Valentine (Kevin Bacon) who has moved on with his girlfriend.
Earl is washed-up and lost money on various Graboid related opportunities, though a return to fame and fortune is dangled in front of him by a Mexican oil company who want to stop a new Graboid outbreak that has begun.
Accompanied, under duress, by new partner Grady (Chris Gartin) and calling once again upon the help of Graboid hater and hunter extraordinaire Burt (Michael Gross), they face off against Graboids who have evolved in the previous 6 years and are more than ready to face the fight.
Tremors 2, just like its predecessor, is a light-hearted and fun movie, with gooey practical effects, corny one-liners and a 100 minute running time that flies by.
Ward and Goss are sublime as their returning characters, revelling even more in the absurdity of everything, and while Gartin was always going to have a tough time following up on Kevin Bacon, he does enough to not be annoying and finally becomes a character that you can root for too.
The evolution of the Graboids is a very nice touch, adding a new level of tension to the battles with them, though who will inevitably come out victorious is never really in doubt.
Much like the 4K UHD release of Tremors, Arrow have once again complemented this with a whole load of informative and entertaining special features, along with picture and sound that made it like a first time watch/listen again for me.
If you’re new to the Tremors franchise this (and the previous 4K release of the original) are a must buy…as they are if you are already familiar with them.
A beautiful and feature packed presentation of an immensely fun movie.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- New 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films, approved by director S.S. Wilson
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless 2.0 and 4.0 surround audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand new feature commentary by director/co-writer S.S. Wilson and co-producer Nancy Roberts
- Brand new feature commentary by Jonathan Melville, author of Seeking Perfection: The Unofficial Guide to Tremors
- Graboid Go Boom, a newly filmed interview with special effects designer Peter Chesney
- Critical Need-to-Know Information, a newly filmed interview with CG supervisor Phil Tippett
- The Making of Tremors 2, an on-set featurette with the cast and crew
- Outtakes
- Trailers for Tremors and Tremors 2: Aftershocks
- Image gallery
- Illustrated perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by Jonathan Melville on the Tremors 2 scripts that never got made, and Dave Wain & Matty Budrewicz on the history of Universal’s DTV sequel division
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank
- Small fold-out poster featuring new Shrieker X-ray art by Matt Frank
- Limited Edition packaging featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank
Released 27th November 2023.
Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Arrow Films.
