Pretty rock-solid start to the series, which followed in line from what I remember of the trade paper back (read during a layover at ATL). Yes, the set up is pretty much exactly the same as 28 Days Later...but it's a good set up for a zombie story and was done well here. Walk down the stairwell, lit only by a match? Chilling.
Production values are top-notch; for a TV show, this looks better or as-good-as full blown zombie movies. Mind you, it's a high budget TV show, but they've invested a lot into making this show look good, from sets to zombie makeup. Cinematography and direction were great--overall, the show looks awesome, with more than a few"wow" moments.
I was surprised at the level of gore that they were able to show. Definitely R-caliber stuff. That poor horse. The Walking Dead doesn't shy away from the violence inherent in zombie killing. Lots of head shots, all around. Not kid friendly.
For a pilot, it did an excellent job of setting up the world, main characters and conflicts we're going to see. The cliffhanger ending to the episode was perfect--if you were watching on DVD, it would be next to impossible to not watch the next episode (and probably the next, and the next).
Survival lessons that I could pick out: the importance of flashlights, usefulness of a scoped rifle, usefulness of horses, danger of travel, danger of big cities. Women tend to pack lots of warm-fuzzy stuff, men pack survival supplies. Gunfire attracts unwanted attention. You guys see anything else?
Gun error (I'm sure there were more than a few, this was the one I picked out) -
Rick to unnamed police officer: Just make sure you've got one in the chamber and your safety off!
Unnamed police officer is holding a Glock, which has no manual safety. He then pulls back the slide of his Glock and reveals that it is completely empty.
Overall, what did you guys think? Discuss in the comments.
Production values are top-notch; for a TV show, this looks better or as-good-as full blown zombie movies. Mind you, it's a high budget TV show, but they've invested a lot into making this show look good, from sets to zombie makeup. Cinematography and direction were great--overall, the show looks awesome, with more than a few"wow" moments.
I was surprised at the level of gore that they were able to show. Definitely R-caliber stuff. That poor horse. The Walking Dead doesn't shy away from the violence inherent in zombie killing. Lots of head shots, all around. Not kid friendly.
For a pilot, it did an excellent job of setting up the world, main characters and conflicts we're going to see. The cliffhanger ending to the episode was perfect--if you were watching on DVD, it would be next to impossible to not watch the next episode (and probably the next, and the next).
Survival lessons that I could pick out: the importance of flashlights, usefulness of a scoped rifle, usefulness of horses, danger of travel, danger of big cities. Women tend to pack lots of warm-fuzzy stuff, men pack survival supplies. Gunfire attracts unwanted attention. You guys see anything else?
Gun error (I'm sure there were more than a few, this was the one I picked out) -
Rick to unnamed police officer: Just make sure you've got one in the chamber and your safety off!
Unnamed police officer is holding a Glock, which has no manual safety. He then pulls back the slide of his Glock and reveals that it is completely empty.
Overall, what did you guys think? Discuss in the comments.