Is This the Series That Brings the Walking Dead Back to Life?

Read Time:2 Minute, 22 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Walking Dead: World Beyond (seasons 1 & 2)
–

Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Year Released: 2020-2021
Runtime: Two seasons, ten episodes each season, 42–52 minutes each
Creator(s): Scott M. Gimple, Matthew Negrete (based on THE WALKING DEAD by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard
Cast: Aliyah Royale, Alexa Mansour, Hal Cumpston, Nicolas Cantu, Nico Tortorella, Annet Mahendru, Julia Ormond, Joe Holt, Natalie Gold, Jelani Alladin, Ted Sutherland, Pollyanna McIntosh
Where To Watch: Final season & Complete Box set arrives on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital on October 10, 2022

RAVING REVIEW: Unfortunately, this series doesn’t hold a candle to the original THE WALKING DEAD series. I feel like the creative teams behind this spinoff series don’t understand what made the original so influential.

In short, this is a story about the first new generation of survivors; these teens have to learn firsthand how to survive something like they have never experienced before. Most of their life has been behind protected fortresses. While the series is rated TV-MA in the US, there doesn't seem to be a lot of reason for it. The series tends to be toned down and aimed at a younger audience. The dialogue reminds me a lot of the recent release of BODIES BODIES BODIE, trying to stay up with the times but taking it a step too far at times.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the series is that they initially treat it like the post-apocalyptic world having been partially rebuilt. It was an exciting premise, but the series turns and quickly becomes THE WALKING DEAD once a group of kids decides they must venture out of the relative safety.

That steals the thunder of the original premise of the series, and you end up with survivors, zombies chasing them, and bad guys out to get them all. The new characters, although occasionally over-the-top, offer some fresh meat to the series. I liked that they decided ahead of time that this would be a limited series instead of the original one that pushed on for far too long.

I wasn’t a massive fan of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD; however, TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD sounds like an exciting future spinoff with potential. There are also currently three other series in some form of pre-production, each taking characters from the original series.

For more reviews and my YouTube channel, please visit linktr.ee/Overlyhonestmoviereviews

Follow me on Instagram, Letterboxd, Twitter, and YouTube. Find my social media accounts on most platforms simply by searching Overly Honest Movie Reviews.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please say hi or send me any questions about all things movies.