THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE Blu-ray Review

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)

Release Date: August 16, 2016

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Video: 1.85:1 1080p Widescreen

Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Special Features - ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take

Reviewed by Gavin King

Stop and think about it. The mobile device has taken an immensely huge toll on our everyday lives. You can give a call to your friend and text them for a bit. You're able to take high-quality pictures - and apply some eye-popping effects to them. And lastly, - and arguably the most influential - you have the ability to install interesting apps that give you the access to amazing subject materials from social media to maps. One hugely popular app genre is the video game category. Video game apps have made a huge mark in the app business, ranging from dozen among dozens of different subjects, such as warfare or matching. Perhaps the most successful gaming app among the ever-growing tower of video game applications is the iconic Angry Birds (sorry, Pokemon Go!), the titular mobile game that follows different birds who essentially slingshot themselves into structures out of wood, stone, and ice created by the mischievous pigs - all in order for the birds to get their eggs back. It may seem like a silly premise, but the Angry Birds have actually spawned tons of different additions and sequels to the original game, such as Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Space, and even the galactic Angry Birds Star Wars. And just when you think that they couldn't get enough, on comes The Angry Birds Movie, an app-to-screen adaptation starring Jason Sudekis as fiery Red, Josh Gad as speedy Chuck, Danny McBride as explosive Bomb, and Bill Hader as the Pig - and the film's main antagonist - Leonard. The story, like the app itself, isn't the most original in the pound, but the film itself is a surprisingly enjoyable and actually nicely animated time-killer that has a few clever and profound little tricks up its feathery sleeves.

Red (Jason Sudekis) is a flighless and, well, red, bird that has a few anger issues. He's not the most optimistic person you'll ever meet. He has a bit of a temper and is very easily irritated. When the stern Judge Peckinpah (Keegan-Michael Key) assesses stubborn Red to anger management class, he's introduced to quirky Matilda (Maya Rudolph), the leader of the class, along with his fellow classmates such as the speedy Chuck (Josh Gad) and the explosive Bomb (Danny McBride). One evening on Bird Island, a mysterious ship sails to the beach near Red's house. It reveals two seemingly harmless green pigs; the welcoming Leonard and his First Officer, Ross, who gets into all sorts of crazy hijinks. They introduce the birds to the infamous slingshot (that's used in the original Angry Birds apps). Leonard tells the birds; "Tired of carrying things from place to place? Wish you could just get it there?" The birds dig the new invention, and decide to give Red, much to his dismay, a demo of it. The slingshot leads him to the pigs' huge ship, where he finds out it's not just Leonard and Ross on the ship. There are tons of other little piggies, too! And these pigs are hell-bent on stealing the birds' eggs, just like they do in the plotline of the video games. Now, it's up to Red - and Chuck and Bomb from the anger management class - to get all the birds' eggs back before the pigs name them as a feast - with a little help from that slingshot.

The character design showcased in The Angry Birds Movie is simplistic but very faithful to the intentions of the original mobile phone apps. Red, in the app, is the main character, a red, just-right-sized bird that's well transferred and rendered into the film itself. In the app, Chuck is basically a triangle, and a quick and speedy one at that. In a bonus feature on this disc, the filmmakers claimed that they ensured that triangle shape of Chuck by making sure his body was, well, for lack of a better term, triangle. His head, his tail, his beak. Sure, it may seem a bit too much and hyperbolic for Chuck, but it actually fits him pretty decently. Bomb, on the other hand, is rather big. He's larger than Chuck and Red (combined?), is colored black, and is known for his tendency to blow up when he's startled. Many explosive characteristics, like his fiery red eyebrows, help accentuate this better to him, giving him a more believable "dynamite-like" look. The pigs, on the other hand, are fairly different. They take a slightly rubbery, slick look to them, obviously differing from the feathery, soft flightless birds. They take an almost neon-green coloring, and - once again - it's very faithful and loyal to the video game franchise.

The film offers up some humorous yuks and jokes that'll probably more likely delight kids than adults, but the movie does contain some gags and moments that won't keep the parents constantly looking at their watches, such as Red's approachable anger in Bird Island that may have some parents wondering, "Gee, Red is somewhat like me, eh?" Aside from just that, the movie does have the predictable kiddie potty humor for the children to jest in, such as a nearly minute - yes, you heard me correctly, a nearly minute - toilet gag when the heroic Mighty Eagle (voiced by Peter Dinklage, by the way) urinates into a lake, which ensues into Red, Chuck, and Bomb gagging. There is even an off-color tidbit where after the villainous pigs steal all of the birds' eggs, the quick chuck suggests a solution for regaining the eggs; to replace them by having the ladies "get busy" and claiming that "we are gonna be layin' some eggs to-NIGHT!".

But don't let that shy you away from what is otherwise an immensely serviceable and sometimes even engaging animated feature film from the folks at Rovio Animation. The computer animation can more often then not be quite nice most times. It's excellent at creating a lush, vivid atmosphere literally bursting with color and innovation. The character design, like explained before, is greatly represented here, showcasing a similar design/anatomy to adult birds, birds of Red's age, and even the cute little hatchlings. To put it simply, it's everything audiences should expect from an animated feature from 2016. The voice performances aren't bad, either. There's an identifiable angry personality with Sudekis as Red. Gad, who voiced Olaf the snowman in the huge success Frozen, terrifically personifies Chuck's speediness and love for transporting to places quickly. McBride is Bomb, and he gives the dynamite-bound bird with an appreciable gravely voice and humor. And Hader's voice performance of the green pig Leonard shouldn't be overlooked, either, fitting the soon-to-be-mischievous piggy with a noticeable esteem that fits him nicely well.


THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE Blu-ray - Video Quality

As should be expected from a 2016 digitally-animated feature film, The Angry Birds Movie simply looks great in every sense of the word. One of the first things you will notice about the film's picture is how colorful it is. From Red's fiery, well, red, to the greenery and scenery of Bird Island, every single color and hue is presented beautifully and without a single fault. Evening scenes, in my opinion, fare the most attractive. There's a lifelike, approachable overall dark blue hue that gorgeously gives the infamous Bird Island a lush, likable facade. Detail's don't disappoint either. Bird feathers, light structure textures such as bamboo and wood, and the little nooks and crannies of Mighty Eagle's luxurious cave are gleefully rendered and strongly represented onto the screen. I wouldn't particularly say a chunk of the details presented here could pass for photorealistic, but the somewhat "cartoony" feel of the film showcases those details very, very well. Nighttime blacks are terrific, whites are no slouch, and banding or any other inconsistencies that plague animated features are nowhere to be found. In short, Sony has done a remarkable job with the video quality here, a demo-worthy image that's not too surprising to hear considering most animated films nowadays looks great. 

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE Blu-ray - Audio Quality

The Angry Birds Movie's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack is a fantastic listen and a truly excellent companion to the already superb 1080p HD video. Things get off to a wonderful start as Red flunks in being a "hatch-day clown", and the aural sophistication just gets better and better from there. Music sounds great, offering a fantastic front support as well as an ample surround staging as well. Whether Heitor Pereira' almost zen-like score or famous pop beats such as "Sound of 'Da Police", the musical numbers are well prioritized and very nicely integrated into the mix. Sound effects and foley are gleefully abundant and skillfully placed in the surround sound configuration, especially in the film's final act. Explosions, crashes of buildings, and other neatly implemented sounds of the chaotic battle deliver a robust and healthy surround sound presence that if you want to hear its aural intensity you'll just have to hear it to believe it. Mild atmospherics, such as outdoor ambience or the applause at the pigs' welcoming party, enjoy natural front and gentle surround placing to create a slightly more immersive environment. Dialogue sounds great, crisp and clear, even in the movie's high-octane battle sequences

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE Blu-ray - Special Features

- Hatchlings! includes a few short subjects about the hatchlings, such as a short called "The Early Hatchling Gets the Worm", a few promotional spots for Easter, Mother's Day, and Holiday, and a 4-minute featurette about the hatchlings entitled, "Meet the Hatchlings".

- Angry Birds Action! How to Sync is basically a stand-in advertisement for the Angry Birds Action! app available on app stores and a tutorial on how to sync the app to the movie for more "fun".

- Deleted Scenes include the following: "Chuck's Rescue", "Happy Birthday!", "Red's Apology", "Coconut Story", "Whoopie Cushion", and "Mighty Eagle".

- Dance Along Birds and Pigs showcases a cowgirl (I literally have no idea what her name is) and a couple of animated characters from the film dancing to some of the film's musical numbers. Solely for kids.

- Crafty Birds is a neat little featurette which shows you step-by-step how to make a physical Angry Birds game at home - using a few standard everyday household items.

- Creating the Real World of Angry Birds stars The Angry Birds Movie voice actors Jason Sudekis and Josh Gad as they trek through the challenges and neat little details about making the animated film.

- Bubbles and Hal is a teeny-tiny short starring, well, Bubbles and Hal. Really, it's just more of a promotional shtick that's basically saying Ian Heckox and Anthony Padilla, a.k.a. YouTube's Smosh, are voicing them.

- Meet the Birds focuses on the production of the birds we all know and love. Voice acting and character design are some of the many things discussed in this featurette.

- Meet the Pigs is basically Meet the Birds but without the bird talk. Yup.

- Music Video I love the song in this video, Blake Shelton's Friends. It's such a peppy little song and you can tell Shelton's having fun in the recording studio.

- Making Music with Composer Heitor Pereira is a nice little supplement that follows Pereira describing the music, mostly the themes, that go along with this film.

- Photo Gallery is a slideshow of photos containing the following categories: Characters, Piggy Island, and Bird Island.

- In-Theater Policy Trailers I actually really liked this supplement. As a movie theater guru myself, I do have to admit I did get a little light kick out of these policy trailers. There are three policies: "A Gift Card for Chuck" (originally meant for Regal Entertainment Group), "Join Your Friends" (AMC Theaters), and finally "Silence Your Birdphone" (Cinemark).

- Symphony Mode is essentially an isolated score of the movie without all of the spoken dialogue and sound effects.

- Scene Selection Anyone else confused as to the fact why Sony snuck the scene selection in here? Huh?

- Previews for additional Sony titles.

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

The Angry Birds Movie is a neat little standalone feature and an entertaining origins story for fans of the beloved app series. It may not contain the overall charm or wit of Pixar or Illumination, but do not let that distract you from what is otherwise a funny, sharp, and altogether satisfying adventure comedy that features some great animation, laugh-a-minute moments, and an inventive final act that's filled with all of the color you'd ask for. It's sure to keep the youngsters firmly locked in their seats, and parents shouldn't mind sticking along for the ride, too. The Angry Birds Movie's Blu-ray release comes locked and loaded with top shelf video and audio. The supplements are somewhat aimed more towards kids, but are still enjoyable on their own right. Highly recommended for families.