KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Blu-ray Review

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)

Release Date: November 22, 2016

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Video: 2.39:1 1080p Widescreen

Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DVS Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish DTS 5.1

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Special Features - ★ ★ ★

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
"If you must blink... do it now."

Reviewed by Gavin King

In a year of film that was largely overstuffed with junk cinema and rather uninteresting storylines, animated features have - surprisingly - been some of the highlights of 2016's year of movies. Early in the year, we got Disney Animation's incredibly hilarious and wonderfully entertaining Zootopia, a real charmer of an animated film that steps back from today's traditional animated tropes and takes a closer look at the more mature themes and subject matter that separates predator and prey. This summer hasn't disappointed either. We've gotten fun little animated adventures such as The Angry Birds Movie and Finding Dory, as well as some irresistible yet hard-hitting joys like The Secret Life of Pets. However, one film seemed to slip under the big charts of animated film goodness this year, and that film is Laika's brilliant Kubo and the Two Strings. Starring the voice talents of Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, and George Takei. Brought to us by the creative team behind excellent films like Coraline and ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings is an exceptional film in every sense of the word. Whether raving about its phenomenal animation, briskly-paced storyline, or its uniquely fleshed-out characters, it's one of the best films I've seen all year so far and one that's sure to be looked back on for years to come.

One-eyed Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson) resides with his mother in a small cave atop a mountain in ancient Japan. He enjoys venturing down to the nearby village to entertain the fellow villagers with his unique stories featuring origami characters, particularly one being a mighty samurai by the name of Hanzo. One day, Kubo learns about the village's tradition of honoring their ancestors by placing paper bag lanterns in the nearby lake. When Kubo is praying to his long-lost father one night, he's angered that he doesn't get much of a response. His anger triggers the presence of his mother's sisters, which raid and attack Kubo's village. During the attack, his mother arrives to fend the two off, and sends Kubo (using her magic) on a journey to find his father's sacred armor; the sword: unbreakable, the breastplate: impenetrable, and the helmet: invulnerable. On his quest, he meets Monkey (voiced by Charlize Theron), Kubo's old wooden Snow Monkey charm, and Beetle (voiced by Matthew McConaughey), who claims have been a sidekick to Kubo's origami Hanzo.

Kubo is a film of lush characteristics. There's a noticeably darker, yet gleefully attractive, palette that's rightfully representative of studio intentions and one that fits the film's plotline and setting extraordinarily well. The storyline is beautifully fleshed-out onto the screen and never downgrades to unnaturally loud and/or ultimately too safe. It's a story that neither borrows heavily from various sources nor gloats itself saying "Oh, look at me! I'm such a standout! Woohoo!". It is, quite simply, the perfect example of how to do storytelling. It's gentle yet effective, subtle yet strong, and lovely yet dark. It's all balanced expertly in the perfect package of a lovingly family-friendly yet exceptionally mature script that knows its place and audience skillfully.

The film's performances are fantastic. Young Art Parkinson is remarkable as the adventurous Kubo. He fits his style and personality appreciably in a way that's charming and makes him a hero to truly root for. Charlize Theron's Monkey performance shouldn't be overlooked either. Her seriousness and fierceness that spike her character's tone fit the piece of the puzzle with hard-hitting power. Matthew McConaughey is, once again, the voice of spunky Beetle, and his voice performance is just as enjoyable. Even if he's ever-so-slightly overshadowed by Kubo's intensity as some viewers of the film may believe, he delivers a totally fun comic relief that prevents the film being just one big serious Zack Snyder-esque experience.

But if there's one big aspect of the film I'd be remiss if I just shied away, it would, without a single doubt, be the film's stop-motion animation. Wow. Wow. Wow. One cannot watch Kubo without thinking deeply about all of the painstaking hard work that must have went into create each single frame. What an achievement. In fact, the film's animation is so damned beautiful and appealing to the eye that, during my first viewing of the film, I was actually caught off guard by some of the movements of the animation passing for realistic. Every single character, landscape, body of water, glare of light, and big special effect has been rendered absolutely astonishingly from the digital cameras the filmmakers used to shoot each frame onto the big screen with truly amazing detail and nuance. So much care and effort went into molding and building each of the film's elements, and it undoubtedly shows on the final product. It's a major shame the film didn't do a whole lot better in the box office. It deserves so much more.

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Blu-ray - Video Quality

Kubo and the Two Strings's 1080p Blu-ray transfer is nothing short of visual perfection. The high-definition image is rife with all sorts of stop-motion animated excellence, whether soft fabrics or denser, harder textures. Colors are exceptionally presented. The orange hues of a leaf-made boat pop with stunning visual grandeur. Darker hues, such as the dimness of a lake when Kubo's mother's sisters arrive, are likewise excellently showcased onto the big screen. Details are also terrific. The lack of motion blur allows for certain details and facets to be remarkably more prominent. Beetle's metal-like suit reveals all sorts of scruffs that bring his armor to incredible life. Sandy terrain and crashes of waves offer up startlingly-crisp detailing and flawless precision. The encode is marvelously crisp and is not afraid to show off what its original brilliant source animation has in store for home theater projection systems everywhere. Black levels are magnificently deep and even. Noise is slightly present in extremely scant amount most viewers won't even care to notice. This is a sensational video presentation from Universal Studios and one that does justice to the source material's really special animation techniques.

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Blu-ray - Audio Quality

Kubo and the Two Strings was released theatrically in Dolby Atmos, but is only received a 5.1 audio mix, encoded in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio, for its Blu-ray release. Still, the six speaker experience is prodigious. Early on in the film we get a storm sequence that's filled to the brim with excellently immersive sound effects wrapping the listener into the environment, with the sounds of waves crashing, thunder striking, and underwater ambience fully saturating the viewer into the climactic scene. It's a great example for what's soon to come from the track. Action scenes deliver with the crisp-precision effects of swords clanking and other big battle fight elements. They envelop positively around the surround channels to help better immerse the viewer into the chaos. The surround track also shows its presence with some lush ambient environmental effects. Whether the chatter of Kubo's small village or more powerful gusting winds near the 30-minute-mark, the track utilizes its atmospherics to wonderfully-immersive effect. Music is well-defined and nicely prioritized around the stage. Dialogue is crystal-clear and enjoys some smartly-placed panning effects when the characters move from side to side or such. Even without a Dolby Atmos track, this 5.1 release compliments the film's beautiful visuals very, very well.

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Blu-ray - Special Features

- Kubo's Journey consists of an introduction and epilogue by director Travis Knight and the following:
• Japanese Inspiration takes a look at the Japanese history that inspired the film's dominant tone.
• Mythological Monsters looks upon the film's main monsters and how the filmmakers brought them to appealing life.
• Braving the Elements The Laika crew and team explain the ways they made challenging stop-motion elements, such as water, happen on the set.
• The Redemptive and the Healing Power of Music focuses mainly on Dario Marianelli's excellent score and the reasons why musical score is so important to Kubo and the Two Strings.

- Corners of the Earth is a piece that looks at Kubo's unique locations, landscapes, and structures that bring Kubo's inventive world to life.

- The Myth of Kubo is similar to Kubo's Journey. This supplement summarizes on the how Laika's latest film is such a marvelous technical achievement.

- Feature Commentary with Director / Producer Travis Knight Film director Travis Knight narrates this commentary, telling about the behind-the-scenes quips, locations, and themes of Kubo. This is a great commentary track that fans of the film like me are sure to enjoy.

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

Kubo and the Two Strings is a flawless film. With its confidently-paced story, hilarious and powerful performances, and its drop-dead gorgeous animation that will stand the test of time, it's an exceptional work of art that deserves a spot in every animation fan's movie collection - and just every movie lover's collection in general. Travis Knight's directorial debut is every bit as impressive and tactile as one would have hoped, and it easily takes the cake as Laika's best film to date. Universal's Blu-ray is just as wonderful. The video quality is jaw-dropping and earns a spot as one of the best video presentations of this year so far. The audio isn't far behind, either, even if the Atmos soundtrack unfortunately isn't there. There aren't a whole lot of supplements in store here, but what is here is largely enjoyable. Very highly recommended.

12 Extra Screenshots for this review will be up later.

FINDING DORY Blu-ray Review

FINDING DORY (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)

Release Date: November 15, 2016

Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Video: 1.85:1 1080p Widescreen

Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English DVS 2.0, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Special Features - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
Swim your way to buy this phenomenal Blu-ray from Disney•Pixar.

Reviewed by Gavin King

It's in the tradition of Pixar sequels like Toy Story 2 and 3 and Monsters University that Finding Dory soon came to be. The highly-anticipated follow-up, bringing back the original voices of Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks and others, was hotly announced on Pixar's big upcoming films radar back a few years ago, and here we finally have it, returning old familiar faces like Dory, Marlin, Nemo, and Crush, and popping up some newcomers into the aquatic gang, such as the echolocation-savvy Bailey, the clumsy but charming Destiny, the rock-loving Gerald, and, most notably, the octopus - er, should I say, septopus - Hank. Now, when it comes to Pixar films, we've obviously set some pretty high standards when it comes to storytelling, character designing, and, probably most of all, the studio's ever-improving animation standards. Then, what's the verdict with their newest film, Finding Dory, you ask? It may not be the truly best film the terrific animation studio has churned out, but does that make it any less enjoyable? No! The new adventure, starring the forgetful Blue Tang fish Dory as the lead this time, boasts a fun-loving voice cast, funny moments, impressive character arcs, and arguably some of the best - if not, the absolute best - animation quality Pixar has ever delivered out of their colorfully-animated portfolio.



The lovable fish Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) is back, and so is her pesky short-term memory loss. But during a class trip with stingray teacher Mr. Ray (voiced by Bob Peterson) and his school of plucky fish, the Blue Tang fish suddenly starts remembering something hugely important: her family! Remembering details about her long-lost parents, Jenny (voiced by Diane Keaton) and Charlie (voiced by Eugene Levy), she persuades Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and his son Nemo (voiced by Hayden Rolence) to go with her to try and spot her mom and dad at the place she remembers her and her parents called home: The Jewel of Morro Bay, California. With the help of their good 'ol sea turtle pals, the trio of fish make it there, right in the heart of the Marine Life Institute aquarium. There, Dory meets the crabby but kindhearted septopus Hank (voiced by Ed O'Neil), her clumsy but quirky "pipe pal" Destiny (voiced by Kaitlin Olson), and the echolocation-savvy Bailey (voiced by Ty Burrell) - just a few of the many new friends the Blue Tang fish Dory will meet on this big, long, but most of all, unforgettable journey to get back to her parents and learn the true meaning of what it means to be in a family.

Finding Dory works because it's simple yet terrific family entertainment. This may not be the absolute high peak us Pixar lovers have come to expect from films such as Inside Out or Up, but that sure doesn't stop it from earning a medal as pure fun for the whole family. It's likely to impress all audiences of every age thanks to a voice cast - led by the plucky Ellen DeGeneres - that delivers in every regard. Believe it or not, this is actually not Albert Brooks's only animated film he's voiced this year; he did the honor of bringing life to the hawk Tiberius in The Secret Life of Pets - although he doesn't skimp out on playing the cautious yet caring Clownfish father, Marlin, here as well. Ty Burrell is especially remarkable as the gag-friendly Bailey. He delivers a hilarious likability to the character, and it's completely and wonderfully noticeable in his role.


The film's animation is tactile, immaculate, and practically faultless at this point. No real surprise as this is coming from the big name in animation in Hollywood today, but everything in the film visually just seems so colorful, organic, bold, and even almost photorealistic that it would be nearly an insult to say that it's just "typical of Pixar's greatness". I'll discuss more in the video evaluation section below, but just take a look at one of this review's screenshots and revel in all the visual magic yourself. You'll be hard pressed to find a fault. In addition to film's incredible animation, the character designs are equally fantastic. Each fish seems to spring to life beyond the frame itself, resulting in a design that's not only Pixar-esque and attractive but also completely innovative with its entire widescreen frame in every sense of the term. While Dory and her pals from the original movie from 2003 deliver an appreciable upgrade from its latter, there's no digitally-animated stone unturned when it comes to the film's newer additions, too. Destiny the whale shark showcases her so-called "near-sightedness" with a bubbly personality and look. Becky, a scruffy, red-eyed bird, is likewise accurately detailed and lovingly designed. And, of course, we can't forget Gerald, the poor sea lion that just can never seem to get a chance on the beloved rock, whose cross-eyed, well, eyes, and overall look make him a memorable and funny side character.

In the end, though, Finding Dory is mainly a film about finding your family inside and loving them. The film's overall message is exceptionally fleshed out in the film, even amidst the adventure's various hijinks and misadventures our heroes seem to get themselves in. Dory's a fun role model, one who's a bit, well, as we all ironically know, forgettable (by no means in a cinematic sense, but literally with her in the film), but one who's also down-to-Earth about finding her family without exception. But it's not just Dory who's a rainbow of positive messages. Marlin and Nemo make a great team, and it's obvious they're fully content on helping out their Blue Tang friend. Destiny, in particular, is a fun character. She's my favorite character in the film, mostly due to her bubbly attitude and irresistible cheeriness. She's a great sidekick to Dory, and one that I'm positive will be firmly grasped and hugged in the arms of children everywhere who have seen the film to date.

FINDING DORY Blu-ray - Video Quality

What a truly fantastic-looking Blu-ray. Finding Dory's picturesque, real looker of a 1080p transfer represents exactly what a digital-to-digital video presentation should be, and even more. Colors literally pop off the screen with startling definition and power. Dory's Blue Tang blue, Nemo's clownfish orange, or the general hues and tints of the Marine Life Institute are just some of the examples of the film's objects and locations leaping off of the television and into the home theater environment. Details likewise hugely impress. The bodies of water in the institute are lovingly clear and exceptionally crisp, showcasing a lifelike movement of the water that practically resembles real life. The little odds and ends of an aquarium truck represent lifelike detailing and faultless precision to enjoy. The film's end is a real treat, booming all sorts of different colors from different types of fish in a scene which cannot be described without spoilers. Black levels are healthily deep and inky. Whites are sharp and smartly-defined. Sparing amounts of negligible banding are lightly present in amounts that a majority of viewers of the film likely won't notice. Macroblocking and aliasing are nonexistent. What more do I need to say? Disney and Pixar's high-definition picture of Finding Dory is nothing short of demo-worthy in every sense of the term.

FINDING DORY Blu-ray - Audio Quality

Finding Dory's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack is an exceptional achievement of aggressive yet nuanced sound design and mixing. In the film's start, we're treated to fantastic separation of  Thomas Newman's great score in the fronts and - especially - surrounds. It's big yet perfectly balanced, offering up pinpoint clarity to give it the icing on the aural cake. Sound effects dot the entire stage with faultless precision, whether in a suspenseful chase scene from a one-eyed beaked creature or the quieter, hushed noises of underwater gurgling or the chatter and clatter of the aquarium. A true reference-quality moment, near the 10 minute mark, is when a school of stingrays sing their migration song. It's a gleefully disarming yet sonically immersive moment. The chorus is skillfully placed in the surround channels with enveloping precision and dynamics, all wrapped together thanks to the sheer aural crispness of the track. Bass is healthily strong though never pounding, with arguably its biggest highlight being a scene near the film's end. Dialogue is consistently clear, razor-sharp, and effortlessly prioritized, with a number of panning effects and cross-channel effects that give the environment a more lifelike effect. This is a perfect example on how a film's sound engineering can really benefit a film's overall experience, even without overhead channels.

FINDING DORY Blu-ray - Special Features

Note that Finding Dory contains supplements on two discs. I'll list the special features that are included on each disc.

DISC ONE

- Piper is an adorable little short film about a baby Sandpiper confronting its fears and learning about the happiness on the other side.

- Marine Life Interviews An old-fashioned, fun short of some of the characters from Finding Dory describing Dory and her personality.

- The Octopus That Nearly Broke Pixar takes an interesting look at arguably Pixar's most challenging character yet - both on the narrative and visual side of things.

- What Were We Talking About? is a short featurette about Dory's short-term memory loss in the film - and on how the makers of the film had to translate that to Dory's main mission in the film.

- Casual Carpool is a funny segment involving Andrew Stanton, Albert Brooks, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy, and Ed O'Neil drinking coffee and chit-chatting in a car on their way to work on the film.

- Animation & Acting The cast/crew of Finding Dory discuss the uniqueness about bringing their voices and blending them with the film's animation.

- Deep in the Kelp Young Jenna Ortega tells us about the massive research the Pixar crew did to make Finding Dory seem as real as possible.

- Creature Features The voice actors/actresses of the film showcase their characters' unique facts (E.g., Blue Tang fish, Whale Shark, etc.)

- Feature Commentary is narrated by director Andrew Stanton, co-director Angus MacLane, and producer Lindsey Collins. It's an interesting and very enjoyable track fans are sure to enjoy.

DISC TWO

- Skating and Sketching with Jason Deamer is a 4-minute featurette about Jason Deamer, a Pixar employee who's got a knack for skateboarding and character designing.

- Dory's Theme looks on Thomas Newman's terrific score and its factors that make it enjoyable and emblematic.

- Rough Day on the Reef is a very short, but nevertheless hilarious, compilation of glitches, mistakes, and on-the-whole flukes the computers had on the set of Finding Dory.

- Finding Nemo as Told By Emoji As the title suggests, Emoji tell the original 2003 film's storyline. But shouldn't this be included on the Finding Nemo Blu-ray disc?

- Fish Schticks is the typically enjoyable Pixar collection of various vignettes and animation tests from the film.

- Living Aquariums What an awesome supplement. More Blu-ray releases should do this. This is a fantastic collection of ambient noises/locations from the film, utilized for relaxation or just trying to get to sleep. The four "living aquariums" included here are as follows: Sea Grass, Open Ocean, Stingrays, and Swim To The Surface. They are also looped for your convenience.

- Deleted Scenes include an introduction by director Andrew Stanton and the following: Losing Nemo, Sleep Swimming, Little Tension In Clown Town, Meeting Hank, The Pig, Dory Dumped, and Starting Over.

- Trailers include the following: Sleep Swimming United States Trailer, Theatrical Payoff Japan Trailer, Can't Remember Spain Trailer, and Journey Russia Trailer.

FINDING DORY Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

Finding Dory may not be an instant Pixar classic, but there's no mistaking the visual beauty and charisma it gives in its performances and animation. It works extraordinarily well as a standalone entertainer, a follow-up to 2003's classic, and a worthy entry to Pixar's canon of terrific films to date. Ellen DeGeneres is expectedly great once again as forgetful but fun Dory, as is the rest of the gang aiding her on this journey to find her long-lost family. With top-notch digital animation, some laugh-a-minute gags, and a sprinkle of Pixar joy, it's one the whole family with undoubtedly enjoy on their next weekend movie night and earns a spot as one of the best animated movies of 2016. Disney's Blu-ray is equally fantastic. The video is spotless, the audio is of reference-quality, and the supplements are largely entertaining. Very highly recommended, as this is guaranteed to snag a spot on my list of the best Blu-ray releases of the year.

Here are some extra screenshots of the Blu-ray for your enjoyment/technical purposes:

  

  

  

  

SAUSAGE PARTY Blu-ray Review

SAUSAGE PARTY (Blu-ray + Digital HD)

Release Date: November 8, 2016

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Video: 1.85:1 1080p Widescreen

Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Special Features - ★ ★ 1/2

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take

Reviewed by Gavin King

What is the most on-the-whole graphic movie you've ever seen? Now, when I mean graphic, I (as some of you probably guessed) don't mean graphic novel or comic or anything of that sort, but think graphic like ultimately gory and grotesque or simply no-holds-barred sexual content. Or it can just be a movie that focuses on weed and other stoner-friendly drugs. A few films that come to mind by a few movie buffs and general watchers alike are Mel Gibson's films. He's got a knack for taking mature, realistic subject matter and transforming it onto the big screen with oftentimes startling effect and pulse-pounding realism. The way he portrays violence in his films never seems Hollywood-ized, instead faring for an unsettling, edge-of-your-seat nail biter of a film that'll either make you leave the movie theater auditorium of utter speechlessness or just plain overwhelmed by how intense and gruesome the subject matter being portrayed on screen really is. But it's not just the Gibson violence that's protruded into R rated, intense territory. Think of stoner comedy, comedy that's crass and crude and altogether adds up to become something pervasive. And there's a lot of contenders for this spot. Seth MacFarlane. Trey Parker and Matt Stone. But what about Seth Rogen? He's had his fair share of laugh-a-minute, crass comedy - even if he's had some mild misses in a pile of largely hits. Think This is the End, the hugely controversial The Interview, or his newest, big, and arguably one of the most questionable films of the year so far, Sausage Party. The world's first R-rated CGI-animated comedy was a hit, scoring $33 million in opening day box office receipts and starring the big-name voice talents of Seth Rogen (predictably), Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, James Franco, and Danny McBride, just to name a few. The movie works because it's a huge step forward for animated films when it comes to content. The film is never shy to expose food sex, sausages and buns saying "F**k", or a package of grits smoking weed. All hail the power of the R-rating!

In the supermarket Shopwell's, all of the food products, from the snacks to the meats to fruits, are led to believe a spiritual sort of belief in which when they are chosen (bought) by the so-called Gods (the customers), they will go to the outside world in which they call "The Great Beyond" and out of their bulky packages they are forced to live in inside the supermarket. In the market, a sausage named Frank (voiced by Seth Rogen) and a hot dog bun named Brenda (voiced by Kristen Wiig) both live in the same aisle (wait, shouldn't the hot dogs be in the freezer section?), and they are madly in love, but they are unable to escape their tightly-sealed packages, preventing them from truly "loving each other". Much to their delight, they are both chosen together and put into a shopping cart with a plethora of other partying food items, excited to experience the true greatness of The Great Beyond. However, when the stubborn Honey Mustard (voiced by Danny McBride), a product that was originally chosen by a customer but was returned to the store because his customer meant to buy regular mustard, and his since experienced the truth of The Great Beyond, tells all of the pumped-up foods and drinks that The Great Beyond is "bulls**t", and all of the foods that get taken to this so-called utopia will be chopped up and eaten by the customers, as us humans (shamefully) do. Now that Frank has figured out Honey Mustard's beliefs are actually true when he takes a look at a cookbook for humans, he sets out on a raunchy yet adventurous quest to convince all of Shopwell's products that The Great Beyond is a big lie, win the affection of his true love, Brenda, and ultimately try and stay away from a literally death-hungry douche, well, named Douche, who thinks that Frank has caused him to wither in a supermarket incident that has cost a lot of the food items' lives.

One of Sausage Party's strongest points is its often times shockingly thought-provoking storyline. It encourages us, as viewers, to think about the foods and drinks we put in our mouths to consume. It has us try to hilariously believe that foods can have feelings too and their lives should be accounted for, too. Basically, the movie's entire message is that food lives mater. That message is represented throughout a majority of the movie, whether the film's hilariously "graphic" sequences of food being squashed, destroyed, disintegrated, and/or eaten to death, or its more serious scenes involving Frank's big speech to the products of Shopwell's grocery store. Part of that works successfully due to the film's R-rating; it's a big plus in terms of what the film can really do in its storyline, humor, and animation, and it allows for the wild minds behind the crass production to really stretch their fragile little imaginations to what they can pull off to really overwhelm and make the viewer gasp in hilarious awe.

The film's animation quality isn't all that top-notch, but, then again; does it really need to be? Do remember that this is a film that is sort of making fun of the CGI-animation industry riddled with cartoonish flair, but the film's primary focus in on giving the audience that extra sense of, "WOW, I did not see that coming!". There's some excellent performances from the cast here, as there's not really one voice performance in the film that I can really say is really the best. Everyone is really great-sounding here. Seth Rogen delivers the predictably gravely yet seemingly charming voice as Frank very well. Kristen Wiig is equally terrific as Brenda Bunson (yes, that's her full name), a nervous but woman-like (hey, no stereotypes here!) personality that also fits her great. Even side characters, such as Danny McBride as panicky Honey Mustard or David Krumholtz as judgmental but funny Lavash show their off-color and ribald selves in small-but-no-less-important roles that help shape the film into what it is.

The film's only real chief complaint is towards the film's second act, during the scenes in which Frank and the gang search from place to place to find out about the truth of The Great Beyond. Pacing did seem a tad sluggish at the parts for me, although the scenes did have their moments, particularly Salma Hayek's character Teresa Del Taco, a lesbian taco who offers some funny one-liners and dialogue to help up those scenes. Hayek provides a strongly-hilarious performance in the role, and her natural accent accentuates the taco character extraordinarily well. Otherwise, there's really no room for true complaint. It's a winning film, not only due to its fun-loving voice performances, but a storyline that leaves the viewer to be thinking about long after said viewer fully watches the raunch-fest - and a totally outrageously gut-busting orgy celebration scene at film's end involving all of the food characters in the film performing sex acts that will leave all but the least tame viewers speechless with jaws fully dropped on the ground.


SAUSAGE PARTY Blu-ray - Video Quality
Sausage Party may not contain the fully-complex or expertly-detailed animation as studios like Pixar (and for good reason), but Sony's 1080p high-definition presentation of the R-rated animated film showcases the movie's mild and possibly even intentional animation limitations very well. Colors are a bit muted during the supermarket scenes, but things largely pick up quite a bit when our food characters enter to the hidden realms of the secret aisles. These sequences offer terrific, bright colors such as oranges, reds, disco greens, and tons of others to relish (pun intended!) in. Details are actually pretty great looking on some objects and textures, such as the chewed-up and sticky mass that is Gum, the odds and ends of a crowded supermarket, or the scratches and scuffs on our villain character in the film, Douche. Skintones on the human characters are, like the grocery store parts, a little bit muted, but it's understandable considering the dullness of the real life environments and, once again, Rogen and company's intentions for the film's looks. Black levels hold up fairly well, as do whites. The video equipment utilized for this review showed no significant signs of aliasing, banding, or other animated-movie-prone digital compression anomalies. Altogether, it's another strong, fantastic image from Sony and a great example of them not skimping out on less complex-looking movies like this.

SAUSAGE PARTY Blu-ray - Audio Quality

Much of the same praise can be said to Sausage Party's immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, which cooks up some excellent surround activity and some deep, though never pounding, LFE. The opening song about The Great Beyond sets a nice example of what's soon to come of the surround mix, with the musical number offering strong front-end spacing and a healthy surround instrumental placement. Things pip up quite the great amount from there. The Shopwell's supermarket fully envelops the viewer from the couch to the inside the grocery store thanks to some fantastic surround activity supporting the ambience. Pop beats and score wrap the entire soundstage with faultless clarity and well-placed prioritization. The Saving Private Ryan reference sequence is an aural treat, delivering intentionally hyperbolic sounds like explosions, guns, and wind with wonderful bass support and precise stage placement of sound effects. Finally dialogue is always 100% clear and finely-prioritized, rounding out another nearly-perfect track from Sony.

SAUSAGE PARTY Blu-ray - Special Features

- Good Food Gag Reel is, as the title suggests, some bloopers of the cast's voice performances.

- Shock and Awe: How Did This Get Made? is an interesting look on the making of Sausage Party, the real trouble getting it pitched to Hollywood, and the biggest obstacles and challenges making such a shocking and outrageous film concept and getting it released to the big screen.

- Line-O-Rama is a compilation of the voice actors trying to perform their lines in different ways, with similar subjects.

- The Booth is a featurette mainly about the actors' voice performances, their importance in the movie, and the actors explaining being a voice in an R-rated animated movie.

- The Great Beyond takes a look at the film's music composed by no other than the one and only Alan Menken. Yes, that Alan Menken. Let that wrap around your head for a little bit.

- The Pitch is an odd, promotion-like piece on Seth Rogen's and Evan Goldberg's take on how to pitch something, the Rogen and Goldberg way.

- Seth Rogen's Animation Imaginatorium This one was featured on YouTube. If you begin this one and immediately know you watched this one on the online site, skip it. For the latter, it's a funny little parody of Walt Disney's old-timed behind-the-scenes programs.

SAUSAGE PARTY Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

Sausage Party is obviously not for everyone. It's not for the easily offended, and it's definitely not for children. But no matter. It's a completely crass, no-holds-barred, and altogether shamelessly hilarious fest of strong language, drug use, and totally vulgar sexual content that's more than likely to overwhelm first-time viewers. But the film simply works because it's not afraid to kick the MPAA's ass and give the big screen honest humor that the bold R-rating is really known for. Sorry, parents who unintentionally took their kids to see this movie. Not sorry, parents who unintentionally took their kids to see this movie. Sony's Blu-ray package steams up some superb video and audio, with a fine amount of supplements to compliment it. Highly recommended. 

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 3D Blu-ray Review

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE (4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray 3D + 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 - ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Special Features - ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

_____________________________________________________________________________

THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take

Reviewed by Gavin King

Note that I am only reviewing the 3D disc of The Angry Birds Movie included with the 4K + 3D + Blu-ray combo pack from Sony. I'll be reviewing the 4K iteration when my home theater is fully capable of 4K playback.

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 3D 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 3D iteration of The Angry Birds Movie is solid enough; however, don't expect to be blown away by the unspectacular yet serviceable third dimension post-conversion. Depth is average, nothing too mind-blowing here, but good enough to earn it a passing grade. It doesn't really stretch beyond the limits or leap over the bounds of the extra addition to the second dimension, but, overall, it satisfies with decent enough spacial support and additional background detailing. Speaking of detailing, most of the same positively struck attributes move along from the great-looking 1080p Blu-ray onto the "eye-popping" format. A generally large majority of the film's varieties of birds, green grasses, and wooden odds and ends retain most of their original high definition glory, aside from a few scenes with Red in which his brilliantly fire-red color slightly dampens his feather details, such as hairs and somewhat fabric-like textures.

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 3D Blu-ray - Audio Quality

The Angry Birds Movie features the exact same surround sound track featured on the original 2D 1080p Blu-ray release. As noted with the 2D release, it's 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 3D Blu-ray - Special Features

Please note that all supplements on the original 2D Blu-ray disc are not available on the 3D disc of the film. These extras are all on the 2D Blu-ray.

- 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 3D 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 3D Blu-ray comes locked and loaded with a fine, although unexceptional, third-dimension video presentation that keeps most of the 2D's presentation's big hits, and the audio likewise still sounds terrific. The supplements are somewhat aimed more towards kids, but are still enjoyable on their own right. Highly recommended for families and those wanting to add an extra 3D iteration of the animated adventure whilst trying to invest in 4K UHD technology.