Bob Paar used to be one of the world's greatest superheroes (known to all as "Mr. Incredible"), saving lives and fighting evil on a daily basis. But now, 15 years later, Bob and his wife (a famous former superhero in her own right) have adopted civilian identities and retreated to the suburbs to live normal lives with their three kids. Now he's a clock-punching insurance claims adjuster fighting boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top secret assignment.
Horton Hears a Who! floats onto Blu-ray with a high quality 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. This is an excellent image with great color and clarity. The all-digital transfer never misses a beat in reproducing the finest of details, conveying a sharp, pristine, and colorful image that brings the film to life. There is always a solid sense of depth and texture to the image, and while the movie doesn't have the same vibrancy and intricate detail as the Pixar films, it nevertheless looks great and younger audiences will absolutely adore the clean, crisp, and easy-on-the-eyes imagery that graces the 1080p display. The transfer truly shines in bringing the fine detail of Whoville, in particular, to life, and it is there that the digital artists went to town, so to speak, in creating a vivid world that is intricately detailed and exciting to look at on this marvelous Blu-ray release.
As expected, Horton Hears a Who! comes to Blu-ray with a high quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Surprisingly robust and powerful, bass rumbles on more than one occasion with tremendous presence and authority. The soundstage is also often filled with wholesome goodness, never too loud at reference levels but certainly fulfilling and engaging at practically every turn. The surrounds are used naturally throughout, both in support of the main content but also featuring plenty of discrete effects. Sound effortlessly maneuvers around the soundstage in chapter 11 in a 360-degree sequence as Horton's voice travels around the listening area. Dialogue reproduction is strong and focused, always at an appropriate volume with the rest of the soundtrack. This mix won't test the limits of any sound system, but is recreates the thuds, nuances, and everything in between of the animated worlds of Nool and Whoville with vigor and vitality.
Monsters, Inc. makes its long awaited Blu-ray debut with a striking 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that nearly exceeds expectation to deliver an oft-times flawless presentation of its digital source. Monstropolis is a colorful cityscape indeed, and Disney's palette never falls short. The varied blues and purples of Sulley's fur, the slick-scaled greens of Mike's hide, and the vivid reds and oranges that populate their adventure look fantastic, granting the image a power and stability its DVD counterpart fails to achieve. Black levels are equally remarkable, dipping deep without sacrificing background clarity in the slightest. In fact, contrast remains bold and beautiful from beginning to end, edge definition is ever crisp and sturdy, and fine detail is impeccable. Moreover, I didn't see a single artifact, color band, or similar oddity at any point in the presentation. My lone complaint? Sulley's thread-thin shoulder fur is a breeding ground for aliasing (eagle-eyed screenshot addicts will notice the issue in some of the screenshots attached to this review). I'm unsure as to whether the problem is present in Pixar's original digital source or the result of the relative limitations of 1080p resolution -- unless it's a source issue, a higher resolution would resolve the hairs more effectively -- but it's a slight distraction worth noting.
Ultimately, Monsters, Inc. is yet another animated Disney classic the studio has treated with the utmost respect and love. Minor (likely inherent) shortcomings aside, I was quite pleased with their efforts.
How much did I enjoy Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track? Enough to rewatch the door storage chase sequence five times. Don't misunderstand, the entire mix is, without a doubt, a sonic showcase piece through and through, but the third act of the film is an absolute joy to experience. Whirring conveyor lines fill the soundfield with breathtaking aggression, clattering doors can be heard from every direction, and Mike and Sulley's banter remains crystal clear in spite of the chaos erupting all around them. There are other standout scenes as well. The pair's banishment and subsequent encounter with the Abominable Snowman in a roaring blizzard, their battle with Randall through a variety of locales, their every run-in with the overzealous CDA, their first walk down the streets of Monstropolis... I'm beginning to think it would be easier to just rattle off every scene in the film. The quietest moments boast exceptional fidelity, LFE output is powerful enough to leave a lasting impression on the most hardened sternum, and rear speaker activity is as involving as the aforementioned scenes deserve. Moreover, pans are effortless and directionality is spot on. Need I even address the soundfield? Immersion doesn't even begin to describe the absorbing experience audiophiles of all ages should prepare for.
Just be warned: younger kids will find the film's scarier scenes to be much scarier with such stunning sonics, so adjust your volume accordingly. That being said, it doesn't get much better than this.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs caters for viewers a satisfying 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. As expected of a digitally-rendered animation Blu-ray, Meatballs' visuals are nearly perfect, the Blu-ray presentation clean, smooth, colorful, and wonderfully detailed. Though no 3-D option is available for this release, the transfer nevertheless enjoys a strong sense of depth; characters and locations -- from Times Square to overhead shots of Swallow Falls -- are all exceptionally rendered, and most every inch of the transfer feels spacious and deep, with crisp details extending to the edges of the screen. Though not quite as painstakingly detailed as something like Wall●E, the environments seen throughout Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs are nicely realized in every frame. From worn wooden planks to rusty industrial buildings, the film's digital artists have created a handsome environment in which to populate it with plenty of appetizing foods. Indeed, whether the textured outer layers of an ice cream sandwich or seeds on a hamburger bun, this Blu-ray transfer reveals every meticulous detail to perfection. Color reproduction, too, is startling; while not every frame of the film is bright and glossy (some shots can appear downright dark), colors on a sweeping scale are consistently brilliant. The only negative is a hint of banding in a few scenes, but it's hardly a cause for alarm in the midst of everything else that makes Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs a pleasure to behold, particularly on this Blu-ray release.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs cooks up a wonderfully zesty DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This track is finely balanced, and every sound -- from nuanced background ambience to full-fledged and speaker-busting sound effects -- is cleanly and precisely delivered all around the soundstage. Meatballs' soundtrack enjoys a consistent back channel presence; sound effects and music blend seamlessly into the surround speakers to create a satisfying 360-degree sound field that's the perfect compliment to the film's zany story and nicely-rendered visuals. Directional effects are immensely satisfying, too, and the track enjoys a strong sense of space that practically removes the boundaries of the speakers and the listening area and completely engulfs the audience in the mustard-drenched streets of Swallow Falls. The track is kinetic and alive; only some brief scenes lack either aggressive music or a cacophony of sound effects. This is a very active soundtrack, and the DTS mix does it justice in every frame. Also featuring faultless dialogue reproduction, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs makes for yet another reference-quality lossless soundtrack from Sony.
