Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

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. 

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