6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.7 |
26 short cartoons from the "Angry Birds" animated series.
Starring: Antti PääkkönenAnimation | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
There was a time when "gaming on the go" meant something like Nintendo's "Game & Watch" units or any number of bulky, big battery powered electronic Coleco games. Those graduated to the GameBoy, and from there the GameGear and so on until today when portable gaming is pretty much as easy as swiping a touchscreen on a device smaller than a thin wallet. Though gaming on the phone has become something of a de facto mainstream norm -- and why not when games cost pennies at most and are often free and play nearly as well as anything else out there for short entertainment bursts -- there are still handheld consoles from manufacturers like Nintendo and Sony offering games that cost a premium and a system that doesn't come "free" with a smart phone. Yet for all the pricier consoles do so well, it's impossible to deny the altered landscape of portable gaming that, in many cases, has sacrificed larger stories and more epic scales in favor of simple interactions and repetitive motions. The key for developers and independent app creators is to make those sorts of experiences fun, or fun enough to last the short spurt when mobile gaming is most in demand, such as at a wait at the doctor's office or passing the time before the movie starts. It's the very definition of the "casual" market, and perhaps no game has captured that casual market like Angry Birds, a relatively simple and colorful game that debuted in 2009 and has since gone on to become a cultural phenomenon and, for better or for worse, the new face of mobile gaming.
I don't think I went far enough.
Angry Birds Toons: Season One - Volume One flies onto Blu-ray with a rather colorful and nicely defined 1080p picture. Sony's transfer is certainly the primary reason to buy this rather than watch for free on the iPhone app. The jump in quality is striking; there are no compression problems, colors are significantly bolder, and details are stronger. Red and greens and yellows pop in nearly every scene. Black levels are good, too. Image clarity is fine, lines are crisp, and details are refined, particularly supportive elements like wood, rocks, and grass. Dedicated Angry Birds Toons fans will feel like they're watching the show for the first time all over again with this quality transfer.
Angry Birds Toons: Season One - Volume One features a simple Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. It serves the material well enough and, even considering its limited origins, certainly beats the pants off of the sound that accompanies the episodes when viewed on the iPhone, whether through the device's built-in speakers or even with a quality pair of headphones. Musical clarity is fine and nicely spaced across the entirety of the front stage. Sound effects come through with accuracy and a sufficient sense of fullness. There's nothing more to the track. It's a good presentation for what the series has to offer.
Angry Birds Toons: Season One - Volume One contains several bonus features. Supplements include optional Japanese, Portuguese, and
Spanish subtitles.
There's really nothing wrong with Angry Birds Toons. It's a simple, straightforward series of shorts that are delightfully funny, most of the time, and that do a good job of peeking inside a super-popular universe that's largely been two-dimensional, until now. The real problem stems from what audience, exactly, Sony is trying to hit with this Blu-ray release. It's pricing in at over $25 on release day. All of these episodes are also available for free on the free iOS Angry Birds app. Sure, the Blu-ray delivers superior picture and sound and a few supplements, but fans will have to think very hard before shelling out anything more than a few bucks on this one. Of course, it's not quite the insult that is Angry Birds Star Wars, which will set back Xbox One and PS4 fans $50 right now but only $0.99 on the phone, and there's not a $49 difference in quality or quantity, just as there isn't a $+/-25 in perceived quality increase with this Blu-ray. Despite good picture, fair sound, and a couple of extras, Angry Birds Toons: Season One - Volume One doesn't come recommended until the cost comes way, way down.
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