Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Chicken Little 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Doom 'n gloom? Not quite. It's not the end of the world or anything...

Chicken Little is a fun, funny, funky little slice of sky is fallin' family entertainment; one that, for one reason or another, seems to have been lost in the Disney shuffle over the last six years. It's a bit schizophrenic, sure. It's three separate kid-friendly tales rolled into one, no argument here. But it has a lot of heart and a lot of laughs, and that goes a long way. In his review of the 2007 Blu-ray release, staff reviewer Martin Liebman calls Disney's 46th animated feature "one part drama, two parts action, three parts comedy, and all heart. Chicken Little is a very touching and poignant movie that suddenly becomes a laugh-out-loud comedy romp replete with some fun action sequences and a heartwarming finale sure to please audiences of all ages." This review, though, will focus on the new 3-disc 3D release of Chicken Little, its 3D presentation, and all the lossless goods and supplemental goodies it has to offer.

Chicken Little 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Chicken Little remains as cheery and colorful an animated misadventure as it ever was, but its 1080p/MVC-encoded 3D presentation is one of Disney's most problematic 3D releases to date. To cut right to the chase: the image is prone to some significant ghosting. While the severity of the crosstalk you experience will certainly depend on your display and glasses, it's some of the most obvious I've seen on a major animated release, and I took a look at the presentation on three different 3D displays just to be sure. (Which, as I expected, either exacerbated or improved matters based on each display's inherent strengths and weaknesses.) Debate will no doubt rage as to why Chicken Little is prone to so much ghosting, but the end result will be quite distracting for some viewers. Depth is compromised throughout, 3D pop is hindered again and again, and any sense of convincing dimensionality never comes to fruition. It's a shame too. There are a few scenes that showcase the film's 3D potential and a handful of shots that come together beautifully. (Key words: few and handful.) Aliasing and banding also appear on occasion, although not nearly at the same frequency or severity as the crosstalk.

All that said, once you get past the ghosting -- if it's even an issue on your display -- other aspects of the presentation are far more commendable, although still not entirely impressive. Colors are rich and vibrant, primaries pop far more than any on-screen object, detail is straight-from-the-digital-tap crisp and clean, and contrast and clarity are quite satisfying. A few shadowy, nighttime, and overcast scenes seem a tad dull by comparison (an issue that will only be exacerbated if you don't adjust your picture settings to compensate for the tint of your glasses), but once again, each instance is a product of the source, not the technical encode. All in all, Chicken Little is one of the more problematic 3D animated releases to come across my desk in some time, even if Disney's technical encode isn't the source of the issues. For some, though, it will sadly stand as the ugly duckling in Disney's 3D lineup.

Chicken Little 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Chicken Little's latest Blu-ray release falls from the sky with two above average audio mixes tucked under its wings. Disney's 3D disc features a new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, while the 2D disc includes the same uncompressed LPCM 5.1 surround track that first appeared on the 2007 Blu-ray edition. But don't let that confuse matters. Both sonic experiences are virtually identical, meaning there's no upgrade (or downgrade) to be had. As Martin Liebman writes in his review: "it sounds really good but falls short of perfection. Early on in the film I felt that bass levels were underwhelming and virtually absent in some scenes, such as the brief Indiana Jones parody. To be fair, the filmmakers discuss this in their commentary track, explaining that they wanted the music to take precedence over the sound effects. The volume on the whole, from whispering dialogue to frenetic action sequences, sounded thinner that I was expecting at times. The track certainly picks up and the final action sequence sounds very good with an excellent and constant presence from the rear channels. Separation across the front is excellent and sounds flow naturally around the room. I was most impressed with the use of popular music in the film. From Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" to the Spice Girl's "Wannabe" to R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)," all the music sounds fantastic. I've heard all of these songs numerous times over the years, and none of them have sounded crisper or more lifelike than they do on this soundtrack. Make no mistake, Chicken Little sounds very good on Blu-ray, but I've heard better.

Chicken Little 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary: Director Mark Dindal, producer Randy Fuller and visual effects supervisor Steve Goldberg recount their own "sky is falling" moments, along with other challenges they faced during the film's genesis, development, casting and production in Chicken Little's suitably candid audio commentary.
• Filmmaker Q&A: It's also possible to watch the feature film while "asking" questions of the filmmakers. While the questions are predetermined and simply lead to digestible chunks of video commentary, it's still a worthwhile addition.
• Deleted Scenes (SD, 23 minutes): This decent (and lengthy) collection of deleted and alternate scenes will be a boon for fans, even though they're presented in standard definition and cobbled together from a variety of early and unfinished sources.
• Hatching Chicken Little (SD, 18 minutes): A five-part behind-the-scenes featurette.
• Alien Invasion: Think Space Invaders and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this Chicken Little-themed interactive game
• Music Videos (SD, 6 minutes): "Shake Your Tail Feather" by the Cheetah Girls and "One Little Slip" by the Barenaked Ladies. A sing-along option is also available for "One Little Slip."
• Easter Eggs (SD, 2 minutes): Searching for these tough-to-find easter eggs will drive viewers mad. (Note the sarcasm. The disc's easter eggs are listed alongside everything else in the special features menu.)

Chicken Little 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Chicken Little 3D isn't Disney's finest 3D hour. While it doesn't trace back to the technical encode, the presentation is prone to crosstalk. All is not lost, mind you. The 2D presentation remains quite striking, the 3D experience is decent, both lossless audio tracks deliver the same solid sonic experience, and the supplemental package should keep fans busy for a few hours. Honestly, though, Chicken Little 3D's rather pricey 3-disc set isn't as tempting as other Disney 3D releases and isn't nearly as impressive as other recent 3D titles from the studio. So unless you must own every 3D release that falls from the heavens, pick up the standard-issue 2D Blu-ray edition and invest the money you save in less risky 3D releases. Disney certainly has a lot to choose from at the moment.