7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
A scientist tries to solve world hunger only to see things go awry as food falls from the sky in abundance.
Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce CampbellFamily | 100% |
Animation | 84% |
Comedy | 61% |
Fantasy | 58% |
Sci-Fi | 14% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.31:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48 kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Blu-ray 3D
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
It only took about three months for a studio to get a title to market for general off-the-shelf release, but early 3D Blu-ray adopters now have something to actually watch on their 3D HDTVs besides an overpriced "Samsung Exclusive" copy of Monsters vs. Aliens and the sampler disc bundled with Panasonic's 3D Blu-ray player. The historic release: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, a charming 2009 computer-animated picture that enjoyed a 3D run in theaters and is now guaranteed to sell to pretty much anyone who's bought a 3D Blu-ray system over the past few months as well as to those who are only now jumping into the fray with Sony's own line of Bravia 3D HDTVs. Want more good news? Meatballs is currently listed on Amazon for a cool $28, which is really not a premium over other Sony new releases (Chloe is clocking in at $31, and A Prophet at $29, both standard 2D Blu-ray titles). It's also sporting several lossless soundtracks and some of the extras from the 2D release, and even better, two more 3D titles from Sony -- Monster House and Open Season -- are coming soon. It's no surprise that it's Sony -- an ardent Blu-ray supporter going back to the format's inception -- getting it right straight out of the gate, and while there are still a few minor kinks to work out, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 3D makes for an admirable and must-own 3D Blu-ray title.
Hopefully all 3D titles will come in these attractive, distinctive, and clear cases.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' 3D Blu-ray presentation is delivered in mouth-watering
1080p video and is presented in what is, roughly, a 2.35:1 aspect ratio that replicates the film's
original scope presentation. Note that Blu-ray.com's aspect ratio calculator measures the
presentation at 2.29:1, whereas the original 2D-only release clocks in at 2.35:1; the slight
alteration can likely be attributed to necessary tweaks in transferring the film to Blu-ray with its 3D
elements intact. As for the image quality proper, is it any surprise that it's a joy to behold? Even
the
Columbia Pictures logo at the beginning of the film proves breathtaking. Colors dazzle, detail is
amazingly intricate, and even a lens flare around the figure seems to add a bit of dimension to the
3D image.
Of course, the transfer's strengths lie in its amazing sense of depth and fantastic
detailing.
The image is more about space than it is poking the audience in the eye, and while it does offer the
occasional shot that contains elements that seem to be floating out in front of the screen, the
image impresses the most simply by creating a seamless sense of dimension throughout the film.
It's easy
to get a feel for just how much room there likely is between objects; a shot featuring Flint and his
father speaking in front of the tackle shop, for instance, is a perfect showcase. It's a rather
mundane shot, but such are the bread-and-butter of the 3D process, turning the ordinary into
something that's awfully lifelike in the way the audience can appreciably gauge the distance
between the characters and the building. Such is the norm throughout the film; there are a few
deliberately flat images -- notably newscasts that are shown on the screen of a standard 2D
television -- but the bulk of the film enjoys some incredible depth of field that's wonderfully
seamless with only a couple of blatant instances of ghosting where the image doesn't quite mesh.
Detail is terrific; it appears to be on about the same level as the 2D version, but colors do appear
slightly less vibrant here. As to the latter, however, that seems pretty standard across the 3D
board; a recent RealD 3D theatrical viewing of Shrek Forever After 3D appeared particularly
dim, and
Monsters vs. Aliens' home 3D Blu-ray presentation, too, seemed just slightly less vibrant
than
its 2D counterpart. As for those scenes that offer the best 3D "pop," two that spring to mind are
Flint's mishap with the FLDSMDFR as he puts a damper on the mayor's ribbon-cutting ceremony for
the newly-minted Sardine Land, and a brief shot featuring a look at bacon at what appears to be the
molecular level in chapter 10. All told, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a visual wonder
on Blu-ray 3D; it will be interesting to see how the two slightly older films Sony is soon to release
will
look in 3D, as will it be intriguing to examine the technical attributes of this summer's brand-new
crop of 3D films (notably the aforementioned Shrek, The Last Airbender, and
Toy Story
3) as they (hopefully) arrive on 3D Blu-ray later in the year. Note that all screenshots in this
review were captured directly from the 2D version of the film found on the 3D disc.
The most obvious leap forward from Monsters vs. Aliens to Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is the inclusion of lossless soundtrack options, here in English, French, and Portuguese. The tracks seem to be carried over from the previous release, and that's just fine. It's a winner -- an easy five then, an easy five now -- and it's the perfect accompaniment to the 3D version's stellar visuals. This is a rich and zesty presentation, a delicious concoction that's wonderfully balanced and wholly satisfying. The track pushes the sound system hard in several places, not only delivering a wide array of surround information but pounding out some tight and precise bass, with special mention going to the scrumptiously gelatinous and bouncy lows that accompany the "house of Jell-O" sequence. Sound effects and music both are superbly balanced, the former coming through with precise imaging and generating some wonderfully discrete elements that truly draw the listener into the mayhem, while the latter is amazingly crisp and free-flowing, the perfect presentation of Composer Mark Mothersbaugh's (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist) score that's a wonderful combination of exciting, smooth, and epic notes. Spacing is wonderful; the speakers seem to vanish for that perfect 360-degree presentation. Dialogue is smooth and precise across the entire range of distinctive characters. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' lossless soundtrack is a winner.
As noted above, this 3D release of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs doesn't include all of the extras found on the 2D release -- notably absent is the commentary, the interactive features, and the DVD and digital copies -- but Sony has carried over most of the other extras while also adding short 1080p 3D samples (not trailers) of Monster House (1:09) and Open Season (1:29). The additional carryover content begins with A Recipe For Success: The Making of 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' (1080p, 10:51). This feature delivers a short recap of the plot which is followed by an examination of the film's connections to the original children's book, the actors' voiceover work, the creation of the film's digitally-created environments and special effects, and more. Key Ingredients: The Voices of 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' (1080p, 12:39) takes viewers behind-the-scenes and into the recording booth for a fascinating look at the process of adding voiceover work to the film. Two extended scenes -- Elevator Joke (1080p, 0:38) and Twister -- Early Cut With Awesome Food Fight (1080p, 1:59) -- are next. Early Development Scenes (1080p, 5:47) allow viewers to watch a pair of scenes -- Flint's Letter to Super Scientist Vance LeFleur and Early Storyboard Version of Twister -- in an early and rough hand-drawn state. Progression Reels With Introductions By Visual FX Supervisor Rob Bredow takes audiences through some of the processes involved in the building of a computer-animated film. The following segments are included: From Conceptual Paintings to Final Renderings: The Evolution of Color (1080p, 1:13), Roofless Restaurant Lighting Technology (1080p, 1:54), Environmental Clouds Surrounding Giant Meatball (1080p, 1:23), Making a Spaghetti Twister (1080p, 2:05), and Food Avalanche Elements (1080p, 1:32). Rounding out this collection of extras is Miranda Cosgrove's Raining Sunshine music video (480p, 3:45), Behind the Scenes of Miranda Cosgrove's 'Raining Sunshine' (480p, 2:17), and BD-Live functionality.
Is anyone really surprised that it's Sony -- arguably Blu-ray's most loyal studio since the format's inception -- leading the charge into the Blu-ray 3D revolution? Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs isn't the very first Blu-ray 3D disc to market, but it is the first that's marketed to the 3D consumer -- every 3D consumer regardless of brand loyalty -- and available for purchase at an acceptable price point. It's a crucial first step in bringing this wonderful technology to the forefront; there's no telling how many 3D HDTVs have gone unsold for the complete absence of any 3D Blu-ray discs to buy alongside the shiny new television. It will be interesting to watch the sales numbers as more and more discs trickle out into the marketplace; no doubt Sony will continue releasing 3D titles beyond Cloudy, Monster House, and Open Season, and hopefully more studios will follow suit. This Blu-ray 3D release of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs rights just about every wrong that plagued DreamWorks' exclusively-bundled Monsters vs. Aliens disc. It's got a few lossless soundtracks and a decent supplemental package while also playing on 2D Blu-ray players and being sold at a consumer-friendly price. It's not a perfect package -- the menu screen should be in 3D and load times could be a bit faster -- but considering all the disc does right and its place as a historically-important home video release, Sony's 3D Blu-ray edition of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs earns my highest recommendation.
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