Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Genius Party Beyond Blu-ray Movie Review

A fantastic and absorbing collection of animated shorts that excels beyond the first Genius Party

Returning to the animation compilation fold, Genius Party Beyond is the thrilling follow-up to the first Genius Party short film set. Armed with another fantastic group of creative genius filmmakers, this is an even better selection of animated shorts spanning a variety of genres and styles. A must-see for all animation enthusiasts.

The first short in the compilation is the visually breathtaking “Gala” by director Mahiro Maeda. The film explores a unique world with music playing creatures who bring vibrancy to their quiet village. The film becomes increasingly exciting and builds to a fantastic conclusion. The second short in the film is the action-packed “Moondrive”. Directed by Kazuto Nakazawa, the short film has a wonderful energy and is full of surprises as a dangerous criminal gang goes looking for gold on a mysterious island.

High quality animation: Music to my ears.

In short three of the expansive Genius Party Beyond (entitled “Wanwa' the Doggy”) director Shinya Ohira takes a surprising turn by exploring the story of birth and life through a unique lens. The fourth short, “Toujin Kit”, by director Tatsuyuki Tanaka is cyberpunk ala Blade Runner and has aliens and mayhem in good measure. The final short film, “Dimension Bomb” is one of the best to be included in the compilation and focuses on a futuristic story involving alternate dimensions and the unique connection between a boy and girl. Director Koji Morimoto finds the perfect story to conclude the compilation on a high note.

Genius Party Beyond is even more entertaining and inspired than the first set. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed every short so much as a few of the shorts included on the first film, Genius Party, were a tad underwhelming at times (while others were downright exceptional). Every single short on Genius Party Beyond left a positive impression and the results were enormously satisfactory. The animation is stunning and the music was eclectic and engaging. A high-quality compilation of stunning animated short films that no fan of the medium should go without seeing.

Genius Party Beyond Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The second compilation feature-film in the Genius Party mix, Genius Party Beyond features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original aspect ratio of 1.77:1 widescreen. The filmmaking is every bit as colorful and robust as the first compilation. The shorts showcase an array of creative styles and each is well presented. The encode quality is superb and there are no alarming distractions with regards to banding or compression artifacts to report.

Genius Party Beyond Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound presentation. The lossless sound quality is a superb match for the mesmerizing video quality. There is a good amount of depth throughout the track. The clarity is outstanding. Dialogue is consistently crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The music score sounds equally impressive and blends in to the surround channels effectively. The use of sound effects is also sometimes creative and well balanced throughout the mixing. There are no problematic issues with distortion to report and the track succeeds at being enveloping from start to finish.

Genius Party Beyond Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no supplemental materials included on the release.

Genius Party Beyond Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even more eclectic and engaging than the first Genius Party, Genius Party Beyond is a fantastic collection of high-quality animated short films from a number of enormously talented directors. Anyone with an interest in experimental short form storytelling in the animation realm should experience these wonderful shorts. The Blu-ray release is similarly impressive with a top-notch presentation. Highly recommended.