Gravity Falls: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Gravity Falls: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 22, 2019

"The Simpsons and Twin Peaks had a baby, and it's on Disney Channel" is how Gravity Falls Creator Alex Hirsch describes his super-popular animated series, which ran from June 2012 to February 2016. Hirsch based the show on his own childhood, not directly, of course -- there are a lot of zany Sci-Fi elements in play -- but rather on his memories of what it felt like to be that age. Hirsch builds a rich, well-versed universe right out of the gate. It feels and plays authentically, even in its insanity, offering a balance of chills and laughs building up around some very memorable and lovable lead characters.

Official synopsis: Twelve-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are sent to the sleepy forest town of Gravity Falls, Oregon to spend their summer vacation with their great uncle ("Grunkle") Stan, a shady, carnival-barker-like con man who forces them to work at the Mystery Shack, Oregon's lowest-rated tourist trap. Although the Shack is filled with hoaxes and fakes, the town itself seems to be hiding a paranormal dark side, with monsters and mysteries around every corner. When Dipper stumbles upon an elusive book hidden in the forest, he realizes it just might hold the secrets to understanding the town. Soon, conspiracy-obsessed Dipper and goofy, carefree Mabel realize they must rely on each other to survive their crazy, new world. Meanwhile, Grunkle Stan guards a secret of his own -- one that just might hold the key to unlocking the deeper mystery that is Gravity Falls.

The show’s lead characters, Dipper and Mabel, have very disparate personalities but they fit well together and compliment one another both in their lives together as brother and sister and throughout their adventures in the unusual world of Gravity Falls. Their relationship, which is based on Hirsch’s own upbringing and experiences with his twin sister Ariel, feels true and straight from the start, even through boatloads of mayhem and infectiously presented humor. As the show’s mysteries build and its adventures take form, the characters’ authenticity and depth take further shape. Even as the show's flights of fancy and whimsical, comic scenarios -- which can sometimes stem from even fairly dark places -- play out, its well-rounded constructed excellence only becomes more apparent. It's amazing how it all builds, and holds, together. The characters are very much relatable, even in the awkwardness of growing up in the pre-pubescent years, while having to find their confidence and character centers through their various adventures and experiences in the whacky world of Gravity Falls. And despite their differences, they truly love one another, and the relationship feels right from their first frames together on through to the end. Their relationship drives the show, in how they see the world, respond to it, and share it together.

The show’s Sci-Fi/Fantasy elements, including a metric ton of uniquely realized and animated characters and quirks and locations that make every adventure unique, are another of its chief draws. The characters fit into the world, and the world wraps around the characters, both ways with expert ease and efficiency. Everything feels right and right at home, no matter how goofy the characters, how silly the dialogue, how fantastically crazy the world and the scenarios that play out in it. In fact, that mishmash of odd and weird and wonderful is the show’s draw. Hirsch painstakingly puts it all together, but it never feels painstaking. For all the bit and pieces, some of them very much disparate, there’s an amazing sense of togetherness and collected energy at play that elevates the material quite a bit, from frenzied fantasy to spectacular success. It’s an easy show to approach and rewarding for those who give it a shot and stay with it to the end. It ends earlier than fans (and Disney) would have liked, but Hirsch believed the story, though maybe not the show, had run its course, reaching the point that the central mystery had been solved with no real reason to continue. Kudos for not dragging out a good thing to the point that it loses any of its luster. Gravity Falls is intoxicatingly rich, colorful, and abundantly humorous (and even human) at its best, and its “best” spans the entirety of its run. It’s a great show.

Gravity Falls: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Gravity Falls: The Complete Series arrives on Blu-ray with a picture-perfect 1080p transfer. The picture is perfectly stable, boasting crisp, clean lines, high end clarity, and fine character and environmental definition. Static backgrounds are particularly robust, with special note of wooden planks and siding at the Mystery Shack, all the trinkets in the tourist trap, and trees and grasses around Gravity Falls. Character models are consistent in clarity and definition, whether standing still or in motion. There's a fair sense of depth to the image, too. Colors appear robust and well saturated. There are moments of intense brightness and diversity, including a few moments in "The Inconveniencing" when Mabel is experiencing hallucinations after a sugar rush. But general hues, such as clothes, greenery around Gravity Falls, and even the relatively flat and bland woods around the Shack all hold true. Black levels are deep and character skin tones appear accurate and consistent. No source or compression artifacts are apparent.

Gravity Falls: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Gravity Falls: The Complete Series features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation boasts good clarity and stability. It's more front-heavy than it is surround-intensive, but the back channels do carry some musical, environmental, and action supports as necessary, though usually not to prodigious, focal point levels. Clarity is a strong point, again, notably, when considering music (the familiar opening title theme is notably detailed and consistent in delivery). As there is not a major surround component, there is also no major subwoofer engagement. The low end supports here and there but expect no deep, growling rumbles. Musical spacing is a highlight. It stretches widely along the front and, combined with the crisp and detailed notes, makes every musical instance an enjoyable experience. World elements are detailed and positioned smartly and efficiently around the stage, lacking total immersion but doing well enough to gently draw the listener into Gravity Falls, whether considering basic elements like chirping birds or more prodigious cracks of thunder. Dialogue is the series sonic mainstay, and it presents with healthy clarity and front-center positioning. It is always well prioritized.

Gravity Falls: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Gravity Falls: The Complete Series contains its supplemental content on a dedicated seventh Blu-ray disc, with the exception of the audio commentary tracks that span the entire series run. It's a massive, monumental, borderline overwhelming collection that will take fans a good long while to sort through. The collection ships in three individual Amaray-style cases, one for each season and one for the extras. Inner prints on seasons one and two offer brief episode summaries. Each disc ships on its own tab, two on a leaf and one on the rear side. The special features disc includes artwork and a listing of the extras on the inside. A leaflet advertising a Gravity Falls book is included. The three cases ship inside a sturdy slip box. Also included in the box is a small envelope marked "To: Dipper." Inside is a note that says "see you next summer" and is signed by various Gravity Falls characters.

• Audio Commentaries: Alex Hirsch and a rather large assortment of individuals discuss every episode. The commentaries are accessible via the episode selection tab in the menu or by way of the remote's audio button while in-episode.
• One Crazy Summer (1080p): A seven-part feature.
  
  
  • First Day of Summer (9:53): Alex Hirsch opens up a storage locker filled with Gravity Falls odds and ends. Interspersed with footage of him rummaging through the artifacts are interviews in which cast and crew discuss the world, characters, and Hirsch's dedication and their working relationship with him. Hirsch gives a fun recount of the show's origins and assembling his creative team. Clips from the show are interspersed throughout.
  • Summer Friends (17:27): Hirsch digs through some of the material he finds in storage and shares some stories behind it. Further discussions include more inspirations for the show, the qualities the voice cast bring to the show, character definition, Mabel's sweaters and the original sweater of inspiration, and more.
  • Journaling (16:49): Again, Hirsch flips through the archives and reveals some interesting concepts from early production stages. Interview discussions cover the show's tone, life in the writers' room and the processes and personalities various people brought to the show, and bringing the show to an end.
  • Into the Bunker (12:38): A well-done piece that explores the show's animation process in some detail, beginning with initial drawings done by Hirsch (again found in the storage locker) and moving on to the digital artists who craft the finalized versions for the show. It also covers the collaboration between the animators and the voice actors.
  • Lay of the Land (15:13): The piece begins with Hirsch showing off a particularly poor drawing of a horse and moves on to look at Ian Worrel's art contributions, additional animations and animators, journal page design, character models, and more.
  • Siren's Song (6:22): A comparatively brief, but still nevertheless must-see, exploration of the show's music, which comes courtesy of Composer Brad Breeck.
  • Summer's Over (28:23): Cast and crew talk up the fans and fan response to the show. Hirsch digs through fan mail in storage (he laments the fact that he could not personally respond to all of it).
• The Hirsch Twins (1080p, 16:08): Alex and Ariel Hirsch discuss their relationship and childhoods together, which was the basic inspiration for the show and its lead characters, Dipper and Mabel. There are a number of fun anecdotal revelations, such as Alex naming characters after various boys that Ariel liked in her younger days, and identifying their favorite episodes.
• Between the Pines (1080p, 22:06): Alex Hirsch is "forced" to reveal a number of the show's secrets, which include subtle nods and details in the animation or more intimate and intricate character and story details.
• Deleted Scenes (1080i, 1:02:03): More than an hour of cut scenes that are presented on a projector screen in a dark room. The sketches are voiced by a number of participants sitting off to the side in the shadows. There's a good bit of genuine laughter to be heard, too. It's a fun and unique way to share unfinished animations with the fans.
• Shorts (1080p): A collection of categorized shorts that shed a little more light onto the characters and the mysterious world they inhabit and investigate. Below is a breakdown of what's included.
  
  
  • Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained (13:20 total runtime): Included are Stan's Tattoo, The Mail Box, Hide Behind, Candy Monster, The Tooth, and Lefty.
  • Mabel's Guide to Life (11:56 total runtime): Included are Mabel's Guide to Art, Mabel's Guide to Dating, Mabel's Guide to Fashion, Mabel's Guide to Stickers, and Mabel's Guide to Colors.
  • Fixin' It with Soos (4:35 total runtime): Included are Cuckoo Clock and Golf Cart.
  • TV Shorts (5:05 total runtime): Included are TV Shorts 1 and TV Shorts 2.
  • Mabel's Scrapbook (4:50 total runtime): Included are Petting Zoo and Heist Movie.
• Promos (1080p): There are a number of categorized promotional materials which break down into further sub-sections that feature various characters or highlight areas from the show. Included are "Old Man" McGucket's Conspiracy Corner (11 promos, 5:52 total runtime), Creepy Letters from Li'l Gideon (five separate letters, 2:41 total runtime), Soos' Stan Fiction (four shorts, 3:53 total runtime), 'Pocalypse Preppin' (eight shorts, 4:16 total runtime), Mystery Shack: Shop at Home with Mr. Mystery (nine shorts, 12:35 total runtime), Grunkle Stan's Lost Mystery Shack Interviews (14 shorts/promos/interviews, 7:29 total runtime), Gravity Paws (seven canine-focused promos, 5:44 total runtime), Journal 3 Infomercial (1:03), and Season 2 San Diego Comic Con Trailer (1:03).

Gravity Falls: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gravity Falls was a hit on release and remains a classic today. The show is extremely well balanced between likable and well-rounded characters and the fantastical and insane, wrapped up in approachable humor that never quits. It's a breezy, binge-worthy watch that finds a natural home on Blu-ray. Shout! Factory has given Disney's hit show the royal treatment on Blu-ray. Picture and sound qualities are excellent, the supplements are extensive, and the packaging is nice, too. Gravity Falls: The Complete Series comes very highly recommended.