Meet the Robinsons 3D Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Meet the Robinsons 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Behold the future! Of 3D catalog releases from Disney...

I have a soft spot in my heart of hearts for Disney's 47th animated feature film. Meet the Robinsons drifts into kooky futuristic territory and has some trouble striking a consistent tone, but the plight of orphaned child prodigy Lewis is one of the sweeter, more touching and more relevant storylines to grace a modern Disney animated adventure. And while it isn't stamped "A Pixar Product," it was John Lasseter who sent the first cut of Meet the Robinsons to the scrap heap and Lasseter who had a hand in getting the near-dead project back on track. As former reviewer Lindsay Mayer put it in her review of the 2007 Blu-ray release of the film, "such piecemeal treatment would have palpably degraded the flow of most other films, but not so with Meet the Robinsons. From its literary source material on upwards, the titular characters are so exceedingly insouciant, random, and offbeat, that any wacky additions or omissions thereof fit perfectly within the film's whimsical boundaries." I couldn't agree more. But rather than dissect the film itself, this review will focus on the new 3-disc release, its 3D presentation and all the lossless bells and supplemental whistles that go with it.

Meet the Robinsons 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Of the most recent batch of Disney 3D releases -- Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt and G-Force -- Meet the Robinsons offers the most bang for your 3D buck. Its vivid, poppy and proficient 1080p/MVC-encoded 3D presentation impresses from beginning to end and only stumbles on a few thankfully brief occasions. First and foremost, depth is convincing and considerable, especially once Lewis jets into the future and acquaints himself with all the flash and sheen of Wilbur's hotspot in the time stream. Simplistic as the CG animation is at times, the curl of a transport tube, the height of a building, the expanse of a cityscape, the fullness of a face, the roundness of a bowler hat, and the pop of a lumbering Tyrannosaurus Rex never cease to draw the viewer into the experience. Some minor ghosting occurs (primarily after Doris puts her sinister plan into action) but doesn't amount to much of an issue. Likewise, a hint of aliasing appears but doesn't prove to be a distraction. In fact, dimensionality is consistent and consistently arresting, and nary a scene goes by that doesn't take advantage of the opportunities inherent in such an engaging 3D presentation. Spindly frog legs stretch into the distance, robot claws seem to extend out of the screen, hover cars dart in and out of the foreground, inventions protrude and retreat nicely, and the entire experience lends itself to both the silliness and seriousness of the film, enhancing almost every scene without so much as a substantial hitch.

Like its 2D counterpart, the 3D presentation is brimming... strike that, practically bursting with a breathtaking array of lush hues, vibrant primaries, and rich blacks. Even the bane of 3D enthusiasts -- the tint of the 3D glasses -- fails to put a damper on Meet the Robinsons' 3D debut. Color, contrast and clarity are all on point, and detail, regardless of how intentionally soft or impeccably sharp it may be from shot to shot, is refined and rewarding. Edges are sharp, objects are well-defined, textures are excellent, and I can't imagine anyone will find much of anything that threatens to take over the presentation. (After taking over the world, of course.) Moreover, significant artifacting, banding, noise and other digital eyesores are either nowhere to be found or kept to a minimum. Meet the Robinsons 3D still doesn't rival the best of the Disney bunch (Cars 2 3D, Toy Story 3 3D, Beauty and the Beast 3D and The Lion King 3D are in a tight four-way race to the Best-of-2011 finish), but it isn't far behind. If nothing else, it handily outclasses Chicken Little 3D, even though the two were released only two years apart. No matter. All in all, Meet the Robinsons 3D is actually (and arguably) worth its high pricepoint. If you only have enough cash to afford one November 8th 3D release, make it Meet the Robinsons.

Note: while the 2D version of Meet the Robinsons is presented at 1.78:1, the 3D version is presented at 1.85:1. The screenshots accompanying this review were taken from the 1.78:1 2D presentation.

Meet the Robinsons 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Meet the Robinsons swoops onto Blu-ray with two exceptional audio mixes. The 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 release. However, both sonic experiences are virtually identical, meaning there's no upgrade (or downgrade) to be had. As Lindsay Mayer writes in her review: "it does an excellent job featuring the playful Looney Tune-esque score, commenting on the on-screen action as composer Danny Elfman emulates Carl Stalling. The sound mixes are fantastic as well; from the high mechanical bleeps of DOR-15 the disgruntled Helping Hat to the low rumblings of Tiny the Tyrannosaur." Indeed, dynamics are terrific, low-end output is bold and hearty, and the rear speakers are bristling with lively, genre-plucking activity and hyper-accurate directional effects. Dialogue is clean, clear and perfectly intelligible as well, no matter how many bleeps, shizzes, mwoars, shungs and thooms contend for dominance of the soundscape. It only helps that the audio is as immersive as it is, transporting the listener to the present, the future and the past in one stirring experience. Come for the 3D presentation, but don't dare overlook its comparable lossless and uncompressed companions.

Meet the Robinsons 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary: Director Stephen Anderson delves into Meet the Robinsons' story, characters and themes, touching on everything from voice casting to the script to the many, many changes the film went through before Lasseter deemed it worthy. Anderson is frank and passionate, everything you'd want from a filmmaker, and his commentary follows suit.
• Inventing the Robinsons (HD, 18 minutes): A fairly standard but nevertheless revealing featurette that charts the film's development from past to future to past to present, filling in some of the gaps Anderson left in his commentary.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 12 minutes): Several unfinished deleted and alternate scenes provide a glimpse into some of the comedic and dramatic beats that could've been.
• Inventions that Shaped the World (SD, 6 minutes): This science-centric short is designed for the kiddies.
• Interactive Games: Indulge in an old-school shooter, "Bowler Hat Barrage," or a family-tree memory game, "Family Function 5000," both of which grow old fast.
• Music Videos (SD, 6 minutes): Rob Thomas' "Little Wonders" and the Jonas Brothers' "Kids of the Future."

Meet the Robinsons 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Meet the Robinsons is one of the better Disney animated films to emerge in the last ten years and juggles a heartwarming tale, tough subject matter, quirky characters and a whirlwind futurescape with ease. Disney's 3D presentation doesn't disappoint either, and its DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM 5.1 surround tracks and supplemental package top things off wonderfully. A few more special features would've been welcome, particularly newly produced exclusives, and the 3-disc set, like most Disney 3D releases, is a tad pricey. But of the four November 8th Disney 3D releases, Meet the Robinsons 3D is, hands down, the best of the bunch.