7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The supervillain Megamind finally conquers his nemesis, the hero Metro Man... but finds his life pointless without a hero to fight.
Starring: Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, David CrossFamily | 100% |
Animation | 88% |
Fantasy | 66% |
Comedy | 60% |
Sci-Fi | 22% |
Comic book | 19% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Arabic: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Dutch: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Mandarin: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Blu-ray 3D
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Being a hero is for losers.
Sure they're fun and exciting and packed with great special effects and they dazzle with the strength of the hero and the cunning of the villain, but
there's only one problem with Superhero movies: the superheroes always win. When's the last time The Joker finished off Batman, Lex
Luthor permanently got the best of Superman, or any hero failed to save the day when the day is done? At least in the mainstream, the answer is
hardly ever, if at all. That leaves one burning question: what would happen if, by some miracle of writing and if a studio was bold enough to let it play
out in such a way, the bad guy actually won, as in not only won the day but flat-out killed the good guy? What would happen when evil
was truly left unchecked, when darkness could finally run rampant and do all those things it always wanted to do with unlimited power
and nobody to take a stand? That's the plot of Megamind, a borderline genius new animated Action/Comedy from DreamWorks that looks at
the life of a super-villain after he's vanquished his nemesis and finds himself free to terrorize, rule, and just be evil when he wants, where he wants,
and as often as he wants.
...but how does the 3D look when viewed sideways?
In the high definition era, it's not unreasonable to expect -- demand, even -- perfection from an all-digital animated film on Blu-ray, particularly if the
film is a mega millions monster hit from one of the major studios. Unfortunately, DreamWorks's 2D-only Blu-ray release of Megamind failed to deliver on perfection,
instead providing a consistently good-looking image to be sure but one with some baggage in tow. Does the 3D Blu-ray presentation improve upon
the
problem areas that plagued the standard release, or are they still present? The answer is that, yes, Megamind's 3D presentation appears to
have fixed many of the prevalent aliasing/shimmering issues that really brought down the 2D image, but the 3D presentation does exhibit more than
its
fair share of "ghosting" or "crosstalk," which definitely hinders the overall presentation. Still, Megamind just plain works in 3D;
despite
that
fairly regular stream of double imagery, the 3D effects are strong and the impeccable level of detailing and color only accentuates the presentation.
Indeed, viewers will note every little intricacy throughout the film; the Blu-ray captures with amazing clarity the most obvious and most subtle
nuances
alike, whether the texture of Megamind's head, the fine lines on a brushed metal surface, dings and dents on other items, the rough texture of
pavement in one close-up shot of a road, or the sparkly surfaces on Titan's and Metro Man's outfits. Of course, general detail is excellent, too, aided
immensely by the wonderful clarity that's present in every scene. Colors are bold and accurate, the picture playing with an entire rainbow's worth of
hues throughout, whether Megamind's blue skin, Titan's orange-accented uniform, or any other number of shades that are perfectly implemented.
Black levels are superbly deep and always natural, fitting in perfectly with every surrounding element. A touch of banding is visible from time to time
and a few minor instances of aliasing remain, but much of that seems cleaned up from the 2D release. Fortunately, the image only gets better when
factoring in the 3D content.
Megamind is definitely more enjoyable in 3D. The film is a natural for 3D content and rarely does DreamWorks's transfer fail to take
advantage
and use 3D to great effect. Some viewers may be disappointed that there's not more in the way of "pop out" 3D effects; while the film dables in such
niceties, there simply aren't all that many moments where objects seem to extend out of the screen and poke the audience in the eye. Instead, this
one is almost always about volume and depth, both of which are extensively implemented; almost every scene enjoys some level of 3D goodness.
One of the most obvious and continuous pluses in the film is the shape of Megamind's head; it's amazing just how shapely it appears in 3D. It really
adds to the character and the effect is only heightened when he's set against most any backdrop in the film where general depth is dizzyingly strong.
Various street-level shots reveal an incredible amount of depth as roadways extend on towards the back of the screen and buildings take on a tangible
shape. The image is consistently dazzling in terms of constructing a very real-feeling third dimension, and that carries over to what may be the
transfer's single-finest 3D effect: crowd shots. At several junctures throughout the film large crowds gather, usually outside the Superhero museum.
Various shots not only capture the sea of people extending naturally into the recesses of the screen, but it's easy to see the space between them, the
shape of each individual body, and the fine details that make up their clothing and faces. It's the latter that's also a tribute to the image's superb
clarity, the 1080p resolution, and the intricacies of the animation, but the effect is first and foremost an awe-inspiring example of what Blu-ray 3D can
achieve. Even the little bubbles inside Minion's water-filled helmet are shapely, small as they may be, and close-up shots allow viewers to get a sense
of where they are within the water. Megamind never fails to offer some scrumptious 3D imagery, beginning with the film's first shot that
shows a
sunset over a stretching body of water, and lasting all the way through to the grand finale. Despite a few issues, this is highly satisfying 3D
presentation that's sure to become a staple in 3D rotations, particularly if and/or when DreamWorks releases it for general sale.
Please note that screenshots have been taken from the dedicated Blu-ray 2D release of 'Megamind' and are not necessarily representative of the
3D quality.
Megamind zooms onto Blu-ray with a reference-quality Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack that appears to be the very same found on the
standard 2D-only Blu-ray release. Unlike the video -- either the 2D or 3D presentations -- there are no warts here; it's full
steam ahead for lossless audio fun from beginning to end. This is a track that manages to be strong and hefty but not obnoxious. Bass is potent but
tight and accurate, with several well-placed rumbles managing to enhance the action without overwhelming it. Music is spacious and clear as a whistle;
both instrumental score and the various Rock and Pop tunes heard throughout the movie play with a solid and immensely crisp frontal foundation
supported by just the right amount of back channel activity. Speaking of the surrounds, they're engaged throughout the movie. The track incorporates
both discrete effects and pinpoint imaging with regularity; whether an off-camera voice coming naturally from the rear or a vehicle zipping across the
soundstage,
the track is always on top of things with accurate sound placement and using the extra rear channels to fine effect. Rounded out by strong and
crisp dialogue, Megamind's lossless soundtrack is a real pleasure in every area.
Please note that while Korean, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, and "other" subtitle options are selectable in-film, they do not actually appear on-screen
and
are not selectable via the main menu screen. This problem is verified on a Playstation 3 running firmware v. 3.60 and a Panasonic DMP-BDT300 running
firmware v. 1.61.
Unfortunately, this Samsung promotional Blu-ray 3D release of Megamind contains no extra content, sacrificing the picture-in-picture commentary, various featurettes, and other supplements that were included on the 2D-only release. Hopefully most, if not all, will re-appear if and when this title is released for general sale.
Megamind is an enjoyable little romp through the world of the Superhero movie turned on its head. The bad guy wins and suddenly...there's nothing left for him to do! What a wonderfully unique little idea that's been expertly executed with fine animation, great characters, and superb voice acting. Megamind is one of those truly enjoyable little animated movies that will entertain the young ones but also satisfy adults; it's a complete package of fun, even if it does fumble around a bit and never quite finds a heart, but that's OK. It's superb for what it is and another winner for DreamWorks as the studio inches a bit closer to Pixar quality with each release. DreamWorks's Blu-ray 3D release of Megamind delivers a transfer that's a bit better than the 2D release, and the film is more enjoyable in 3D to boot. The pitch-perfect lossless soundtrack from the 2D release is retained, but the extras have been scrapped. Hopefully, DreamWorks will one day soon release this title free of the bonds of exclusivity and with most (hopefully all) extras intact. If that happens, it'll definitely come highly recommended.
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