5.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
The life of a businessman begins to change after he inherits six penguins, and as he transforms his apartment into a winter wonderland, his professional side starts to unravel.
Starring: Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury, Ophelia Lovibond, Madeline CarrollFamily | 100% |
Comedy | 98% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (1 BD, 2 DVDs)
Digital copy (on disc)
DVD copy
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
In the culmination of a sad inevitability, it would seem that Jim Carrey has officially, completely, and probably irreversibly gone the way of
Steve Martin and Robin Williams—once great comedians who, in their waning years, have disregarded all notions of quality control when it comes to
what kinds of films they’re willing to do for a paycheck. It’s a familiar career move, of course; the once-edgy comic gets older, loses that fire in his belly
—yes, his, as this is an almost strictly male phenomenon—and succumbs to hammy, deprecating roles in formulaic family comedies that
feature button-cute kids and/or even cuter animals. (I’m looking at you, Dr. Doolittle.)
The particular film in question here—Carrey’s latest—is Mr. Popper’s Penguins, an extremely loose and soulless reinterpretation of Richard and
Florence Atwater’s 1938 Newbery Honor-winning children’s story, a perennial favorite on elementary school reading lists. Now, it’s been quite some
time since I’ve read the book, but I’m fairly certain that—unlike the film—it doesn’t include graphic depictions of the titular penguins’ pooping habits.
Sure, gross-out humor is a staple of the kid-friendly genre, but this is probably the only movie—I hope—in which you’re actually forced to watch as
goopy white fecal discharge issues forth in full view from a flightless bird’s anus.
Shot using the Arri Alexa digital motion picture camera—Arri's new answer to the popular Red One—Mr. Popper's Penguins glides effortlessly onto Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC encode that's sharp, clean, and vibrant. 20th Century Fox has shown consistently that they know how to treat their contemporary and catalog titles right—look no further than this week's fantastically restored re-release of Tora! Tora! Tora!—and Mr. Popper is no different. Simply put, you get a sense that this is exactly how the film is intended to look. There's no digital noise reduction, no halo-inducing edge enhancement, no over-the-top color grading—just an image that's almost noiseless, naturally crisp, tonally balanced, and free from any overt compression artifacts. I could ramble on about the defined textures of Jim Carrey's face or point out endless examples of vivid color, but that's ultimately unnecessary. What you need to know is this: Mr. Popper's Penguins may not be the most visually interesting film you'll see this year, but there are really no complaints to be made about its picture quality. Okay, one—at the end of the film, you'll notice some strong moiré shimmer on Jim Carrey's suit jacket. But that's it. The film looks wonderful.
I also have a single complaint about the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track included here, although it's more of a sound design grievance —that godawful squawk those penguins make, a throaty honk that made me reach for my remote to turn down the volume every time I heard it. Really, it's almost as grating as fingernails on a chalkboard. Otherwise, the film features the kind of pleasing, moderately engaging sound design that you expect from a big budget family comedy. Most of the action is anchored up front, but the rears channels are used quite often for effects and ambience, from water rushing towards us and New York City street sounds to the swooshing of the penguins as they go shooting down the Guggenheim's spiral ramp. There's even a scene where we hear the penguins causing a multi-directional ruckus in Popper's apartment, arousing a neighbor's suspicions. Popper shrugs and replies, "Digital surround sound." Indeed. The film also features a rather dramatic, large-scale orchestral score by Rolfe Kent, and the music sounds appropriately rich and dynamic. Dialogue throughout is clear and easy to understand. The disc also comes with French and Spanish dubs in Dolby Digital 5.1, along with optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Mr. Popper's Penguins is ultimately one of those forgettable family comedies parents patiently sit through, hoping their kids are having a fun time. It's not terrible—you can't dismiss it outright—but it's not exactly inspired either. Let's just hope this isn't the default Jim Carrey role from now on. On the plus side, Fox's Blu-ray release is excellent, with near-perfect picture quality, a solid audio track, and some fun extras. I wouldn't go so far as to outright recommend this one, but if you've got kids in the 5-9 range, they might enjoy it.
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