5.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Rocky and Bullwinkle have been living off the finances made from the reruns of their cartoon show. Boris and Natasha somehow manage to crossover into reality and team up with Fearless Leader, an evil criminal turned media mogul with some evil plans up his sleeve. Rocky and Bullwinkle must stop the three of them before they wreak havoc.
Starring: Rene Russo, Jason Alexander, Piper Perabo, Randy Quaid, Robert De NiroComedy | 100% |
Family | 75% |
Animation | 51% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
If the word "beloved" is attached to any entertainment property in any corner of the world, chances are Hollywood has an eye on making it into a movie, whether building a first-time feature, cranking out a sequel, or taking another pass with a remake or reimagining. Take Rocky & Bullwinkle, the, yes, beloved 1960s cartoon phenomenon that has lived on in reruns for decades and entertained children the world over. While a movie may not have seemed inevitable then or even around the time of this film's release, it was certainly not a surprise. Cartoon classics like The Jetsons had previously been repurposed for the silver screen, but a 90-minute Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon probably wasn't going to draw all that many fans into theaters. But a live action/animation hybrid in the spirit of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Maybe. Director Des McAnuff's film takes the step of bringing the animated characters into the real world, leaving the title characters in their natural cartoon state while transitioning the franchise's villains to live action, played by living actors (including Robert De Niro!). The result is a silly movie, made to be absurd, that's just different enough to differentiate it from the source animation while still staying relatively true to the foundational tenants that made the cartoon such a lasting and cherished program. Unfortunately, it doesn't work in the aggregate. It's more obnoxious than it is fun, trying too hard at every turn to be funny and winding up overly complex and sometimes seriously grating.
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle is not the worst-offender Universal catalogue title on the market, but the image isn't exactly pristine, either. Edge enhancement is commonplace. Characters and objects, even in close-up, are often saddled and surrounded by large encircling halos. The picture appears fairly processed across the board, but the good news is that it hasn't been noise reduced to the point of total image destruction. Basic textural qualities remain and the image more or less retains a decent filmic texturing. Intimate details are few, but core definition is fairly good, boosted by the 1080p resolution but not exactly replicating a perfect film-quality picture. Colors are likewise solid if not unremarkable. The palette is varied and bright but nothing stands out for either intensely or perfectly saturated, whether considering live action or animation. Skin tones and black levels, again, get the job done with acceptable but unremarkable appearances.
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track lacks the nuance of better presentations, but its energetic posture and willingness to expand to the 5.1 channel setup's limits at least provide bursts of activity that compliment on the on-screen zaniness well enough. Music engages with fair-to-good width and depth and fidelity. Machinery and other big effects always find impressive stage presence and action scenes are never timid when it comes to volume or throwing information out of every speaker. The track never wants for more vigor or raw engagement, even if it is left wanting improved accuracy and subtlety. That extends to some atmospheric effects, too, but it's mostly the big cues that really border on overplaying. Dialogue is fine, presenting with adequate, though certainly not perfect, distinction and prioritization from the front-center channel.
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle contains one supplement, accessible in-film only via a crude pop-up menu (no top menu is included). Spotlight on Location: The Making of 'The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle' (1080i upscaled, 24:34) is a decently in-depth look at the concept and execution, characters and performances, Des McAnuff's work as director, digital animation and bringing animated characters into live action material, and more. Needless to say, no DVD, no digital copy, and no slipcover are included with purchase.
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle gives an honest effort in a few key areas, including explaining away the how's and the why's of the characters entering this world. The filmmakers otherwise throw the kitchen sink at the script. The movie is too busy, too repetitious, and too tedious and tiresome and grating by the time it hits its midpoint. A few A-list stars appear to try and lift the material out of its malaise but cannot succeed. Watch the original cartoons, in short bursts, instead. Universal's Blu-ray offers dated and flawed but passable video. Audio lacks precision but not aggression. One lengthy featurette is included. At a selling price of $20, skip it. At $5-$10 it might be worth a buy.
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