Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Angry Birds Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Flappy? Nope. Flabby? Some of them. Fun? More or less.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 15, 2016

Note: Sony has also released 'The Angry Birds Movie' as a Blu-ray 3D and 4K UHD release. Both are exclusive to the three-disc package, which also contains this standard release.

For the few people who are unaware, or who've forgotten about it since Pokemon Go overwhelmed the mobile game market, Angry Birds is essentially a colorful physics-based game in which players must fire an object, in this case a bird, into a structure, structures, or something dangling above or setting on or around those structures, and knock them down in order to smash targets, in this case green little pigs, in the fewest shots possible. It's a simple game of cause and effect, try and retry, and attempt to earn those coveted three stars on each level. Its popularity stems from simple touch controls (except on consoles, onto which it's made it way in several forms and fashions, which is still easy enough to play), colorful characters with a surprising depth of personality even consdering the game's relatively basic structure, and pick-up-and-play simplicity. The franchise has spawned more than new games, though. The charactes have infiltrated popular culture. There are plush toys, books, even little video shorts that expand on the world of Angry Birds. But nothing has quite taken these birds to new heights quite like Directors Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly's The Angry Birds Movie, a feature-length digitally animated adventure in which the birds get their first taste of pig invasion and the birds go on their first offensive against their enemies. Yes, there are slingshots and yes, the favorite birds fly through them. They talk, too, and while the film doesn't exactly reinvent the children's digital genre, it's a fun movie that works both as a standalone entertainer and a satisfying origins story for fans of the game series.

Birds will fly.

Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis) has anger issues. As a young bird, his big, bushy eyebrows were a source of constant teasing. He didn't have many friends, either, and his angry, loner ways have stayed with him into adulthood. He works as a birthday clown, and when he shows up late for a hatching party -- through no fault of his own, he swears -- the hiring family's admonishing gets to him. He explodes, and his temper lands him in the worst possible place he could find himself: anger management class. There, he meets some fellow angry birds, including Chuck (voiced by Josh Gad), Terence (voiced by Sean Penn), and Bomb (voiced by Danny McBride). Things are about to change, however, when a ship sails to Bird Island. It's carrying two pigs who come bearing gifts, including the miracle of the slingshot. The birds are very accepting of their new guests and the gifts they give. But the visit doesn't sit well with red. When he's sent through the slingshot towards the pigs' ship, he investigates and discovers not just some trinkets, but an invading army. Can Red save the island, or will he and his friends have to turn to the pigs' own inventions and a long-dormant and seemingly disappeared old ally to get rid of the pigs once and for all?

The Angry Birds Movie delivers a nice little diversion for audiences looking for such. The movie works well enough as a standalone film, playing both as an introduction to the video game series as well as a fine little Adventure film about anger outlets, refusing to be blinded by promise and allure (particularly from strangers), the power of belief, and the noble fight to return property from thieves. Of course, the themes aren't front-and-center. They're mostly plot facilitators that allow colorful characters to engage in all sorts of cute shenanigans, appear in cuddly poses, and in the third act, dish out some pain, Angry Birds style. Yup, there's a slingshot, but the movie isn't just tossing birds at buildings and pigs. It all works together, yielding a tidy enough little story, the vast majority of which doesn't involve any sort of video game reproduction. It works well on its own merits, more capitalizing on the name and characters and less the game's mechanics. Good thing, too, because would anyone really want to watch birds flung across the screen for ninety minutes? That's what makes the game fun: its compact levels and quick pick-up and put-down playability. Not exactly he kind of stuff movies are made of. But the filmmakers have integrated it all very well, albeit in small spurts, nonetheless.

Technically, the movie impresses. It's robust and healthy, abundantly colorful and polished to a level one would expect of a digital feature from 2016. Every feather, environmental detail, nook, and cranny is resplendently presented. The world is limited in scope but very much alive, and the mix of natural environments with silly and fun unique touches make it a pleasure to explore in most every frame, both the bird world and the pig world alike. Voice performances are fine and lend to the birds (and pigs) a believable cadence that easily identifies character qualities established in the film and the known quantities from the game, too. The movie is not without a few issues, though. Chief amongst them is pacing, which can be sluggish, particularly early on as character introductions tend to gnaw rather than develop fluidly. Some of the flashbacks to Red's youth are appreciated, and the "angry" monicker is explored to satisfaction: he's picked on for his eyebrows, his belief in the Eagle, and lack of friends. "Anger" plays central to the plot, gets the characters together, and allows Red to see the pigs from a different perspective than everyone else. For the duration, material feels a bit too stretched and there's not much of a dramatic payoff. It all plays out rather expectedly, but more often than not, and as the case always seems to be with most animated features not bearing the word "Pixar," the colors and fun factor prove enough to get the viewer through the movie without often losing that smile from the face.

The Angry Birds Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bright, colorful, cheerful. The Angry Birds Movie soars on Blu-ray with a resplendent, eye-popping color palette that dazzles throughout the experience. The tropical greens, blue skies, and multicolored birds present with stunningly rich colors across a very diverse palette. Reds, yellows, teals, all of the bird colors leap off the screen with dominating vibrance. Pigs, almost a neon-green color, are likewise enjoyably and accurately colored. Detailing is superb. Sony's 1080p transfer expresses each and every surface and object with remarkable clarity, efficiency, and intimate texturing. Feathers are most obvious. Each bird is alive with individually flowing and lifelike coverings that give the movie a beautifully complex main detail. Surrounding information is stellar. The pigs' pirate ship reveals all sorts of textural treasures. The island is alive with leaves, tree trunks, terrain, structures, and little support bits that never want for additional detailing. Every shot combines both expert detail and spectacular color for what is a 90-minute Blu-ray animation highlight reel. Black levels hold up, no source flaws are apparent, and compression issues are practically nonexistent. This is a fabulous presentation from Sony.

The Angry Birds Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Angry Birds Movie features a fabulously aggressive and fully detailed DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Music dominates much of the movie's first half. The track implements a number of styles -- score, Hard rock guitar riffs, Pop songs, operatic music -- and all of it plays with seamless front end spacing, revealing clarity that handles the smorgasbord of a soundtrack with impeccable clarity, and a healthy, natural low end accompaniment. Surrounds are engaged conservatively with music, but more liberally with action. The stage opens up considerably for all of the movie's more aggressive scenes. Around the 57 minute mark comes the first full-on action extravaganza. Sounds swirl, depth is potent, and surround use is plentiful. Explosions, crumbling trees, vehicles zipping about, and other bits of mayhem drive the film and capture a seamless and enjoyable 360-degree experience. Most of the third act plays with nonstop excitement that features flawless stage presence, finely interwoven yet very clear details, and incredible aggressiveness, even through the myriad of elements that the track strings together. Dialogue, whether in calm and quiet or very loud action, is always well prioritized and clear with a natural front-center positioning.

The Angry Birds Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Angry Birds Movie contains a lengthy assortment of mostly fluffy bonus content. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase. Note that, for whatever mysterious reason, Sony has hidden the "Scene Selections" tab within the special features category.

• Hatchlings! (1080p): A selection of shorts from the Angry Birds universe. Included are:
• Early Hatchling Gets the Worm (2:06): Birds and worms can be friends!
• Easter (1:17): The Hatchlings talk (and sing) up one of their favorite holidays.
• Mother's Day (1:00): Little birds talk about why they love their mother.
• Holiday (1:02): Fa-la-la-la-la! Merry Christmas from the Hatchlings!
• Meet the Hatchlings (4:11): The longest piece, by far, is not a standalone short but rather a supplement that looks at the importance of the Hatchlings in the movie.


• Angry Birds Action! How to Sync (1080p, 1:08): An ad for the new game, and instructions on how to play in conjunction with the movie.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Bonus Scene - Chuck's Rescue (0:26), Happy Birthday! (0:52), Red's Apology (1:19), Coconut Story (1:15), Whoopie Cushion (1:32), and Mighty Eagle (1:06).
• Dance Along Birds and Pigs (1080p, 3:35): A cowgirl and animated characters dance to music from the film.
• Crafty Birds (1080p, 4:45): Learn how to make a physical Angry Birds game out of common household items.
• Creating the Real World of Angry Birds (1080p, 8:29): Josh Gad and Jason Sudeikis introduce what is, essentially, a basic making-of overview that covers the challenges of making the movie, evolving the game into a film, creating environments and characters, digital construction, and more.
• Bubbles and Hal (1080p, 1:35): Bubbles proves he's the angriest! But does he want to be angry?
• Meet the Birds (1080p, 10:26): An introduction to several primary avian characters with interviews featuring voice cast and crew. The piece includes a look at digital design animation and voice acting.
• Meet the Pigs (1080p, 5:05): Similar to the previous supplement, this time focusing on the villainous pigs.
• Music Video (1080p, 3:04): "Friends" by Blake Shelton.
• Making Music with Composer Heitor Pereira (1080p): The composer discusses the creation of several of the film's musical selections, shows off some unique instruments in Pig's Theme, and performs some of the music (solo and orchestral). Included are Red's Theme (2:42), Pig's Theme (1:50), Chuck's Theme (1:22), Action Music! (2:03), Mission Theme (1:42), and Red's Anger Theme (0:49). This is a very fun supplement; Pereira is a fine host and musician.
• Photo Gallery (1080p): A selection of three still image galleries, each available as an automatic slideshow or individual image selection and display. Included are Characters, Piggy Island, and Bird Island.
• In-Theater Policy Trailers (1080p): The birds go to the movies! Included shorts are as follows: A Gift Card for Chuck (1:00), Join Your Friends (1:10), and Silence Your Birdphone (0:48).
• Symphony Mode (1080p, 1:37:13): From the menu: "Watch Angry Birds without all the squawks and oinks with symphony mode!" Essentially, an isolated score.
• Scene Selections: Pick a scene. Any scene.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

The Angry Birds Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Angry Birds Movie boils down to the usual animated fare qualities: there's lots of humor, color, action, and adventure in a relatively safe environment and presentation. There's really no substance-- this isn't Pixar -- but it's a fun little diversion that should satisfy younger audiences, those familiar with the game or not, while both adults and Angry Birds game veterans might find it appealing if only to see their favorite characters in a real adventure that does a fair, if not sometimes sluggish, job of gradually building them and constructing a story towards the (fairly brief) implementation of game mechanics on a much large scale than a phone screen. Sony's 1080p Blu-ray release of The Angry Birds Movie features flawless video and audio. The supplemental section is long, though not particularly deep. Recommended.