6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Templeton brothers have become adults and drifted away from each other, but a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach is about to bring them together again - and inspire a new family business.
Starring: Alec Baldwin, James Marsden, Amy Sedaris, Ariana Greenblatt, Jeff GoldblumFamily | 100% |
Animation | 90% |
Comedy | 58% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Boss Baby: Family Business is the 2021 follow-up to 2017's The Boss Baby. Production was, surprise, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic -- the film was made in part from home and its release date was shifted by a couple of months from March to July 2021 -- but it's certainly, technically speaking (as in the digital workmanship), no worse for it. Narratively, however, it's a whole different story. The movie takes the idea of the "bigger" sequel to the extreme. This is unquestionably presented on a grander scale than its predecessor, but while it embraces "bigger" it certainly doesn't embrace "better." Not that the original Boss Baby set the standard all that high to top, but this film is so focused on the frenzied energy and dizzying visuals at work within that it loses focus of the inherent charms and novelty that made the original a quasi-memorable and certainly novel kid's movie.
Universal's 1080p Blu-ray transfer for The Boss Baby: Family Business looks delightful. It's to be expected, but the sheer brilliance and lack of flaw make this a truly special release. Of note is the abundance of rich, punchy colors on display. The picture is delightfully over the top in terms of its color palette and every single tone delights for depth, clarity, and accuracy. There's not a dull color in the movie and even at peak intensity there's no sense of oversaturation. This is just a brilliantly balanced barrage of beautiful colors that leap off the screen in practically every shot. The source animation is crisp and pleasing. It's super sharp and abundantly clear, bringing out just about every last digital nuance the artists have painstakingly built for the movie. Characters, clothes, environments: everything looks picture perfect and razor sharp. This one's a simply summary: Outstanding colors and flawless clarity make this a reference Blu-ray release.
Just as impressive as the video presentation is Universal's Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The track is aggressive throughout, boasting intense depth, expert width, and impressive large-scale sound management. For all the high energy sound barrages that spill through every speaker, the listener will note that the track is always in full control of its wares. For as aggressive, deep, and immersive as things get, the track never feels frivolously engineered or incapable of matching high yield excitement with precision nuance. The track is constantly making use of the subwoofer and every surround channel. Overheads are occasionally used in a discrete manner but are just as frequently deployed to support the barrage of audio cues that penetrate the listening area. Music is crystal clear and widely dispersed, too, yet still balanced and true in overall delivery output. Dialogue is clear and precise with a firm front-center output area. Home theater audio doesn't get much better than this.
Universal's Blu-ray release of The Boss Baby: Family Business includes kid-friendly featurettes (including the obligatory "how to draw the
characters" extra), a couple geared more towards adults, a deleted scene, a lyric video, and an audio
commentary track.
A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.
The Boss Baby: Family Business is more about sights and sounds and less about its story. It's a perfectly serviceable diversion but it lacks the charm and sense of originality that shaped the first. Here, everything takes a backseat to the visual and aural assault. The movie does not border on gross overamplification, it's well over the line. The movie can never slow down enough to sort out its frenzied wares and, really, even a thorough deconstruction likely wouldn't reveal much of value below the surface. However, Universal's Blu-ray is top of the line. Perfect video and audio are supported by a well-rounded supplemental suite which should please younger kids and the grown-ups buying the disc. Worth a look.
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