6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Ninjas, samurais, and sensei fight side-by-side against dragons, armies of snake men, and a once-banished warlord who is now seeking to return to power.
Starring: Dave Franco, Justin Theroux, Fred Armisen, Abbi Jacobson, Olivia MunnAdventure | 100% |
Family | 94% |
Animation | 88% |
Comedy | 60% |
Action | 41% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The LEGO brand's transformation into an entertainment empire took a major step forward with the company's innovative, hilarious, exciting, and touching film The LEGO Movie, a film about an ordinary guy tasked with doing something extraordinary in a make-believe world of larger-than-minifig-life bricks and buoyant personalities. The spin-off The LEGO Batman Movie didn't find quite the same level of narrative excellence but veered its story more to the comedy side of the spectrum, exploring some emotional drama but largely building a fun, fast-paced movie around Batman's personality (and Will Arnett's exemplary, character-defining voice work). Now, the third feature from LEGO takes the line's popular Ninjago world and figures and drops them into a movie that feels more like the first, a film in which comic overtones and large-scale action support a touching core story about a father-son relationship that gives balance to the film's epic laughs and huge action pieces.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie's UHD presentation offers the expected boost for a film of this variety, i.e. a modest uptick in detail and color but nothing that blows the companion 1080p Blu-ray out of the water. The 4K image is likely an upscale from a 2K DI (IMDB's tech spec page offers no clarification, though it does mention Dolby Vision color, which this disc lacks). Nevertheless, the UHD delivers a more stable, crisper, better defined picture. Plastic-y LEGO figures reveal finer definition, whether smooth surfaces, rough edges, or Garmadon's textured capes, the latter of which sees a particularly healthy upwards boost. Close-ups capture significant edge and surface wear on characters and environments. HDR-enhanced colors offer a pleasing, but not excessive or significant, saturation beyond what the Blu-ray can show. There's no doubt that colors are punchier, more vivid, more intensely and finely saturated, but the jump isn't a leap, more like a pleasant hop. The live action bookends do reveal greatly improved sharpness, more pleasant colors (even in the room's warm lighting), and more stable shadow depth and detail. This is definitely a superior image over the Blu-ray, but fans shouldn't expect a revelation.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that's as big and bellowing as the movie needs it to be. Action scenes explode through the speakers with incredible low end depth and chaotically engaging elements that zip, zoom, and zing every which way the configuration allows. Overheads engage with semi-regularity, commanding the stage with a handful of fun discrete effects, such as when Garmadon's fighters fly into Ninjago. A few computer voices saturate through the stage with commanding diffusion and a tangible top-end presence. Music is energetic, flowing through the stage with seemingly limitless power and confidence. Bass is particularly hard-hitting, noticed right at the beginning as a newscast's opening music flows through the listening area. Environmental supports are always well positioned and completely immersive. Dialogue plays with unsurprisingly rich and detailed clarity, enjoying firm front-center positioning and prioritization.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie contains a number of extras, most of which are not listed on the back of the box. All of them can be found on the
bundled Blu-ray; there are no extras on the UHD disc. A
digital copy code is
included with
purchase.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie falls more in-line with Movie than it does Batman. Based on an original property rather than a hybrid (Movie) or one completely borrowed (Batman), the film soars with a wonderful balance of humor, action, and drama. Characters are a bit one-dimensional, but all of the surrounding bricks and pieces largely eliminate that roadblock and altogether lift the movie to highly entertaining heights. Warner Brothers' UHD is excellent. Video is strong but not a significant upwards move from the Blu-ray, Atmos audio is exceptional, and there are many more supplements than are advertised on the back of the box. Highly recommended, and were it not such a late release it probably would have snuck into my year-end top 10 list.
2017
2017
Exclusive Lenticular Packaging + 6 Trading Cards
2017
2017
Bonus 6 Keychains with Instawatch
2017
The LEGO Movie 2 Movie Cash
2017
3 Bonus Figurines
2017
2017
2019
2017
2020
2014
PIXAR
2016
2009
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2004
2015
2018
2016
2019
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2017
2014
2016
2014
2005
2009
Awesome Edition
2016
2017
2011