Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

The Smurfs 2 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

The future is here! Sony has released its first wave of UHD Blu-ray (4K/3840x2160p resolution) discs. We've posted a companion article detailing the UHD upgrade experience here. Watch for more reviews for these Sony UHD Blu-rays in the coming days and, of course, Blu-ray.com will be covering every UHD release in the future.

"I see more detail. How about you?"

The Smurfs 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Smurfs 2 was digitally photographed and finished at a 4K, which is presumably the source for this UHD Blu-ray.

Sony's 2160p/HDR UHD release of The Smurfs 2 does what a great UHD title should do, and that's make a reference quality 1080p transfer all the more impressive. Certainly, the most immediate area of interest for this particular movie isn't the boost in detail but rather the boost in color. Can the Smurfs really look any more blue? Not really. Blue is blue is true, but as with other colors in movies like Chappie and The Martian, the improvement comes in refinement, a deeper and fuller saturation that this release's HDR (High Dynamic Range) color gamut offers over traditional 1080p Blu-ray. It's not a revelation, just an increase in this release's ability to offer a more precisely rendered shading, here one created in the digital realm, not photographed in the real world and adjusted in post production. The same may be said of green grasses and other colors throughout the movie, such as a scene taking place in a candy shop. There's a bit more pure pop, but the movie's most impressive uptick is actually its detail rather than its color.

Wow. The movie's UHD looks really great, but one can't really appreciate just how great it looks without comparing it to the 1080p Blu-ray, also included in this release. Most immediately evident are the Smurfs' clothes. There's a fairly substantial uptick in raw resolution on the finest garment lines, whether the traditional white Smurf pants and hats or Papa Smurf's red hat and pants. Look at a scene in which Papa Smurf holds a few crystals around the 22:00 mark. On the Blu-ray, his hat and pants show some nice basic texturing -- little seams and frays -- but their true complexities are revealed on the UHD disc. The very finest fabric lines and stitches are more clearly delineated, and at a level of vast improvement. There are areas where the clothes go appreciably flat on the 1080p Blu-ray where there's instead significantly more definition on the UHD. Pause both at the 22:15 mark and compare the top of his hat, which is hanging down at forehead level. Likewise, fine little strands of material hanging off give it a palpable, tactile texture, a texture that's far sharper and more individually detailed on the UHD. Much the same can be said of Gargamel's ratty old robe. On 1080p Blu-ray, it's nicely revealing of the broader fabric texturing, all the little frayed edges and small tears. The UHD presents it with much more attention to the finest details. Also obvious is a more refined shading of black, which is also noticeable on a carriage interior around the 6:30 mark. Neil Patrick Harris' heavily textured sweater seen at 28:44 is more complex than it is on 1080p Blu-ray, but perhaps more notable in the same shot is the improvement in raw facial features, another example where the Blu-ray kind of glosses over the finest details while the UHD reveals all with significantly more precision. Paris city streets are bursting with gorgeous detail and remarkable clarity.

Also of note is the transfer's ability to finely resolve black levels and skin tones. Further, no banding, noise, aliasing, ringing, or macroblocking are present. The problem with a movie, and dueling Blu-ray/UHD transfers, like The Smurfs 2 is that there's some merit to "well, the Blu-ray already looks great!" That statement usually didn't hold much water when comparing DVD to Blu-ray, disregarding any of the shoddier Blu-ray releases. The room for improvement was very obvious with the 480p picture and the jump to 1080p was drastic. Just watching The Smurfs 2 on Blu-ray offers up no room for complaint -- it's a five-star transfer, easy -- but the UHD is an improvement. Colors are finer and richer, details are noticeably more intricate and intimate. Yet it's still a refinement, not a revelation. That doesn't diminish the UHD in any way -- so far it's the one to own for purely technical reasons -- but with a 1080p transfer so good, the sell up might be a little more of a challenge. But for those up to taking it, The Smurfs 2 is a great place to start. Videophiles won't be disappointed.

The Smurfs 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony's UHD Blu-ray release of The Smurfs 2 arrives with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, leaving behind the previous Blu-ray release's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This review is based on a 7.1.4 setup, which is the "traditional" seven-channel plus subwoofer configuration with the addition of four "object" or "overhead" speakers to the mix. It begins a little slow, but the track's overhead activity, and indeed its more traditional seven channel immersion, impress enough to label it an early reference Atmos soundtrack. Various scenes offer a robust and immediately noticeable sense of upper immersion that makes for a nice blend of "seamless integration" and "obvious effect." At 16:00, Gargamel's portal swirls around above and falls down, mixing nicely with the surrounding details flowing from the other speakers to create a well defined bubble effect rather than just forced in sound from the height speakers. Minutes later, Smurfette is captured and, again, more obvious object activity engulfs the listening area. When Gargamel is introduced at the theater, the announcer's voice seems to emanate from well above the listening position and offers a naturally wide spread reflective of the scene's cavernous auditorium environment. At 42:15, cars swoosh by from a Smurf's perspective which allows for a very heavy pass through the overhead speakers. A flock of pigeons takes flight at the 50:25 mark and the listener can practically feel them flapping upwards. Best of all, however, is when a giant ferris wheel becomes detached from its base and rolls down the street. From the 1:09:45 mark, listeners will practically want to dive out of its way as it rumbles right through the listening area, its weight seeming to crash down from atop, not just push from front to back. This Atmos track has been very smartly engineered and rivals, if not surpasses, Goosebumps as the most family-friendly and active Atmos track on the market.

As for the track's other qualities, it's very reflective of the excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that accompanied the previous 1080p Blu-ray release. Music is effectively spaced and polished. Every note is clear and bass is authoritative without going overboard, evident particularly in a few lines from Fort Minor's Remember the Name. Most of the major sound effects make good use of the added height speakers, but precision sound definition is maintained throughout. Dialogue delivery is perfectly prioritized and naturally placed in the center channel.

The Smurfs 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While The Smurfs 2 contains no new "supplements" on the UHD disc, it does offer a slick new menu system (and presumably the early standard for Sony UHD releases) in which different pages are selected by scrolling up and down and side-to-side. Beyond the usual scene selection and language tabs, there's also an option to watch character-specific highlights for Smurfette (9:07), Gargamel (9:20), The Winslows (14:28), and The Naughties (7:52), all in 2160p and with Dolby Atmos audio. There's also a Cast & Crew tab that appears to only offer a still image accompanied by character and actor name. All of the previous edition's supplements carry over on the included 1080p Blu-ray disc (click here for more information). A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

The Smurfs 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Smurfs 2 may not be a great film in the classic sense of the term, but it works well enough thanks to an innocent charm and humor and an easy come family-friendly vibe. It's also the best family movie currently available for showing off all that fancy new UHD and Dolby Atmos gear. Wonderful picture and involved sound will give the equipment a workout while treating the eyes and ears alike to one of the best, if not the best, UHD releases right out of the gate, considering its technical merits. A must-own for early-adopting families.