Never seen it but looking forward to watch it.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/DreamWorks/Disc_Announcements/DreamWorks_Announces_Monsters_vs._Aliens_for_Blu-ray/2995

Here is the link.

I just happened to see this movie a few weeks ago at a small theater in Tuscon, AZ with my young son while visiting the in-laws. In overall tone it kind of reminded me of The Incredibles in that it has a stylized late 50's/early 60's sci-fi sensibility to it. The plot is basically our government has a secret task force composed of a handful of "monsters" with various (questionable in some cases!) super powers who are called upon to fight off an alien invasion which leads to one highlight midway through the movie involving a battle on the Golden Gate Bridge that will probably be a nice home theater demo segment.

While I wouldn't say it approaches The Incredibles (or any Pixar film) as far as quality and holding a viewers attention from start to finish, there was a few decent, entertaining parts to it that would for me, make it a good 2nd viewing via a rental.

T.B.

IMO you can't compare Pixar to other CG animation studios, it's just not fair to the other guys.

While not as good as Kung Fu Panda it is worth a purchase. This one actually uses 3D to create a sense of scale that just isn't possible with traditional displays. The first 3D movie that made me see its utility.

The audio on this should be solid too, to the audio in theaters matched the scope of the movie.

EDIT - The bits is reporting that the 3D is only for the BOB extra not the movie. Paramount loses points for this with me. Even though they are correct that the current 3D technology isn't adequate, that doesn't excuse them from leaving it off. I bet my money it's because they can't figure out how to put two different versions of a film on a single disc.

My Daughter has made it clear for me too buy this movie.:) Im not certainly not going to say no.

Rented and watched this one last night....... at my young son's request!

As expected, the a/v quality is top notch. Lot of rear speaker surround effects throughout. Image looked a bit soft to my eyes but I think that's more due to the film itself and not the transfer. Like I predicted a few months ago in this thread, the Golden gate bridge sequence is truly HT demo-worthy. I will admit, the films few flaws (mostly the dialog and some of the plot contrivances) make the second viewing rather tedious.

T.B.

We saw this at the theater. Day 1 buy for me. Suuuuuuuusan

have this pre ordered from amazon.com.

party where did you find this to rent?

My kids had to have the poster in our theater. Had the poster up since April. The kids see the poster and are always asking me when we are going to see it in our theater. The wait is almost over.

http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq98/GoCaboNow/IMG_0308.jpg

http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq98/GoCaboNow/IMG_0306.jpg

I can't afford Sept. 29th & Oct. 06th '09.
Can anybody give me a loan?!?!

Wiz of OZ
Snow Wht (steellbook)
Dk Crystal (if its purple enough; screen grabs at this point have me worried)
Contact (can't wait for the opening shot!!!)
Now this & I just spent a hundred & one bucks today at BB (ST: TOS S2, Creepshow, New World, & the "steelbook" [only])!

Maybe this will come in a two pack w/The Incredibles for 30 bucks US! ;-)

This film was great in the theater for nice story,deep bass effect,great PQ when I watched at Imax,can't wait to get one.

Target will have this for $24.99 with a dvd copy.
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Target/Paramount/Warner_Brothers__/Disc_Announcements__/Target_Blu-ray_Exclusives_Available_September_29/3499

Is it worth a few bucks more to you to get the dvd? I will do this version. For me it makes sense to have the dvd for the kids tv and the car.

Target will have this for $24.99 with a dvd copy.
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Target/Paramount/Warner_Brothers__/Disc_Announcements__/Target_Blu-ray_Exclusives_Available_September_29/3499

Is it worth a few bucks more to you to get the dvd? I will do this version. For me it makes sense to have the dvd for the kids tv and the car.

I Agree my daughter will want her copy so she can watch over and over again.

If I miss that one things will get ugly, my daughter has also made it very clear:D

...The end of 2009 is going to be expensive on the Blu side!;)

While this may not be as good of a movie as Kung Fu Panda, from seeing the trailers on Blu-ray and seeing it in the theater, it will definitely be reference video and audio material as far as animations are concerned.. This will look and sound stupendous on Blu no doubt about it! ;)

Not until home 3-D is available.

Not until home 3-D is available.

Oh, boy... here we go. Why is it that every time there is something new on the horizon, all the "old" technology suddenly "sucks"? It happened between LD and DVD. It happened between DVD and HD. When HD first reared it's head, so many were of the position that "SD-DVD sucks", and "I can't watch standard-def material" (many of the same people that were oooing and ahhhing at the PQ SD could deliver before HD came along). It happened between audio formats (lossy vs lossless). Now, "if it ain't 3-D, it sucks"...:rolleyes:

While this may not be as good of a movie as Kung Fu Panda, from seeing the trailers on Blu-ray and seeing it in the theater, it will definitely be reference video and audio material as far as animations are concerned.. This will look and sound stupendous on Blu no doubt about it! ;)

I agree. I was thinking this year was a little soft on killer kids movies. Last year we had KFP, Walle and Bolt at the top end. KFP is a fun movie and a fantastic bd for pq and aq. Up is coming in November and that will be good but it did not blow my socks off at the theater- but still a must have in my family. Probably have to get Ice Age 3 but not real excited by it. M vs A is our most anticipated kids movie this year.

Not until home 3-D is available.

And then let's see... yippee!!!... we get to buy all new receivers or pre-amps (the internal HDMI switching circuitry has to be HDMI 1.4 certified and 3-D pass-through enabled), 3-D capable Blu-ray players, 3-D capable TV's and projectors, and get the joy of rewiring everything with HDMI 1.4 certified cables to synch it all together.

All for a few gimmick-riddled movies and a fad that may be as fleeting as when 3-D came out for the first time in theaters in the 50's. Why? Because the movies were all about the 3-D "gotcha" effects rather than a good story.

And let's not forget the movie itself won't have that good of a 1080p video encode because they have to cram in the regular 2-D version plus a secondary 1080p/24 metadata video file that must run simultaneously to create the 3-D effect. That's effectively half the video bit budget gone for this all to work. If you don't have a 3-D system you may have to sacrifice overall A/V quality for the sake of 3-D. You don't think the studios are going to give you two different Blu-ray discs with two different optimized video and audio encodes, do you?

Oh, the joy!

I repeat, not until home 3-D is available.

Dan, I don't disagree with anything you said, except that today's 3D movies (at least the CG animated ones) usually have enough going for them to get greenlit as 2D features and the relative ease of rendering a second camera eye is why it is being done. The relative ease of doing so also insures that as long as there are CG animated features the 3D trend will stick around. The real question is whether its worth investing in an all new setup just to be able to view ~4 new movies a year.

If I miss that one things will get ugly, my daughter has also made it very clear:D

...The end of 2009 is going to be expensive on the Blu side!;)

There are a ton of must haves for me by the end of the year. I am up to 14 that are musts and the list is growing...

and then let's see... yippee!!!... We get to buy all new receivers or pre-amps (the internal hdmi switching circuitry has to be hdmi 1.4 certified and 3-d pass-through enabled), 3-d capable blu-ray players, 3-d capable tv's and projectors, and get the joy of rewiring everything with hdmi 1.4 certified cables to synch it all together.

All for a few gimmick-riddled movies and a fad that may be as fleeting as when 3-d came out for the first time in theaters in the 50's. Why? Because the movies were all about the 3-d "gotcha" effects rather than a good story.

And let's not forget the movie itself won't have that good of a 1080p video encode because they have to cram in the regular 2-d version plus a secondary 1080p/24 metadata video file that must run simultaneously to create the 3-d effect. That's effectively half the video bit budget gone for this all to work. If you don't have a 3-d system you may have to sacrifice overall a/v quality for the sake of 3-d. You don't think the studios are going to give you two different blu-ray discs with two different optimized video and audio encodes, do you?

Oh, the joy!

+10000

I repeat, not until home 3-D is available.

I want to watch the movie not be part of it. I understand for game players but jeez for movies, who cares.

I'm really looking forward to this one. We really liked the movie, and it should have some great audio.

The real question is whether its worth investing in an all new setup just to be able to view ~4 new movies a year.

There are fifty or so 3-D films from the 1950s age of 3-D, and a fair amount of features between then and the RealD recent films, and many shorts that did not have theatrical release. A lot of the content is mediocre or worse, but just consider what we all have to choose from in the Blu-ray catalogue when stacked up against what could be in the catalogue.

The 3-D festivals that Sabucat organized in Hollywood in the mid-nineties was working with lots of prints that were the only ones known to survive. A home 3-D solution would help to save these films in 3-D while there is still time to do so.

And then let's see... yippee!!!... we get to buy all new receivers or pre-amps (the internal HDMI switching circuitry has to be HDMI 1.4 certified and 3-D pass-through enabled), 3-D capable Blu-ray players, 3-D capable TV's and projectors, and get the joy of rewiring everything with HDMI 1.4 certified cables to synch it all together.

All for a few gimmick-riddled movies and a fad that may be as fleeting as when 3-D came out for the first time in theaters in the 50's. Why? Because the movies were all about the 3-D "gotcha" effects rather than a good story.

And let's not forget the movie itself won't have that good of a 1080p video encode because they have to cram in the regular 2-D version plus a secondary 1080p/24 metadata video file that must run simultaneously to create the 3-D effect. That's effectively half the video bit budget gone for this all to work. If you don't have a 3-D system you may have to sacrifice overall A/V quality for the sake of 3-D. You don't think the studios are going to give you two different Blu-ray discs with two different optimized video and audio encodes, do you?

Oh, the joy!

Say YES to full blown 3D in the home with 7.1 lossless surround sound.

I'm disappointed this ones coming with just a 2D edition and yet the extra is in 3D. I think i know why they are doing this though. I believe a deal has been struck with Panasonic and thus they are holding back 3D titles like this until proper 3D players and displays hit the market. I believe Fox, Disney and Dreamworks titles are being held back from being released on standard Blu Ray with the paper glasses due to a deal being struck for proper 3D coming next year.

It might be a gimmick but it's an entertaining gimmick so count me in. I also believe 3D is here to stay this time.

One thing i'd like to see is the introduction of BD-75 and BD-100 discs for 3D use. Panasonic claim you need 1.5 times the space of a normal 2D edition for 3D. Thus 99% of all 3D movies will fit on a BD-50. I also read that they can extrapolate a 2D edition from the 3D edition so more space shouldn't be needed just to make a 2D edition.

I don't see the image quality being an issue. Most films around two hours can easily fit in about 30 gigabytes of space with lossless audio and an audio commentary and they can look fabulous. 1.5 times the space is 45 gigabytes. Not a problem. They can add extra's onto a second disc.

I'm all for 3D. bring it on. Proper 3D for the home which will look as great as the current home cinema 3D. Yessssss.

The real question is whether its worth investing in an all new setup just to be able to view ~4 new movies a year.

There are fifty or so 3-D films from the 1950s age of 3-D, and a fair amount of features between then and the RealD recent films, and many shorts that did not have theatrical release. A lot of the content is mediocre or worse, but just consider what we all have to choose from in the Blu-ray catalogue when stacked up against what could be in the catalogue.

The 3-D festivals that Sabucat organized in Hollywood in the mid-nineties was working with lots of prints that were the only ones known to survive. A home 3-D solution would help to save these films in 3-D while there is still time to do so.
I understand that, and I am a 3D fan from the 80s revival and was even fortunate enough to work on one of the first of the latest batch of 3D animated films from the current revival. I'd love to have a great home 3D setup but not if I have to take out a second mortgage to do it. Ultimately I'd probably find some way to make it happen if it were remotely affordable, but I suspect those who are indifferent won't become converts if the barrier to entry is high and people like the poster I replied to will never go for it.

While everything still looks pretty great, this one has the same edge enhancement as Kung Fu Panda, applied to the entire frame throughout the movie. There's even ringing on the letterbox frame.

Went home at lunch today to play with my new sub. Since I just picked up this bd today I thought I would test it a little bit before the big viewing this weekend. Just me and a co-worker. Two grown men sitting in a dark room to check out my sub and see how this looked and sounded. We had to tear ourselves away to get back to work. The picture and audio quality are so entrancing. The picture looks good. Even better than I remember at the theater and the audio is so clear and dynamic. The scene where the spaceship lands really made me happy with my new sub.:) Will be a fun time for the official viewing party this weekend.

While everything still looks pretty great, this one has the same edge enhancement as Kung Fu Panda, applied to the entire frame throughout the movie. There's even ringing on the letterbox frame. Yeah I see those issues also, seems like only Pixar has figured out how to properly downrez CG movies to 1080p :/

While everything still looks pretty great, this one has the same edge enhancement as Kung Fu Panda, applied to the entire frame throughout the movie. There's even ringing on the letterbox frame.

That's odd; I don't see EE at all on this title. I'm viewing at less than 1x screen width on my 26" 1080P computer monitor. Same with my 37" (720P) TV. A quick re-check of KFP also didn't show obvious EE, and I'm rather sensitive to it.

I don't generally expect the letterbox frame bar to be totally clean due to chroma sub-sampling (same thing that blurs transitions in color bars).

I'm not saying that you're wrong; I can't know what you're seeing, but are you sure that sharpness is set to zero (ie, no added enhancement, no dehancement) on your display?

I repeat, not until home 3-D is available.

How about they move from 24 fps to 60 fps before jumping to 3-D. Seriously, this 24 fps has got to go. I can just see the future now, 8000p 200' hologram movies...at 24fps. WTF?! :mad:

Just a quick note for the few people who may have not heard already: There is NOT a 3D version of the movie on the disc. The box art mentions 3D and glasses, but it only applies to the short, "B.O.B.'s Big Break" and a game on the disc.

It's true that anaglyphic 3D is less than optimal, but some recent releases (notably Coraline) have done a decent job given the limitations - massive color distortion. Anaglyphic also depends on display calibration; if the colors on the display don't match the colors of the glasses, there's massive fringing.

Be that as it may, I was disappointed that a major(?) summer 3D release didn't have 3D on the disc for the main movie. Maybe they'll do another version when (real/better) 3D for Blu Ray gets sorted out.

i just watched this tonight and i enjoyed the 2D version of it a lot better than the 3D version i saw in the theater.

I bought this at target today just for this reason. I noticed a few other blu-ray titles there that had a dvd version included. I think this is a great idea and thought so as well when HD-DVD started the combo discs prior to their demise. I hope this is a continuing trend.


Target will have this for $24.99 with a dvd copy.
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Target/Paramount/Warner_Brothers__/Disc_Announcements__/Target_Blu-ray_Exclusives_Available_September_29/3499

Is it worth a few bucks more to you to get the dvd? I will do this version. For me it makes sense to have the dvd for the kids tv and the car.

Just watched it. Thought it was good, with some great sound and video. Didn't disappoint me in the least.

(snip)

I'm all for 3D. bring it on. Proper 3D for the home which will look as great as the current home cinema 3D. Yessssss.

I'm all for *good* 3D movies and the home theater hardware upgrades to support the format in homes. The problem is, how many truly excellent or even good 3D movies have come out in the last 10 years? You can probably count them on one hand. The main problem with this kind of technological advance in visual entertainment is the same issue that dogs the vast majority of CGI-heavy blockbusters - the story, dialog and acting get stuck in the back of the bus at the expense of whiz-bang-blammo visuals. When mainstream studios can release a "Schindler's List" or "Godfather" or "No Country For Old Men" that work in the 3D format - you know, something that features solid writing, acting and directing where the visuals serve the story, not visa versa, I'd be more excited about the technology.

Interestingly, the best 3D movie I've seen in the past decade turned out to be U23D in large part because there really was no plot. You were immersed in the concert experience which at it's best is ideally suited to this format.

I'm not going to invest in pricey home theater upgrades to watch junk churned out by major studios like "Journey to the Center of The Earth" and "My Bloody Valentine" in 3D. Or even halfway decent fare like Monsters vs Aliens.

T.B.

Not to be a stick in the mud but, does anyone watch their blurays just to see the film? Don't get me wrong, I love when a bluray just "clicks", with amazing audio and video, but I don't sit there and nitpick a movie while I watch with my family. I'd irritate the hell out of them....
I would hope that movies that I prefer watch on my own would look and sound their best, but it's not a deal breaker.

Really enjoyed this one tonight. PQ was great, nothing outstanding about it. I guess I've seen so many BD animated CG movies that none really stand out anymore. The SQ however BLEW me away. Very intensive surround usage and tremendous LFE. Probably the best sounding animated movie since "The Incredibles". Tremendous job on the audio Dreamworks!! I have a new "go to" audio demo disc now.

Really enjoyed this one tonight. PQ was great, nothing outstanding about it. I guess I've seen so many BD animated CG movies that none really stand out anymore. The SQ however BLEW me away. Very intensive surround usage and tremendous LFE. Probably the best sounding animated movie since "The Incredibles". Tremendous job on the audio Dreamworks!! I have a new "go to" audio demo disc now.

Wow by reading this make me cant wait even more. Gonna pick mind up tomorrow. Thats when it on for sales here in Australia

The PQ is amazing on this film. And yes the Audio is awesome... though, I'd like to have seen more LFE in the 10 Hz to 20 Hz range. IMpressive and powerful none the less.

Is this good blind buy calibur though? Is it on par with Kung Fu Panda, which was a blind buy that turned out well (good replay value due to all the action sequences, enjoyed the movie a few times already)?

thanks

I repeat, not until home 3-D is available.

Ralph Kramden is also still waiting for 3D TV :D

I repeat, not until home 3-D is available.

3-D [laughing...hard].

Years away at affordable prices and content (if it survives)... And it'll only be worth it if you have front projection rather than a small plasma. The marketing spinners are having a field day with this 3-D garbage.:D

3-d [laughing...hard].

Years away at affordable prices and content (if it survives)... And it'll only be worth it if you have front projection rather than a small plasma. The marketing spinners are having a field day with this 3-d garbage.:d

+1

I'd like to have seen more LFE in the 10 Hz to 20 Hz range.Maybe this was the issue I had. While I thought the overall soundtrack was great, there was something about the bass I couldn't quite put my finger on. Seems like it got better towards the end of the film though. Very enjoyable movie that I liked more than I thought I would.

The PQ is amazing on this film. And yes the Audio is awesome... though, I'd like to have seen more LFE in the 10 Hz to 20 Hz range. IMpressive and powerful none the less.

10Hz??? Really? I'm not interested in a 10 cycles/sec earthquake when I watch a movie;)

The PQ is amazing on this film. And yes the Audio is awesome... though, I'd like to have seen more LFE in the 10 Hz to 20 Hz range. IMpressive and powerful none the less.

Exactly my impression too.
John

10Hz??? Really? I'm not interested in a 10 cycles/sec earthquake when I watch a movie;)

If your pant legs are not fluttering in the bass, you're not doing something right...:D

Maybe this was the issue I had. While I thought the overall soundtrack was great, there was something about the bass I couldn't quite put my finger on. Seems like it got better towards the end of the film though. Very enjoyable movie that I liked more than I thought I would.

That is what happened. Like a fine wine, better with time;)
John

Whichever freq causes the "chest tones", thats my fave, lol. Hope there are some of those. :)

How about they move from 24 fps to 60 fps before jumping to 3-D. Seriously, this 24 fps has got to go. I can just see the future now, 8000p 200' hologram movies...at 24fps. WTF?! :mad:

Totally agree.

Yeah I see those issues also, seems like only Pixar has figured out how to properly downrez CG movies to 1080p :/

Same problem here as well. I think it clears itself up once into the alien ship. It is not as noticeable against the darker backdrops as it is in daylight scenes. It' bad early on before the wedding. Look at the plants and stuff in the background. They all have ringing. Still, it is relatively minor, and it is not that thick. Most will have a hard time seeing it. Still gave the video a 5/5 on my site.

How about they move from 24 fps to 60 fps before jumping to 3-D. Seriously, this 24 fps has got to go. I can just see the future now, 8000p 200' hologram movies...at 24fps. WTF?! :mad:
Won't happen. It is fairly easy for the studios to port a CG animated feature over to 3D which is why we're seeing so many of them. Adding new frames is significantly more work compared to setting up a second camera and all that extra storage space and rendering time could be another project or two instead.

I watched the movie last night with my son. He was mesmerized for quite a while, then got really excited and zipped around the theater like a mad man for a while and then crawled over to me to fall asleep. I'd say that amusement alone was worth the price of the disc assuming we get this kind of mileage out of it for the next few years. I liked the movie as a whole, not quite as good technically and with cheaper gags than anything Pixar does but on the plus side there's lots of action and the sub got a real work out (wife complained about house shaking).

I don't have an issue with 24p on animated movies. My coworker has FI on his projector and I do not have on my projector that we demo'd this bd with. He could not nit pick any issues with this release with motion or pans on my pj. That is one of the things I like about animated movies.

review up at bluray.com

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Monsters-vs-Aliens-Blu-ray-Review/5359/

i repeat, not until home 3-d is available.

+100

+100

Is it teen time or what??? 3-D / +100. C'mon kiddies..:D

3-D [laughing...hard].

Years away at affordable prices and content (if it survives)... And it'll only be worth it if you have front projection rather than a small plasma. The marketing spinners are having a field day with this 3-D garbage.:D

It's a long way from garbage and movie goers are also having a ball with it also judging from all the 3D movies that have been #1 at the box office lately.

It's a long way from garbage and movie goers are also having a ball with it also judging from all the 3D movies that have been #1 at the box office lately.

Not at home... and those movies would would've been #1 without 3-D! Helloooo!!!:D

3-D is today's fad at the theater. I'll believe it when I see AMerica go front projection and hundreds of 3-D releases. The typical 60" plasma would be joke with 3-D.

My kids had to have the poster in our theater. Had the poster up since April. The kids see the poster and are always asking me when we are going to see it in our theater. The wait is almost over.

http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq98/GoCaboNow/IMG_0308.jpg

http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq98/GoCaboNow/IMG_0306.jpg

Nice theater! :)

Not at home... and those movies would would've been #1 without 3-D! Helloooo!!!:D

3-D is today's fad at the theater. I'll believe it when I see AMerica go front projection and hundreds of 3-D releases. The typical 60" plasma would be joke with 3-D.
The CG animated movies would still do well, the live action crap that's been shoveled out of course not. I don't believe live action 3D will be more than a novelty anytime soon but as far as CG animation goes I believe it is here to stay.

Not at home... and those movies would would've been #1 without 3-D! Helloooo!!!:D

3-D is today's fad at the theater. I'll believe it when I see AMerica go front projection and hundreds of 3-D releases. The typical 60" plasma would be joke with 3-D.

I agree. My display is a 65" RPTV (IMO, CRT still has the best picture...;)), and I have no intention of ever going FP (not slamming FP setups at all, just saying that I don't want one). To me, the movie is the most important thing... not gimmics. All the pass-by-night fads in the world can't save a movie with bad acting, direction, cinematography, etc.

Say YES to full blown 3D in the home with 7.1 lossless surround sound.

I'm disappointed this ones coming with just a 2D edition and yet the extra is in 3D. I think i know why they are doing this though. I believe a deal has been struck with Panasonic and thus they are holding back 3D titles like this until proper 3D players and displays hit the market. I believe Fox, Disney and Dreamworks titles are being held back from being released on standard Blu Ray with the paper glasses due to a deal being struck for proper 3D coming next year.

It might be a gimmick but it's an entertaining gimmick so count me in. I also believe 3D is here to stay this time.

One thing i'd like to see is the introduction of BD-75 and BD-100 discs for 3D use. Panasonic claim you need 1.5 times the space of a normal 2D edition for 3D. Thus 99% of all 3D movies will fit on a BD-50. I also read that they can extrapolate a 2D edition from the 3D edition so more space shouldn't be needed just to make a 2D edition.

I don't see the image quality being an issue. Most films around two hours can easily fit in about 30 gigabytes of space with lossless audio and an audio commentary and they can look fabulous. 1.5 times the space is 45 gigabytes. Not a problem. They can add extra's onto a second disc.

I'm all for 3D. bring it on. Proper 3D for the home which will look as great as the current home cinema 3D. Yessssss.

+1000 "Bring it on"

Really surprised how good this movie looks. Watched this and Bolt yesterday and the clarity of MvA is near perfect IMO (Bolt looks soft in comparison) Reference Blu Ray for me. Perfect PQ and really strong AQ to go with it.

It is such a pleasing image. I had a hunch the reviewers would not give it a perfect pq score like KFP, Walle and Ratatouille received. It is close though.

Is the Target version (with the standard DVD) a Target exclusive or do all Blu-ray versions come with the standard DVD?

I've got this on order from Amazon but if that release doesn't come with the standard DVD version, I'll send it back and buy from target instead.

Watched last night pq and sq fantastic. The movie itself wasnt bad.

Watched last night pq and sq fantastic. The movie itself wasnt bad.

I have this movie in my queue. Good family movie? Did you watch this on your new screen?:cool:

I have this movie in my queue. Good family movie? Did you watch this on your new screen?:cool:

My family enjoyed it. Yep watched it on the new screen and lens simply stunning picture:)

Won't happen. It is fairly easy for the studios to port a CG animated feature over to 3D which is why we're seeing so many of them. Adding new frames is significantly more work compared to setting up a second camera and all that extra storage space and rendering time could be another project or two instead.

I watched the movie last night with my son. He was mesmerized for quite a while, then got really excited and zipped around the theater like a mad man for a while and then crawled over to me to fall asleep. I'd say that amusement alone was worth the price of the disc assuming we get this kind of mileage out of it for the next few years. I liked the movie as a whole, not quite as good technically and with cheaper gags than anything Pixar does but on the plus side there's lots of action and the sub got a real work out (wife complained about house shaking).

I can't help but laugh at your wife complaining about house shaking!

if your pant legs are not fluttering in the bass, you're not doing something right...:d

+1

lol

Is the Target version (with the standard DVD) a Target exclusive or do all Blu-ray versions come with the standard DVD?

I've got this on order from Amazon but if that release doesn't come with the standard DVD version, I'll send it back and buy from target instead.

Target was the only place I saw that had a version which included the standard DVD (Walmart and Bestbuy were just the Blu-ray). Don't know what Amazon has.

I can't help but laugh at your wife complaining about house shaking!
You should have been there for Iron Man. She was convinced I bought a new sub. Which I did, 2 or 3 years ago. Statute of limitations long expired.

You should have been there for Iron Man. She was convinced I bought a new sub. Which I did, 2 or 3 years ago. Statute of limitations long expired.Ha! That's awesome. I need to keep that one in mind.:)

Target was the only place I saw that had a version which included the standard DVD (Walmart and Bestbuy were just the Blu-ray). Don't know what Amazon has.

I believe Target is the only one selling the BD/DVD combo, which is why I bought my copy there. My son does lots of viewing upstairs in a room without a blu-ray player, so the DVD really comes in handy (and already has in this case as well).

Is the Target version (with the standard DVD) a Target exclusive or do all Blu-ray versions come with the standard DVD?

I've got this on order from Amazon but if that release doesn't come with the standard DVD version, I'll send it back and buy from target instead.

Target was the only place I saw that had a version which included the standard DVD (Walmart and Bestbuy were just the Blu-ray). Don't know what Amazon has.


the version amazon has is just the blu ray

Great sound quality. The opening scene in particular is great. The crickets in the background sounded real. There were lots of excellent sounds that most other kids movies would have neglected. They did an excellent job with this.

Anyone notice 2 or 3 momentary pause (lasting fraction of a second) in TrueHD audio during the movie? It was like pauses associated with seemless branching, but without the pop. This is with Oppo 83 bitstreaming to Denon 3808.

Anyone notice 2 or 3 momentary pause (lasting fraction of a second) in TrueHD audio during the movie? It was like pauses associated with seemless branching, but without the pop. This is with Oppo 83 bitstreaming to Denon 3808.

No problems here!

Sony BDP-S350 HDMI > Onkyo TX-SR606.

Anyone notice 2 or 3 momentary pause (lasting fraction of a second) in TrueHD audio during the movie? It was like pauses associated with seemless branching, but without the pop. This is with Oppo 83 bitstreaming to Denon 3808.

I didn't notice any problems with my disc. What part in the movie did you notice the pauses? I will play my copy again to see if I can hear them.

It was like pauses associated with seemless branching, but without the pop.

How can it be "seamless branching" if it's not, well, seamless?

PS: I bought the Target version. The Amazon blu-ray only version will have to go back.

I noticed a bad brightness level with the scene when the big robot comets thru the night sky and hit the ground. The bad brightness was when there was a couple in the car and the woman throw herself around the neck on the reluctant guy.

I bought mine in sweden.

How can it be "seamless branching" if it's not, well, seamless?

PS: I bought the Target version. The Amazon blu-ray only version will have to go back.
That's why I said "like ... seamless branching".:)

Anyone notice 2 or 3 momentary pause (lasting fraction of a second) in TrueHD audio during the movie? It was like pauses associated with seemless branching, but without the pop. This is with Oppo 83 bitstreaming to Denon 3808.No problem with the PS3. Not yet, anyway.

Have watched it three times now (:o) and no audio issues with my ps3. It is the non slim so just pcm not bitstream though.

Anyone catch the connection between the monsters and the old movies that featured them? I saw this in the theater and didn't notice at first.

Anyone notice 2 or 3 momentary pause (lasting fraction of a second) in TrueHD audio during the movie? It was like pauses associated with seemless branching, but without the pop. This is with Oppo 83 bitstreaming to Denon 3808.

I also watched it with the Oppo and noticed brief moments when the trueHD audio drops out...the video seem fine though.

Watched this movie last night.I couldn't wait until it was over.This movie was just plain bad.Not complaining about the pq or sq ,but the story itself.:(As the saying goes, "you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.":eek:

Have to highly disagree, Watched it twice last night. An utterly sublime viewing experience, with so many joyous little winks to other movies.

In regards to the last 2 posts, I would put the movie somewhere in between. It was definitely an enjoyable experience, but I don't think this movie is on par with some of the pixar movies like The Incredibles or Monsters,Inc.

In regards to the last 2 posts, I would put the movie somewhere in between. It was definitely an enjoyable experience, but I don't think this movie is on par with some of the pixar movies like The Incredibles or Monsters,Inc.

well to be fair you shouldn't compare any other animated movie to a pixar movie, it's just not fair to the non pixar movie. you need to compare it to other non-pixar movies

You should have been there for Iron Man. She was convinced I bought a new sub. Which I did, 2 or 3 years ago. Statute of limitations long expired.

Ha ha awesome! Part of the home theater code/mantra!

Audio-wise, I agree with some who said the bass should've had more to it.
The scene with the gigantic robot in San Francisco, just before he steps on BOB - I smiled, thinking "oh yes, this will sound sweet"

Only to realize it was so subdued (the footsteps should sound MASSIVE when he's stepping over us). I never saw this in the theater, but I doubt it would've sounded so weak in the theater.

The overall sound is good, but not reference or memorable. Quite a few missed opportunities.

well to be fair you shouldn't compare any other animated movie to a pixar movie, it's just not fair to the non pixar movie. you need to compare it to other non-pixar movies

In general this is true, but there are some exceptions. For example, Kung Fu Panda holds up well against any Pixar movie.

In general this is true, but there are some exceptions. For example, Kung Fu Panda holds up well against any Pixar movie.

Agreed. M vs A actually seemed extremely similar in sound design to Kung Fu Panda which is still the animated audio King IMO, but M vs A is right there with it IMO. Reference track IMO:)

In regards to the last 2 posts, I would put the movie somewhere in between. It was definitely an enjoyable experience, but I don't think this movie is on par with some of the pixar movies like The Incredibles or Monsters,Inc.
Pixar aren't the cat's pyjamas IMO. I couldn't stand Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Cars or Wall-E. But then I'm broken. ;)

Pixar aren't the cat's pyjamas IMO. I couldn't stand Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Cars or Wall-E. But then I'm broken. ;)

I'm not a big fan of Ratatouille either, but all 4 Pixar movies you mention are destined to be modern day classics.

Agreed. M vs A actually seemed extremely similar in sound design to Kung Fu Panda which is still the animated audio King IMO, but M vs A is right there with it IMO. Reference track IMO:)

Both movies are definitely reference audio. I was watching KFP the other night and was amazed with the surround action on that track.

Pixar aren't the cat's pyjamas IMO. I couldn't stand Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Cars or Wall-E. But then I'm broken. ;)


:eek:... You called M vs A an utterly sublime viewing experience but then couldn't stand Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Cars or Wall-E :confused:.

Bro, me thinks you drink to many milkshakes with added incentive:rolleyes::D

Audio-wise, I agree with some who said the bass should've had more to it.
The scene with the gigantic robot in San Francisco, just before he steps on BOB - I smiled, thinking "oh yes, this will sound sweet"

Only to realize it was so subdued (the footsteps should sound MASSIVE when he's stepping over us). I never saw this in the theater, but I doubt it would've sounded so weak in the theater.

The overall sound is good, but not reference or memorable. Quite a few missed opportunities.

I find this with a lot of movies. An inconsistency of LFE. You get a nice LFE in one scene and then in another when logic says there should be a bigger boom or rumble you get the same or less. Kind of a "huh?" moment for me.

I posted my thoughts on the inconsistency of the low frequencies in the audio tier thread on release day. Great sound, just didn't hit when I expected it to sometimes.

Agreed. M vs A actually seemed extremely similar in sound design to Kung Fu Panda which is still the animated audio King IMO, but M vs A is right there with it IMO. Reference track IMO:)

i was talking about movie as a whole not just the audio portion of it.


In general this is true, but there are some exceptions. For example, Kung Fu Panda holds up well against any Pixar movie.

i liked kung fu panda but no where near as much as i like all of pixar movies.

Pixar aren't the cat's pyjamas IMO. I couldn't stand Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Cars or Wall-E. But then I'm broken. ;)

i would agree with the bolded part.... :)

I received my rental copy of this movie in the mail today and watched it. Great movie! Better than I expected.

I'm not a big fan of Ratatouille either, but all 4 Pixar movies you mention are destined to be modern day classics.

I saw Ratatouille at the theater with my daughter who was 8 at the time. She enjoyed it and I enjoyed that she liked it so much. It did not do much for me. When it came out on bluray my 3 year old took a great liking to it and we watched it over and over again. Funny thing was the more I saw it the more I enjoyed it to where now it is one of my favorite animated kids movies. The killer aq and iq do not hurt either.:)

i was talking about movie as a whole not just the audio portion of it.


Ooops my fault:o In general, I agree with that:)

I'm not a big fan of Ratatouille either, but all 4 Pixar movies you mention are destined to be modern day classics.
I thought that would be controversial, haha!
I find the word 'classic' to be purely subjective, something that the hive-mind in various quarters fail to compute. ;)

Not too bad of a movie, I liked it.

BEST part was the keyboard sequence.

I got some good laughs out of this and enjoyed it more than Up 3-D. Me and my youngster got a bit bored during Up, not so with M v A. Definitely more gags. Looking forward to seeing it again on BR.;)

I got some good laughs out of this and enjoyed it more than Up 3-D. Me and my youngster got a bit bored during Up, not so with M v A. Definitely more gags. Looking forward to seeing it again on BR.;)

Ditto here. A little like last years Kung Fu Panda and Walle. KFP and MVA were "funner" than the more critically acclaimed and cerebral Walle and UP.

Ditto here. A little like last years Kung Fu Panda and Walle. KFP and MVA were "funner" than the more critically acclaimed and cerebral Walle and UP.I kind of agree, although I've watched Wall E more than KFP. I was in a foul mood when we saw UP, and didn't quite get all the buzz around it. I was just plain bored. I'll give it another chance at home. Maybe it was just the mood I was in.

The funniest parts of UP were the scenes with the dogs with the voice boxes. My kids really laughed at those dogs.

The funniest parts of UP were the scenes with the dogs with the voice boxes. My kids really laughed at those dogs.

We liked that too. It was such a sentimental movie that I was not, I mean my three year old was not entertained consistently. :p

Ditto here. A little like last years Kung Fu Panda and Walle. KFP and MVA were "funner" than the more critically acclaimed and cerebral Walle and UP.

I liked MVA but not quite as much as KFP or some of the Pixar movies. I will say that the latest Pixar movies like Wall E and Up were good but I liked the more upbeat movies like the Incredibles, Toy Stories, and Monsters Inc. IMO KFP was better than some of the Pixar movies. MVA was good but I was hoping for a little more in the plot with the alien invasion portion. Still a good movie though. Bob's Big Break was good also.

Watched this movie last night.I couldn't wait until it was over.This movie was just plain bad.Not complaining about the pq or sq ,but the story itself.:(As the saying goes, "you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.":eek:

Wow complete opposite here, this was probably my favorite CG animated movie since Toy Story 2. Could have been a little longer I thought, but I'm sure there's sequels a brewin'.

Amazing picture quality too, up there with the best I've seen.

I'm not a big fan of Ratatouille either, but all 4 Pixar movies you mention are destined to be modern day classics.

Not Cars.

I watched this today and felt it to be incredibly mediocre.

-Good premise, good animation, good voice acting

-A lot of baaaaaad dialogue/writing

This movie came off as though it was written by some college frat boys rather than by supposed adults whose jobs are to write movie scripts though judging by most movies made this decade it seems the fratboy like mentality is the norm since the goal seems to be to write for the lowest common denominator. Soooo many idiotic "jokes" that were not funny and other stupid lines. An example? When the Doc near the end says

"O M G"

Really? Give me a break. That is teenage girl texting type crap.

Is this really the type of dialogue parents want their kids to get used to? It is bad enough many adults in our north american society act like morons who don't give a rip about anything and have limited ability to socially interact in an intelligent and non-lazy manner (just look at the INSANE use of the term "whatever" people throw around in almost every sentence as proof) but do we need script writers to provide a helping hand in making kids go the same route? It is sad looking at the quality of writing this decade to the past and it will only get worse because people continually are showing they do not care about quality.

My favourite characters were B.O.B and Susan and I found the writing for their characters to be good. B.O.B's lines were the only that were often funny and Rogen did a great job there with his voice acting.

In the last week or two I've watched a handful of animation movies:

Wall-E, Ratatouille (rewatch), Bolt, Cars (rewatch), this

with the movie quality in that order and can say without question this was nowhere near those other 4 and this movie isn't even in the same league as the masterpiece known as Wall-E.

At least the pq and sound were nice and I am so glad I didn't blind buy this like I was planning to.

It is sad that big ticket animation movies used to be no-brainers to me for enjoyment but now they have become like every other genre where who the heck knows what I'll get. At least Pixar so far has been a continual string of hits and I can only hope Up is as good as Wall-E.

I watched this today and felt it to be incredibly mediocre.

-Good premise, good animation, good voice acting

-A lot of baaaaaad dialogue/writing

This movie came off as though it was written by some college frat boys rather than by supposed adults whose jobs are to write movie scripts though judging by most movies made this decade it seems the fratboy like mentality is the norm since the goal seems to be to write for the lowest common denominator. Soooo many idiotic "jokes" that were not funny and other stupid lines. An example? When the Doc near the end says

"O M G"

Really? Give me a break. That is teenage girl texting type crap.

Is this really the type of dialogue parents want their kids to get used to? It is bad enough many adults in our north american society act like morons who don't give a rip about anything and have limited ability to socially interact in an intelligent and non-lazy manner (just look at the INSANE use of the term "whatever" people throw around in almost every sentence as proof) but do we need script writers to provide a helping hand in making kids go the same route? It is sad looking at the quality of writing this decade to the past and it will only get worse because people continually are showing they do not care about quality.

My favourite characters were B.O.B and Susan and I found the writing for their characters to be good. B.O.B's lines were the only that were often funny and Rogen did a great job there with his voice acting.

In the last week or two I've watched a handful of animation movies:

Wall-E, Ratatouille (rewatch), Bolt, Cars (rewatch), this

with the movie quality in that order and can say without question this was nowhere near those other 4 and this movie isn't even in the same league as the masterpiece known as Wall-E.


Again, to each their own. I thought MvA was a very slick-written movie, myself. "OMG"? Guess what, it's a part of pop-culture language and those kinds of references are everywhere - late-night talks shows, cartoons, etc. - and it's a part of kids' social interaction. Generally most would agree this was a movie made primarily for young people, not grumpy old "get off my lawn"ers. :rolleyes:

What's more, I really appreciated the quick pace of this film, not beating the various plot elements down my throat and leaving much more room for fun and laughs. Frankly, I find some Pixar movies to be way too heavy handed in their approach to establishing characters or moral dilemas as ones that we should care about. Ratatouille and Cars come to mind. They should be a lot more fun than they end up being, in my opinion, because Pixar seems to try and force us to feel whatever the characters are feeling, and it doesn't always connect. WALL-E a masterpiece? In what, animation? Ya it's cute, ya it holds up a mirror to American society and forces us to think, blah blah blah...but it isn't exactly Children of Men or something, sheesh. Just give us Toy Story 3 already.

Sorry, but MvA was a refreshing distraction from the Pixar empire for me, with the perfect amount of pop-culture nods and jokes for both adults and youngins to make it fun. And I actually want to give it repeat viewings (unlike Rats, Nemo, Wall-E, etc).

I was big on Pixar till I found out that some of the ones that I thought were great didn't hold up with repeated viewings. I was so enamored with Pixar that at first I didn't even notice that UP 3D dragged on and did get boring. I don't hold them up so high now and have found that other animators are just as good. I found Coraline to be refreshing as was MVA. I look forward to picking up copies of those films and others next year when real 3D comes out.

I was big on Pixar till I found out that some of the ones that I thought were great didn't hold up with repeated viewings. I was so enamored with Pixar that at first I didn't even notice that UP 3D dragged on and did get boring. I don't hold them up so high now and have found that other animators are just as good. I found Coraline to be refreshing as was MVA. I look forward to picking up copies of those films and others next year when real 3D comes out.

I would not judge Pixar by either Up or 3D...most Pixar films (in BD) blow me away...notwithstanding any 3D. My $0.02.

Pixar raised the bar and now other studios are starting to catch up a bit - which is great. I think UP will be better on BD than it was at the theater - most movies are! :)

Pixar raised the bar and now other studios are starting to catch up a bit - which is great. I think UP will be better on BD than it was at the theater - most movies are! :)I'm hoping it is. I just couldn't get into when I saw it. Maybe I'll end up really liking it at home.

Am I the only one that had a problem trying to frame-advance the movie? I paused it in the early downtown San Francisco pans to see if I could read what was on the newspaper that went by, but when I paused it and then tried to do a step advance, my player said that the disc wouldn't allow it. (I have a Sony BDP-S360, and the frame advance does work on other Blu-Ray titles, so I assume it's something Dreamworks did for some reason.)

-- Don

WOW!
Watched last nite and the AV quality is superb.
The animation is, without question, incredible.

Good to hear, oink. I have this sitting in my mailbox. I'm going to try and make a point to watch it tonight.

I saw it for the first time the other night. I thought it was pretty good but not great. Animation was excellent.

Caught this last night. I'm not sure who it was aimed at. The humor had references that probably went over kids heads but wasn't really all that funny for the adults, either. Neither the wife nor I laughed once. None of the characters seemed all that engaging and the dialog and story were both kind of weak. When we finished, we agreed that we certainly never needed to watch it again.

The animation wasn't horrible but it wasn't that great either. If you're a bass freak, some of the action sequences with the robot probe and the UFO self-destruct had bottom end that was pretty amazing.

I watched a little bit of the extra material and all they did was hype of the 3D technology (which, of course, doesn't come through on HDTVs yet). I'm getting REALLY tired of 3D films. If a movie doesn't have a good story, good dialogue and good characters, no amount of technology is going to make it a good film. If the technology is the ONLY thing you have to brag about in your trailers, then your movie probably sucks (and I'm thinking of the new Christmas Carol film, not just this movie). I preferred Pixar's "Up" in this regard in that they did NOT write the script for a 3D movies. They simply wrote a very good (maybe not as great as some other Pixar films, but still very good) script, recorded the actors, directed the performances and then, as a last and relatively unimportant step, rendered it into 3D. The 3D added a bit to the film experience but the movie stood on its own two legs entirely without it.

My girls loved this movie and I am sure they did not get any of the reference to classic sci fi movies. But since the hero is a girl and there are lovable characters with some action, it is a win for them. I loved this movie as well but how much of that is due to the kids enjoyment and seeing the movie through their eyes - I am not sure. I will say in the four weeks we have had this bd I have watched it at least seven times with my four year old - and loved it every time! :)

I saw the MvA Halloween special tonight and it was enjoyable. I do have to say that if Dreamworks makes a sequel that I really wish that Insectasauras would fly away and never come back. I love the remaining characters but just looking at him is kind of annoying. LOL

I saw the MvA Halloween special tonight and it was enjoyable. I do have to say that if Dreamworks makes a sequel that I really wish that Insectasauras would fly away and never come back. I love the remaining characters but just looking at him is kind of annoying. LOL

Well no worries about that - Dreamworks has said no plans for a MvA sequel due to unsatisfactory box office / sales on the international market. Shame, as it was the 2nd best thing Dreamworks Animation has ever done. At least they're doing more Kung Fu Panda.

Well no worries about that - Dreamworks has said no plans for a MvA sequel due to unsatisfactory box office / sales on the international market. Shame, as it was the 2nd best thing Dreamworks Animation has ever done. At least they're doing more Kung Fu Panda.

Yeah that is a shame. Hadn't heard about Kung Fu Panda but if that's true that's great news IMO. Kung Fu Panda is about the only animated movie that I've seen that I've liked better than a handful of the Pixar movies.

eric.exe made a nice screenshot comparison which shows that the 2D left eye stream of the 3D version is superior than the normal 2D BD version of the movie (the 2D version is slightly zoomed in, has ringing and banding). so if you are only interested in the 2D version, but are dissatisfied with the quality of the 2D release, you can make your own improved 2D version now with only that left eye stream of the 3D BD.

eric.exe made a nice screenshot comparison which shows that the 2D left eye stream of the 3D version is superior than the normal 2D BD version of the movie (the 2D version is slightly zoomed in, has ringing and banding). so if you are only interested in the 2D version, but are dissatisfied with the quality of the 2D release, you can make your own improved 2D version now with only that left eye stream of the 3D BD.

where?

Here:
Original 2D release | 2D from 3D release
http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/5812/31199306.th.png (http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/5812/31199306.png)http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/6821/53965633.th.png (http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/6821/53965633.png)
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/4407/44500689.th.png (http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/4407/44500689.png)http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/310/82193409.th.png (http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/310/82193409.png)
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/354/56243434.th.png (http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/354/56243434.png)http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7671/59285350.th.png (http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7671/59285350.png)
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/3584/63858415.th.png (http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/3584/63858415.png)http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3228/69019886.th.png (http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3228/69019886.png)
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2214/44168092.th.png (http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2214/44168092.png)http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6953/90514033.th.png (http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6953/90514033.png)
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/291/43546513.th.png (http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/291/43546513.png)http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/1766/51076204.th.png (http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/1766/51076204.png)
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8972/74268840.th.png (http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8972/74268840.png)http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3011/24022726.th.png (http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3011/24022726.png)
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1875/96442723.th.png (http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1875/96442723.png)http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7692/22606618.th.png (http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7692/22606618.png)
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/1751/56118650.th.png (http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/1751/56118650.png)http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/1494/94661855.th.png (http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/1494/94661855.png)

I see, isn't the zoomed out frame to compensate for the offset borders on the sides?