The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/3D Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
98
Studio and Year: DreamWorks - 2012
MPAA Rating: PG
Feature running time: 97 minutes
Genre: Family
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: MVC/AVC
Video Aspect: 1.78:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English Dolby TrueHD 7.1, French/Spanish Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Chris Pine, Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Jude Law
Directed by: Peter Ramsey
Music by: Alexandre Desplat
Written by: David Lindsay-Abaire
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: March 12, 2013
"The Easter Bunny is more than a fable"
Film Synopsis:
DreamWorks’ newest animated adventure has captured the imagination of audiences worldwide with a fun-filled and magical story about the legendary guardians - Jack Frost, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and Sandman – together for the first time. When the evil Pitch threatens to take over the world, it’s up to our beloved heroes to protect the hopes and dreams of children everywhere.
My Take:
I saw the trailer for Rise of the Guardians on a 3D Blu-ray that I had in for review last year and while the story looked okay I very impressed with the visuals (more on that later). The plot revolves around the Guardians, four fabled characters, Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy and The Sandman who in addition to their regular duties help keep watch over those in the world that believe in them. Jack Frost hasn’t yet attained the rank of Guardian and is fairly new among the fabled legends kept alive by the dreams and playful spirits/hopes of children. When Pitch, better known as the Boogeyman, decides to turn children’s dreams to nightmares and spoil their beliefs in the Guardians they enlist Jack’s help in order to stop him.
Rise of the Guardians isn’t especially imaginative from a conceptual standpoint however it’s re-imagined take on the fabled characters in its story as well as combining them in a quasi superhero team fashion was fun. The story more or less focuses on Jack, his back story and his quest to be a validated in the eyes of children as well as an accepted Guardian. The first act moved a little slow for me but things picked up nicely from that point and I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. Rise of the Guardians isn’t as heartwarmingly engaging as other DreamWorks animated films but it’s spirited, apropos and perfectly suited for perennial entertainment for the kids. Did I mention that its an absolutely gorgeous film that looks amazing in high definition?? Read on…
Parental Guide:
The rating is for thematic elements and some mildly scary action.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 96
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
3D Presentation: 100
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Depth (Onscreen):
- Dimension (Beyond the screen):
- Realism:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Color reproduction:
Rise of the Guardians 3D comes to Blu-ray Disc from Paramount featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and lossless Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel sound that has an average bitrate of 3.6 Mbps.
This film is a native 3D film that positively translates to Blu-ray. Detail is well preserved as the image retains its high level of clarity as objects within the frame are delineated and sharp. Depth of field is excellent as there is a natural sense dimension with regard to foreground/background spacing and movement. The cinematography utilizes near field camera perspectives that enhance proportional correlation. There are a plethora of sequences, usually associated with the elements of action/horror that provide a gimmicky/fun reach out and touch sense of dimension as things protrude, float or fly beyond the screen’s borders. A film like this has the potential to make definitive use of the 3D platform and I enjoyed its implementation here as it made the experience a bit more enjoyable. Contrast is spot on, blacks are inky and colors are vivid and deeply saturated. The blend creates a visually dynamic effect. I didn’t notice any overtly distracting signs of ghosting/crosstalk. This is among the better 3D presentations I have seen and is tailor made for fans of the format.
This is an engaging Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix that utilizes the entire system to create a theater like experience. Sound staging is excellent as both the front and rear channels are seamlessly integrated so that sound effects seem to traverse the room. Surround activity is frequent but not ostentatious as both directional and spatial information mixed to the rear channels weaves an enveloping pattern of sound. Dynamics are energetic and forceful which lends weight to the plethora of impact felt moments during the movie. This is a fairly aggressive LFE mix that makes regular use of the subwoofer to accentuate its already powerful dynamic range. The result is impressive bass response that has authoritative depth and palpably rich impact that can be room shaking. Dialogue is rendered with aplomb. Alexandre Desplats’ rousing music is an essential component to this soundtrack as it helps embolden the story with energetic instrumentation and high level detail that maintains a prominent but non dominating aural presence. This is a superlative audio presentation that mates perfectly with the video and source material. The combination makes for a terrific home theater experience that is best described as marvelous.
**I would like to add that I didn't experience a single audio problem with this Dolby TrueHD track.**
2D Video Quality:
Video: 100
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Rise of the Guardians comes to Blu-ray Disc from DreamWorks featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 30 Mbps.
This is a beautifully crafted digital film that looks amazing in high definition. From start to finish this presentation is nothing short of mesmerizing in its depiction of the film’s animated images. The video is exquisitely detailed, incredibly three dimensional and never left me wanting for fine degrees of subtle delineation and texture. The attention to detail in the construction of the animated characters physical features as well as objects within each frame is superb. The chromatic palette is rich with succulent primaries and vibrant secondary colors that exhibit subtle degrees of separation and eye pleasing depth. Contrast is exemplary and blacks are inky with extended dynamic range and deep gradational highlights. Those with high contrast displays will fully appreciate how superlative this high definition rendering looks. The film’s low level sequences (there are many) look stunning as the dark and shadow filled backgrounds exhibit a near infinite level of dimension, with superb contrast and visible shading that draws out lots of detail. I was blown away by this flawless video presentation from DreamWorks who continue to prove that Pixar isn’t the only pristine animation game in town.
Bonus Features:
Disc 1:
- Rise of the Guardians 3D Blu-ray
Disc 2:
- Rise of the Guardians 2D Blu-ray (plus bonus features)
- Blu-ray Exclusives:
- Jack Frost Snowball Showdown – Interactive challenge
- Rock paper scissors with Sandy – Interactive game
- Legendary Features:
- Filmmakers commentary
- (HD) Behind the magic (5 featurettes):
-
- Dreaming up the look
- Naughty and nice
- Character design
- Enchanting effects
- Creating an epic score
- Dreaming up the look
- (HD) The man behind the Guardians – 6 minute featurette
- Sandy's Dream Guide - Interactive feature
- Bonus DVD
- Digital Copy
- Ultraviolet Digital Copy
Final Thoughts:
Rise of the Guardians isn’t as heartwarmingly engaging as some of the better animated films from DreamWorks but it’s spirited, apropos and perfectly suited perennial entertainment that I rather enjoyed. Speaking of enjoyable Rise of the Guardians looks absolutely beautiful in high definition. Both the 3D and 2D presentations offer breathtaking visuals that are perfect for showing off the capabilities of your high definition display. In addition to that the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel soundtrack is top notch and compliments the video in rousing style. Rounding out this three disc offering from Paramount Home Entertainment is a fan friendly assortment of bonus supplements that offer exclusive content, interactive games and insights from the filmmakers. Perfect film or not Rise of the Guardians on Blu-ray deserves serious consideration for inclusion in your video collection.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
Looking forward to the 3D version.
I think I saw the preview for this while watching Madagascar 3 3D and I remember being impressed with just the preview! Thanks for the review.
) and it was a definite blu-ray 3D buy for me--the 3D WILL blow you away!
