BLU-RAY REVIEW

Yogi Bear 3D

Featured In Issue 157, May/June 2011

3D Picture4.5
Picture4.5
Sound4.5
WSR Score3.5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Warner Home Video
(Catalog Number):
3000036805
(MPAA Rating):
PG
(Rating Reason):
Some mild rude humor
(Retail Price):
$44.95
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Single Layer (BD-25)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
80
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
2010
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
03/22/11
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Eric Brevig
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

Yogi Bear (Aykroyd) has always relied on his quick wit and fast feet to stay one step ahead of irate campers while dodging his long-suffering nemesis, Ranger Smith (Cavanagh). But he and Boo Boo (Timberlake) are about to face a situation worse than anything Yogi has ever gotten them into...Jellystone Park is being sold! To cover his mismanagement of city funds and fuel his election campaign, Mayor Brown (Daly) plans to sell the park to loggers. Families will no longer be able to experience the natural beauty of the outdoors Jellystone has always provided...and, even worse, Yogi, Boo Boo, and all their friends will be tossed out of the only home they've ever known. Faced with his biggest challenge ever, Yogi must prove he really is "smarter than the average bear," as he and Boo Boo join forces with Ranger Smith to find a way to save the park from closing forever. Based on characters created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. (Tricia Spears)

The three-disc package includes the Blu-ray Disc™ release, the Blu-ray 3D release, and the DVD/digital copy combo disc of the film. Special features on the Blu-ray Disc include an interactive map tour—"Spending A Day At Jellystone Park," the Yogi Bear Mash-Up (HD 03:37) featurette, a game—"Are You Smarter Than The Average Bear," the Looney Tunes short Rabid Rider (HD 03:37), and up-front previews.

The 1.78:1 1080p MVC Fusion 3-D picture is full of natural depth perspective, which captures the vastness of the forest-covered Jellystone Park backdrop. Every frame is expressive of depth! The film is full of 3-D effects that enhance the comedic play in the storytelling. Such effects are generally gimmicky, but again, play well in the comedic sense and enhance the visual slapstick fun. Such is the case of Yogi's shenanigans when using a telescope, disrupting picnic baskets, or setting off missile fireworks that punch and fly out of the screen, or the tongue of the endangered frogmouth turtle that stretches out of the screen. Such effects are regularly experienced and effectively enhance the comedic playfulness. The 3D is not subtle, but then the experience is enhanced, while the 2-D imagery is flat and less involving and communicative by comparison. In a few instances, human characters appear like 2-D captures inserted into the 3-D landscape. The color palette is strong, with vibrant hues that really pop. The forested environment is perfectly natural in tone, with no apparent exaggeration of hue in the forest greenery and earth tones, as seen in Jellystone. Resolution is crisp and detailed, particularly depicted in close-ups of facial features, clothing, Yogi and Boo Boo's CG bear fur, objects such as the weave of picnic baskets, and varied forest textures. Fleshtones are perfectly natural. Blacks are solid, and shadow delineation is revealing. The picture exhibits a crisp, clean and pristine quality with no apparent ghosting. This is a fun, eye-popping 3-D visual experience that will delight every member of the family. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is as vibrant as the 3D. The music occupies the background and, at times, is front and center. The orchestral score and rock-tinged segments are nicely recorded, with a wide and deep soundstage that presents an effective surround presence that enhances the overall holosonic® spatial feel of the soundtrack. The Sir Mix-A-Lot's "butt" song delivers high-level bass pounding into the soundstage with strong .1 LFE energy. LFE energy also supports various action segments and adds weight to the music and sound effects. Atmospheric effects are aggressively enveloping throughout the soundfield, to convey the soundscape environment of Jellystone. At one point, the river rapids are effectively sounded, as well as the wayward missile fireworks zipping through the soundfield. Sound effects are often directionalized and aggressively enveloping. Dialogue is always intelligible and, at times, nicely integrated spatially. This is a high-energy soundtrack that presents a fun listening experience that perfectly complements the comedic slapstick storytelling. (Gary Reber)