BLU-RAY REVIEW

Open Season 3D

Featured In Issue 157, May/June 2011

3D Picture4.5
Picture4.5
Sound4
WSR Score4
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):
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
36440
(MPAA Rating):
PG
(Rating Reason):
(Retail Price):
$39.95
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Single Layer (BD-25)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
86
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A, B & C
(Theatrical Year):
2006
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
11/16/10
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Jill Culton & Roger Allers
(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):

Sony Animation's first feature film, Open Season offers the voice talents of Martin Lawrence as Boog, a domesticated grizzly bear who is being raised by kindly Park Ranger Beth (Messing). After Boog saves Elliot (Kutcher), a one-antlered mule deer, from the hood of a hunter's truck, his world, as he knows it, is changed forever. From an original story by Steve Moore and John Carls. (Tricia Spears)

Special features open with 3-D sneak peeks of Monster House, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, and The Smurfs. There is also a 4-1/2 minute Boog And Elliot's Midnight Bun Run short. All other features are the same as on the previous Blu-ray Disc, with two featurettes: Behind The Trees (SD 15:14) and The Voices Behind The Stars (SD 07:35), two deleted scenes (SD 02:03), the music video "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)" by Deathray (SD 02:19), commentaries, activities, RingTales, galleries, D-BOX Motion Code™, and BD-Live functionality.

Previously reviewed as a standard Blu-ray Disc release in Issue 118, the 1.78:1 1080p MVC 3-D Blu-ray Disc is stunning and far superior in delivering realistic depth and natural perspective! The picture exhibits well-rendered details and colors. Depth is very impressive, even in nighttime scenes, which imparts a wonderful natural quality to the perspectives. Characters are dimensional in terms of size and volume, and their position relationship as they interact with each other and their environment. Textures look incredibly realistic. Individual hairs in Boog's lifelike fur and leaves on trees and blades of grass are resolved perfectly in their animate art form. Colors are equal to the standard version, with nicely saturated and multicolored hues that are well balanced. Blacks are rock solid and detailed, with revealing shadow delineation in the darker night scenes. The picture is absolutely pristine, though, ghosting is evident throughput, but not particularly distracting, especially in light of the amazing 3-D quality of the imagery. This is a wonderful colorful picture that exhibits clever animation that will bring smiles to both kids and adults. This is a 3-D experience that families are sure to love. (Gary Reber)

Previously released as a linear PCM 5.1-channel soundtrack on the standard Blu-ray Disc, this re-encoded DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is the same mix, which remains rather basic. Voices are recorded and integrated well. Music is mixed using each of the available channels, including the LFE. Fidelity, clarity, and dynamic range are not lacking, with the music score nicely balanced across the soundstage and extended to the surrounds, to enhance overall soundfield dimensionality. Subtle atmospheric effects are nicely resolved, though, such effects are limited and sparsely heard in the surround channels. Overall surround presence is subtle, with a few instances of effective panning, such as the flying helicopter segments. While the mix is not as encompassing or engaging as it could be, the experience is satisfying and engaging. The enhancement that the D-BOX Motion Code encoding brings is particularly engaging, as there is a lot of supportive movement, both in terms of vibrations and jolts perfectly synced to the picture and sound. (Gary Reber)