BLU-RAY REVIEW

Arthur Christmas In 3D

Featured In Issue 172, December 2012

3D Picture5
Picture5
Sound5
WSR Score5
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):
40974
(MPAA Rating):
PG
(Rating Reason):
For some mild rude humor.
(Retail Price):
$55.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
98
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A, B & C
(Theatrical Year):
2011
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
11/06/12
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Sarah Smith
(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):
Dolby Digital 5.1, 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):

How can Santa deliver billions of presents to the whole world in just one night? With an army of one million combat-style Field Elves and a vast, state-of-the-art control center under the ice of the North Pole. So how could this incredible operation have missed one child? To Santa's young son, "Arthur," (McAvoy) it threatens to end the magic of "Christmas." With retired Grandsanta (Nighy), a rebellious young elf, an old sleigh, and some untrained reindeer, Arthur sets out on a crazy mission to deliver the last present. (Tricia Spears)

Included in the three-disc set is a Blu-ray 3D, a Blu-ray Disc, and a DVD. Special features on the Blu-ray Disc include the featurette "Un-wrapping Arthur Christmas" (HD 13:26); five Progression Reels: "Arthur Christmas Unwrapped" (HD 04:55), "Arthur's Office" (HD 02:13), "Grandsanta" (HD 02:38), "Invasion" (HD 02:16), and "Trelew" (HD 02:16); an "Elf Recruitment Video" (HD 01:03); previews; and upfront ads.

The 1080p MVC animated 3D picture quality is excellent. Colors are nicely saturated and bold but not exaggerated, presenting a natural palette of vivid and rich and warm hues. The bolder colors are striking, yet well balanced, and pop off the screen with lavish reds, cool greens, and bright snow! Contrast is impeccably balanced. Blacks are deep and solid throughout, and shadow delineation is superb, with excellent resolution in the darker scenes. Nuanced resolution is impressively detailed, sharp, and clear. There is absolutely no noise or other artifacts, for an extremely pristine digital-sourced picture, with no artifacts or crosstalk ghosting, for a perfect visual 3D experience. Naturally rendered positive and negative parallax depth perspectives within and out front of the screen effectively enhance the perception of depth and perspective. Caricatures appear realistic in terms of natural voluminous, with impressive density and roundness. The result is impressive, natural, dimensional support for the storytelling. This is a reference-quality 3D picture that exhibits incredible textural depth, dimension, and detail that is the essence of 3D. The picture is reference quality throughout. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack delivers a holosonic® enveloping soundfield, with aggressive directionalized surrounds and pans that define an enjoyable dimensional experience. Foley sound effects are excellent and enhance the dimensional quality. Dialogue, which sounds nicely integrated is, of course, ADR produced but with effective spatial integration. The orchestral music score is sweeping in its soundstage presence, extending to the surrounds, for all-encompassing soundfield envelopment. The sound is spacious, with a generally wide and deep soundstage and an immersive surround presence. Sound effects, especially during the S-1 ship sequences, and music often attain high SPLs and bass extension in the LFE .1 channel, while at times extending below 25 Hz, to nicely intensify the action scenes. This is a soundtrack with effective moments of aggressive surround envelopment and directionalized dimensionality that will not disappoint. (Gary Reber)