BLU-RAY REVIEW

Hotel Transylvania 3D

Featured In Issue 174, February 2013

3D Picture4.5
Picture5+
Sound4.5
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):
41369
(MPAA Rating):
PG
(Rating Reason):
Some rude humor, action, and scary images
(Retail Price):
$55.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
92
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A, B & C
(Theatrical Year):
2012
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
01/29/13
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Genndy Tartakovsky
(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):

Welcome to "Hotel Transylvania," Dracula's lavish live-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up and no humans are allowed. One special weekend, Dracula (Sandler) has invited all his best friends—Frankenstein and his wife, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Werewolf family, and more—to celebrate his beloved daughter Mavis' (Gomez) 118th birthday. For Dracula, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem, but the party really starts when one ordinary guy stumbles into the hotel and changes everything! (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary with Director Genndy Tartakovsky, Producer Michelle Murdocca, and Visual Effects Supervisor Daniel Kramer; the animated short "Goodnight Mr. Foot" (HD 04:07); three deleted scenes; the featurettes "Meet The Staff And Guests: Voicing Hotel Transylvania" (HD 06:29) and "Making The Hotel" (HD 03:44); three Progression Reels; the "Problem (Monster Remix)" music video by Becky G featuring Will.i.am; Behind The Scenes of "Problem (Monster Remix)" (HD 02:21); previews; and upfront ads. The three-disc set includes a DVD, a Blu-ray Disc™, and a Blu-ray 3D.

The 1080p MVC 3D picture is absolutely spectacular! The picture exhibits incredibly sharp and clear imagery and is dramatically visual, with excellent contrast and shadow delineation. Contrast is impeccable. Blacks are deep and solid in their purest form. Even the animated shadow delineation is extraordinary. Colors are bold and vibrant and exhibit warm and rich hues. Textures are incredibly detailed, and the animated lines are crisp and sharp and perfectly discernible. The image quality in terms of detail and color is the same for both 2D and 3D versions. Every brush of color looks simply amazing. The 3D version is visually enthralling, though, not every scene distinguishes itself from the 2D version. The enhanced 3D depth perspective and dimensionality can be immersive, and as such transforms the visual experience to an engaging artistic level. Depth and dimension are perfectly and naturally rendered, with the occasional out-of-screen elements hovering beyond the screen. There is absolutely no apparent crosstalk ghosting or other artifact, including noise. This is a visually fun experience in 3D. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is consistently enveloping and natural sounding. Surround support is constant, with both dynamic and nuanced low-level sound elements. Atmospherics and sound effects are perfectly positioned as they maneuver throughout the soundfield. The orchestral musical score is wonderfully recorded with a wide and deep soundstage presence that aggressively extends to the surrounds. Fidelity and instrumental timbre clarity is impressive. Low-frequency response is strong but never exaggerated in the .1 LFE channel, providing full-bodied support throughout. The musical numbers rock. Dialogue is clear and focused with a sense of natural presence and integration. This is a terrific holosonic® fun experience. (Gary Reber)