3D Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Caught up in a feud between neighbors; Gnomeo and Juliet must overcome as many obstacles as their namesakes. But with flamboyant pink flamingoes and epic lawnmower races, can this young couple find lasting happiness?

Disney has been doing an exceptional job with their 3D releases and thankfully not plunging them into exclusive deals with electronics manufacturers. Their latest isn’t the best 3D offering they’ve released, but it is still quite solid. The animation style definitely lends to the dimensionality of 3D and the simple yet effective CG animation shines. Colors are wonderfully reproduced and contrast levels only add to the depth of image. I did notice some occasional ghosting, but this almost seems par for the course when it comes to 3D on Blu-ray. Fine object detail is excellent throughout and the mostly bright animation lends itself to a image that never feels overly dim, even with the glasses on.

The 2D presentation is every bit as good as the 3D image, though the latter does present a bit more depth throughout naturally. I enjoyed the more vibrant tones of the 2D presentation though and detail was a smidge better. Compression artifacts were never an issue and I didn’t notice any shimmer or line twitter in the film. While the CG animation isn’t quite as jaw dropping as the latest from Pixar, it still does a commendable job, especially with the character animation. Both versions feature a pretty solid DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. There are some new tunes here from Elton John, but nothing that really stood out as much as his previous hits for other Disney productions. The sound design is fun and has its moments of dynamic range, but it is a distant second to Disney’s bigger feature films.

For this review I received the 3D release which also includes the 2D Blu-ray disc, a digital copy of the film and a DVD as well. Basically it covers all your viewing needs in one package. The rest of the supplements revolve around the production including the film’s involvement with Elton John, the voice cast and the animation. You also get some deleted and extended scenes and a music video. Decent, but not mind blowing.

The title tells you a lot about what to expect with this one. It has its clever moments and the animation is pretty good, but the storyline is geared for the younger audience and didn’t keep my attention for very long. Those looking for some new 3D eye candy will be more than satisfied, but those looking for a great film and story won’t.