Best
Of Elmo 3 (2015/Warner
DVD)/Chuggington: Fire
Patrol Rescue
(2015/Anchor Bay DVD)/Easter
Family Fun Pack
(2015/Sonar/MarVista/Cinedigm DVD)/Penguins
Of Madagascar
(2014/DreamWorks Animation/Fox Blu-ray w/DVD)/Wolfy:
The Incredible Secret
(2013/Cinedigm DVD)
Picture:
C+/C+/C/B & C+/C Sound: C+/C+/C/B+ & B-/C+ Extras:
C+/C/D/C+/D Main Programs: C+/C+/C/C/C
These
are the latest children's titles, almost all animated...
The
Best Of Elmo 3 continues
the compilations of highlights of Elmo in his most popular and
interesting skits, including being joined my big music names like
Michael Buble, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae. As entertaining as
previous volumes we have seen, it runs about an hour and adding
extras, this disc runs two hours. I just think the main part should
be a bit longer, but it is fine for what is included.
Extras
include the 'feature length' show 'Elmo
& Abby's Birthday Fun'
and story The Little Red
Monster Parade.
Chuggington:
Fire Patrol Rescue could
also use a few more episodes, runs also about an hour and six
episodes, fun but less content than Elmo
by about half. I'm not expecting full seasons and like the show, but
the lack of content is really pushing things. It is still as good a
place to start as any other single DVD entry we have encountered to
date (which I think is all of them so far), but you might want to
look over all releases to date to choose which will work best for
you.
Extras
include PDF DVD-ROM Coloring & Activity Pages, short Badge
Quest episode Who Do You
Appreciate? and character montages of Calley and Skylar.
The
Easter Family Fun Pack
collects poor animated adaptations of Noah's
Ark, The
Ten Commandments, Joseph
& The Coat Of Many Colors
(guess getting sued by Dolly Parton is less scary than the
Technicolor Corporation), Prince
Of Egypt: Story Of Moses
(which will never
be confused for DreamWorks Animation's debut feature), Easter
In Bunnyland and The
Great Easter Egg Hunt.
These are weak and forgettable, child safe perhaps, but what's the
use if they get bored quickly?
There
are no extras.
Penguins
Of Madagascar (2014) is a
belated spin-off of DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar
films, the original two of which we reviewed at these links:
Madagascar
Blu-ray
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7652/Madagascar+(Paramount/DreamWorks+Animation+B
Madagascar:
Escape 2 Africa Blu-ray
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8592/Madagascar+%E2%80%93+Escape+2+Africa+(200
This
time, we see how Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private went from being
a trio to a quartet and find their own separate adventures, but like
Cars 2
and some lesser recent releases, why are these children's animated
releases dipping themselves into the world of spies and espionage?
It never works, lands up all over the place and results in a very
choppy presentation. This runs 92 minutes, but rarely gets anywhere
despite a supporting voice cast that includes John Malkovich,
Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Stomare and Andy Richter.
Yes,
they put some money into this one, but its not very memorable either
and the less spy moments, the better as the script tries too hard.
Now you can see for yourself, but you have been warned.
Extras
include two wind-up toys in our version dubbed Poppin' Penguins that
are nice, Digital HD Ultraviolet Copy for PC, PC portable and iTunes
capable devices, both format versions add a Cheezy Dibbles ad, promo
on DreamWorks Animation's 20th
Anniversary (20 years already?), Madagascar
Mash-Up, Gallery of
stills of the characters in various scenes, Sneak Peek trailers, the
Top Secret Guide to
Becoming an Elite Agent
and an Original Theatrical Trailer, while the Blu-ray adds four dance
Music Videos and a Deleted Scene.
Wolfy:
The Incredible Secret
(2013) is part of a cycle of import CGI animated features only
showing up in the U.S. market in English versions and not good ones
as as the title character finds out his mother is still alive form a
gypsy of all things. This is not memorable, though a few scenes look
good and I bet this works better in its unavailable-here native
language. This version is also choppier than it should be and we've
seen most of this before. Bet this would look better on Blu-ray too.
There
are no extras.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 AVC @ 28 MBPS digital High Definition image transfer
on Penguins is easily the best performer on the list being the
only Blu-ray here, about on par with the earlier films that started
the franchise, though I expected a slightly bette ruse of fancier
light and color. The anamorphically enhanced DVD is no match for it
in definition, detail, color or depth, but it is good enough to watch
secondary and ties with the same anamorphic 1.78 X 1 presentation on
Chuggington and colorful 1.33 X 1 image on Elmo.
Softer are the poor Easter transfers and anamorphically
enhanced 1.85 X 1 image on Wolfy
which really should be sharper and clearer.
As
for sound, the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 7.1 lossless mix on the
Penguins
Blu-ray is very well mixed and presented, but is a tradedown mix form
its original optimal Dolby Atmos 11.1 screenings in select theaters.
This is constantly detailed and active, with the lossy Dolby Digital
5.1 mix on the DVD version the second-best performer on the list, so
this is the sound champ title.
As
for the stand-alone DVDs, the lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo on the
Easter
animated releases is weak, limited, a little compressed and the
poorest performer on the list, with Elmo,
Chuggington
(both in 2.0 Dolby Stereo lossy sound as well) and the lossy Dolby
Digital 5.1 on Wolfy tying for second place for good, consistent
performance for the old sound codec.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
