- Joined
- Jul 3, 1997
- Messages
- 66,776
- Real Name
- Ronald Epstein
What can I say? I love 3D! From the moment I began watching 3D content in my home I quickly discovered that I needed more content. I suspect that those of you just purchasing your first 3D hardware will acquire the same ferocious appetite. That's why I became the HTF 3D ADDICT. I personally love images that pop off the screen and come inches away from your face without becoming overly gimmicky. However, I certainly appreciate the nature documentaries that offer beautiful depth and separation. These are not necessarily reviews of the film themselves. I am not going to concentrate on story or supplements -- you can find the 2D reviews elsewhere on this forum. My job is to let you know exactly what kind of 3D experience to expect from the titles that are being released. As I will be receiving a handful of new product from the studios expect to see more title coverage.
Coraline
Studio: Universal
Product Release: January 4, 2011
Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English; French & Spanish DTS 5.1
Running Time: 101 Minutes
Rating: PG
ON A SCALE 0-5
Overall 3D Presentation Rating: 5
3D Separation: 5
3D In Yo' Face Factor: 4
I continue to lash out at the naysayers who still
feel that there's nothing to benefit from 3D in the
home. Perhaps they would think differently if just
having watched Universal's Blu-ray release of Coraline,
whose 3D presentation clearly solidifies the worth
of this format.
Henry Selick may not be a household name but he
is the director of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before
Christmas. Mr. Selick, 16 years later, is responsible
for writing and directing Coraline, a film that in many
respects surpasses Tim Burton's classic with an
outstanding screenplay and the enhancement of 3D.
...and I am really kicking myself here. I regret that
I never had the opportunity to see this film theatrically
or during its initial Blu-ray release. Possibly that turned
out to be a good thing as watching this remarkable film
unfold before me in glorious 3D has been nothing short
of a wonderful, stunning experience.
The story is about Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota
Fanning), a highly imaginative young girl who has
just moved to a new apartment located within a large,
old creepy house. Coraline's world is lonely. Her Mother
and Father (voiced by Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman)
are too busy to spend time with her. The only person
she remotely considers herself close to is a hunchbacked boy
named Wyborn (voiced by Robert Bailey, Jr.) who is
more nuisance than friend.
Upon entering a small hidden door within her home,
Coraline enters a parallel world where all the things
that were wrong become right. Suddenly she finds
herself with her "other Mother and Father" who shower
her with love and attention. However, she soon finds
that this new world of hers is anything but perfect.
Coraline is an entangled story with characters that
evoke a great range of emotions. As I sat and watched
this film I couldn't help but be in awe of the complexity
of the story. What kind of mind thinks up this kind of
stuff? What has been created here is no doubt going
to become a classic, timeless tale.
The 3D Blu-ray presentation is something soon not
forgotten. Where image quality is at its most importance
this 1080p transfer does not disappoint with its razor
sharpness. Don't be put off by the muted colors within
Coraline's drab world. Once she enters her parallel
universe it's as if someone switched on the light switch
and suddenly the entire screen fills with beautiful neon-like
coloration. Black levels here are excellent adding nice
texture to the picture.
There's an astonishing level of depth that provides a
constant WOW 3D experience. The film was specifically
choreographed for 3D with all its elements strategically
placed within the landscape to give a dazzling and
impressive visual presentation from start to finish.
There were just too many moments that I sat in my
viewing seat thinking how superb the 3D looks.
There are quite a few "In Yo face moments" that are
finely executed including one very impressive moment
at the very beginning of the film involving a needle and
thread --- but that's just beginning --- as there are many
moments where objects such as fingers or buzzing
dragonflies seemingly leap off the screen and hover
inches from the viewer.
It's unfortunate that this near perfect presentation is
marred by ghosting that at first is very limited to sequences
where Caroline is crossing through the tunnel. However,
I found that in the film's final 30 minutes there was a more
constant presence of double imaging in part due to the
limited amount of lighting used. I am not going to let this
issue ruin the overall score I will give it because I am well
aware that ghosting issues will vary with different brands
of hardware.
The DTS-MA 5.1 soundtrack is superb. I found most of
the sound emphasized through the front soundstage with
dialogue that comes across very clear without being
overshadowed by the film's dreamy, eerie musical score
courtesy of composer Bruno Coulais. Sound levels are
so perfectly matched that the smallest nuances of effect
noise are pronounced ever so clearly. The rears provide
a nice amount of ambient effect noise including wind,
thunder, rain and various creaking noises.
The disc comes with an assortment of bonus features
that include a feature commentary, making of featurettes
and deleted scenes.
tbaio
Stunt Coordinator
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2010
- Messages
- 145
- Real Name
- Thomas
The sound featured some notable (if infrequent) split effects, but other animated films seem to pump more surround bang for the buck out of their films than this one did. Still, it's an effective soundtrack.
Phoebus
Stunt Coordinator
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2010
- Messages
- 111
- Real Name
- Tom Walker
Have to say I've never seen it looking so good! A few years ago, in the cinema, it seemed all video-ish and flickery, but that's probably saying more about the 3D digital cinema projection of 3 years ago than the movie itself. This time round it was very pleasant to watch, solid and full of tiny details that only repeat viewings would uncover.
No sense of ghosting when projected.
So, after feeling somewhat ambivalent towards the movie for many years, I've been won round by this presentation. It now seems one of the most substantial 3D films in my bluray collection - more than just popcorn fluff or IMAX-doc. One of the few "great" 3D movies of the 21st Century batch.
This is quite a shift in opinion for me, as I thought I already knew the piece well. Too often a presentation niggle gets translated onto the quality of the movie itself, which is probably why so many of the bluray restorations of older titles can prove so revelatory in terms of quality and artistry. I have high hopes for the opportunity to check out 50s 3D on bluray.
viewed:
PS3 3D bluray player
Optoma 720p HD dlp projector
Optoma 3D-XL 3D conversion box