The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D [Blu-ray] Reviews

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.

 

 

 

 

The Nightmare Before Christmas

  

Studio: Walt Disney

Product Release: August 30, 2011

Ratio: 1.85:1

Audio: 7.1 Dolby True HD; English & Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

Running Time: 76 Minutes

Rating: PG

 

 

ON A SCALE 0-5

Overall 3D Presentation Rating: 4

3D Separation: 3

3D In Yo' Face Factor: 1

 

 

What's this? What's this? There's color everywhere!

 

One could say that my discovery of The Nightmare Before

Christmas is very much like Jack the Pumpkin King's 

discovery of the holiday itself.  Full of magic and wonder,

Tim Burton has given his own contorted homage to the best

known Christmas story in a film that has become his own

personal masterpiece.

 

 

Released theatrically in 1993, this overly-dark animated

musical has stood the test of time.  Thanks to its brilliant

stop-motion animation and three-dimensional sets it remains

one of the most innovative, quirky and spectacular classics of

its time.  

 

 

In a world where holidays are run by individual towns,

Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) is the undisputed

Pumpkin King of Halloween who after years of heading

up the celebration of the holiday, becomes depressed at

his continued efforts.  Upon taking a walk into the forrest he

happens upon an entrance way into a wondrous place called

Christmas Town filled with beautiful colors, decorations and

finely wrapped gifts.  In the film's most memorable musical

number, Jack becomes enamored with this wondrous world.

 

 

After boasting the virtues of Christmas to his hobgoblin and

monstrous friends of Halloween Town, Jack hatches a plan

to kidnap Santa Claus and take his place for the upcoming

Christmas holiday. Though Jack feels this to be a novel idea,

he finds opposition from an adoring frankenstein-ish rag doll

named Sally (Catherine O'Hara) who feels that these plans

pose dangerous consequences.

 

Collaborating with Tim Burton, Danny Elfman wrote the songs

and composed the score for the film.  This partnership once 

again proved to be a huge success as Elfman provides a devilish,

dark underscore to Burton's story whichd features such memorable

tunes such as "This is Halloween" and "What's This."

 

 

Though not originally conceived for 3D when theatrically

released in 1993, The Nightmare Before Christmas has

been recently upconverted to the format. The results are

quite astonishing.  This is perhaps the best upconverted 3D

title that I have seen.  Though there isn't that kind of blatant

"pop up book" effect that I usually prefer, I was rather taken

back by the more subdued layered effect of the 3D presentation.  

There is definitely a sense of depth here between background

and foreground images.  Some of it gets lost within the dark

backdrop of the Halloween world (where slight ghosting issues

are introduced) while some shots seemed to be framed so 

perfectly that one could easily think the film was conceived

for the format.  Mind you, this doesn't rank as the best 3D I

have seen, but it's nice to see that the conversion has actually

enhanced the 2D experience to something even more satisfying.

 

There is very hardly any screen protrusion happening here,

though there are moments where feet and fingers just seem

to barely poke outwards.

 

 

As one would expect from a Disney transfer, The Nightmare

Before Christmas just looks and sound top-notch.  The transfer

is incredibly sharp and well defined.  Though the drab, Halloween

town scenes through most of the film minimize any sort of color,

the outstanding, deep and inky black levels give these scenes 

amazing texture.  When the film switches to Christmas Town one

can't help but be as wide-eyed as Jack Skeleton as you soak in

all the beautiful, vivid colors.  Of course, the most impressive 

eye-candy sequences involve Santa's encounter in Oogie

Boogie's lair with it's eye-popping neon images that look even

more impressive in 3D.  There is not a flaw to be found here.

 

The film's 7.1 Dolby TrueHD (downconverted to 5.1 on my

system) is a real head-turner, and I mean that in the respect

that this is a totally immersive sonic experience that has a

seemingly never-ending barrage of vocals and supporting

effects emanating from every channel. Dialogue is well

centered across the front three channels, never drowned

out by the robustly presented musical numbers that come

through with amazing clarity.  

 

 

The Nightmare Before Christmas is presented in a 3-Disc

3D Blu-ray/2D Blu-ray/DVD+Digital Copy combo package.

The 2D Blu-ray contains all the bonus material that includes

a Tim Burton introduction, Jack's Haunted Mansion Holiday

Tour, audio commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes

featurette and short films Frankenweenie and Vincent.  

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

Let's face it.  The Nightmare Before Christmas has 

remained one of the most original and memorable animated

films ever made. It is beloved by multitudes of fans who

consider it to be a timeless classic.  And certainly, after

18 years, this film has not lost a spec of its appeal.  It is

one of those films that is no less deserving of an annual

holiday viewing than It's A Wonderful Life would be.

 

Disney has done an outstanding job with the transfer. In

all, this is a demo-quality disc.  The 3D conversion is very

good -- considerably better than most upconversions I have

seen.  This certainly has whet my appetite for the forthcoming

conversions of The Lion King and Beauty and The Beast.  

 

This title belongs in every 3D collection. 

 

Images are for illustrative purpose only not representative of the picture quality of this disc. 

 

Equipment

 

LG 60PX950 THX Certified 3D display

Oppo BDP-93 3D Blu-ray Player

Denon 3311CI Receiver

Atlantic Technology H-PAS AT-1 fronts, 4400 center; 4200 rear speakers

SV Sound Subwoofer