kal
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 Link Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:42 pm Post subject: The Boxtrolls |
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The Boxtrolls
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| Quote: | More somber and serious than their previous macabre-inspired efforts, Laika's 'The Boxtrolls' nonetheless enchants and mesmerizes with stunning animation and wonderfully dark but challenging tale adult audiences can appreciate. The Blu-ray arrives with reference-quality video and an excellent audio presentation. Bonus section feels a bit light, but the overall package is nevertheless a winner and recommended for the family.
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
As we'd expect from a Laika stop-motion production, the boxtrolls roam the dark streets and alleys of Blu-ray with a magnificent, first-rate 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode that will have viewers believing in this fantasy world.
Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the presentation is razor sharp with excellent detailing in every scene, even those with a thick, hovering fog, of which there are several. The stitching on the clothes is plainly visible; we can make out every thread and seam is precise and evident, allowing viewers to really appreciate the level of work that went into designing this elaborate world. Not only do characters promenade about the screen with believable movement, but each shows distinct wrinkles and deliberate blemishes with lifelike textures, from the faces of older characters to the boxes of trolls. Very fine, discrete lines in the buildings and unique architecture expose some interestingly charming features, from minor imperfections and flaws to individual stones and cracks.
The rest of the video displays a slightly subdued contrast level, which for all intents and purposes we can assume is an intentional creative choice. This gives the film a downcast appeal for a majority of the runtime, and in the final quarter, it is used to complement a larger change in the storyline where suddenly the town is bright and energetic with clean, crisp whites. However, blacks are thankfully not affected by this, filling the screen with inky rich shadows that pierce deep into the image, creating an excellently pleasing three-dimensional picture. Primaries are vibrant and sumptuous while cleanly-rendered secondary hues provide warmth and vigor to the comedy, making this stop-motion flick an outstanding watch.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
On the audio side, the trolls may look better than they sound, but the cute, mischievous creatures living beneath the town nonetheless make quite the ruckus in this splendidly satisfying DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. For the most part, this is a front-heavy design, which is both surprising and a tad disappointing given the company's two previous efforts. However, the rears are employed on several occasions, primarily and most notably during action sequences where effects enjoy discrete directionality and excellent panning. Dynamic range is distinct with clean definition of the tiniest object clanging and ringing across a very well-balanced soundstage. The low-end is ample and robust, providing adequate weight and rumble to certain scenes, and dialogue is intelligible with clean intonation in the conversations, making this an excellent lossless mix. |
Kal
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