Monsters Inc. 3D: Ultimate
Collectors’ Edition (2001/Disney/Pixar Blu-ray 3D
w/Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Copy)
Picture: A-/A/B- Sound: A/A/B- Extras: B+ Film: A-
Some old friends return with a familiar
story, presented in a whole new light as Disney/Pixar again explores the world
of Monsters Inc. (2001), but this time in stunning 3D.
The content of this landmark Disney/Pixar
film has not changed as the format shifts from Blu-ray to Blu-ray 3D; so for
the purposes of this review we will focus on the technical features of the
Blu-ray 3D disc.
To dive deeper into the story and content
of Monsters Inc., please refer to our previous Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy
review at the link below:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9306/Monsters,+Inc.+(2001/Disney/Pixar+Blu-ray
This is a 5 Disc set that holds a host of
technical upgrades and new features never seen before. The set contains three (3) BD50 discs [one
disc that contains the Blu-ray 3D main feature and Blu-ray 3D extras, a second
BD50 containing the standard Blu-ray feature film, and finally a third with the
standard Blu-ray extras].
The main feature here is the Blu-ray 3D
release of the film. It is presented in
a wonderful 1080p, 1.85 X 1, MPEG-4 MVC encoded transfer that doesn’t
disappoint. I have not been very
impressed with many Blu-ray 3D releases to date, but Disney has an unmatched
ability to bring the theatrical wonders of 3D to home video. Monsters Inc. 3D on Blu-ray is crisp,
clean, and clear with nearly no issues, I won’t say the 3D is as perfect as the
standard Blu-ray in the set, but still amazingly presented. The 3D is rendered with enough ‘extra’
color/brightness so that the 3D image (once glasses in place) does not appear
dimmed and muted. The 1080p full HD
MVC-encoded 3-D – Full Resolution digital High Definition picture is full of life and at no point did I feel there was motion
blur or distortion in the 3D image. A
truly splendid experience.
I am not sure exactly what Pixar did to
the original film in terms of upgrading the animation, but they definitely did
something to the feature presentation and the film short ‘For the Birds.’ I had
assumed that the 2D disc in this set would be the same as the previous release,
but was pleasantly surprised that it was not.
Something about the animation is just of a better/updated quality; depth
and detail have been pumped up as you can almost feel the texture jumping from
the screen. I fortunately had the
previous Blu-ray release on hand to compare it to the 3D and 2D on this new
release and the upgrade was more than apparent; I particularly noted changes in
such things as Sully’s fur and other fine textures throughout the film. The 2D version disc is 1080p AVC Encoded
transfer that will push your Blu-ray player and TV to the max as it is perfect
demo material.
The sound on the Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
is exactly the same and again upgraded from the previous Blu-ray release. Disney/Pixar upped the ante as we went from a
5.1 DTS Lossless track on the last release to a splendidly encompassing 7.1
Dolby TrueHD track here. I thought the
sound couldn’t get better and was hesitant to let Dolby TrueHD back into my
life, but somehow the studio pulled it all together to deliver a wonderful
track here in this Ultimate Collection.
The entire soundscape is utilized and viewers will be transported to a different
world as this upgraded audio experience blankets them in layer after layer of
music, mischief, and most importantly…monsters.
The DVD is a port from the previous set.
All extras are the same as those found on
the previous set, but will not disappoint as they are fun, informative, and
plentiful.
Some of the extras include:
The extras go beyond those that were
found on the DVD release (also included in this set) by adding a number of
Blu-ray exclusives. The standard definition extras include:
1.
Trailers
2.
Audio Commentary
3.
For the Birds Short
4.
Mike’s New Car Short
5.
Pixar Fun Factory Tour
6.
Banished Concepts
7.
Storyboard to Film Comparison
8.
Designing Monstropolis
9.
Set Dressing
10.
Location Flyarounds
11.
Monster File
12.
Animation
13.
Music and Sound
14.
Release
15.
Monsters Only
16.
Wrap-Up
17.
Art Gallery
The High Definition extras include
(Note: they did remove filmmaker intros from this set):
1.
Filmmakers’ Round Table
2.
Monsters Inc Ride and Go See:
Building Monstropolis in
3.
Roz’s 100 Door Change
This is a wonderful set and Ultimate
Collection surely describes the quality delivered here. If fans are debating the upgrade after
spending the cash on the first Blu-ray release, I can assure them it is most
definitely worth it as it has the same content (plus some), while giving that
something extra with upgraded sound and visuals across the board.
- Michael
P. Dougherty II
