This week, Pixar has released three of their films on Blu-Ray, two of which are hitting the format for the first time, and a third in a deluxe box set including two nifty little figures. This review will probably tell you what you already know. Y'know, that these are all must have Blu-rays and that Pixar continues to deliver amazing films that look incredible on the format. Pixar can seem to do no wrong.
Click the Rawr for the complete reviews of Up, Monsters, Inc., and Cars.
Up
Special features: 4-disc set including 2 Blu-ray discs, DVD, and Digital Copy. "Dug's Special Mission" - all-new short follows the misadventures of Dug, "Partly Cloudy" - theatrical short, Cine-Explore - The making of Up with Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, The Many Endings of Muntz - Alternate Scenes, Games, Married Life -Expanded character back story, 8 Documentaries, and more
We'll begin with the latest Pixar masterpiece, Up. The film surrounds an old man who decides to tie thousands of balloons to his home and fly to Paradise Falls, the place he and his wife always planned to see. He has an unwitting guest in the form of a boy scout and along the journey they pick up a giant bird and a dog named Dug.
That's the story boiled down to its bare minimum.
Up is by far one of the best films of the year. It's hilarious, heartwarming, touching, charming, hilarious (I know I said it twice) and is full of the magic that put Pixar on the map.
I think it is my favorite Pixar movie to date. Despite it's rather emotional opening scenes, the film really has a positive message about friendship and even loss. The voice work is spot on most especially from Ed Asner. His work here is just amazing. Natural and believable. He really gives a soul to Carl.
The film looks absolutely stunning on Blu-ray. We don't get the 3-d version but it looks about as close as you can get. Gorgeous colors and crystal clear picture. It's a simply beautiful viewing experience.
Disney has of course kept up the tradition of an insane amount of supplemental materials. The release consists of four discs, including two Blu-rays, a DVD, and a Digital Copy. You get pretty much every kind of feature you can imagine so it is a Pixar fan's dream.
One thing I will always miss is the bloopers they did for the first few films. I never understood why they stopped that.
Up is another brilliant achievement in a long line of brilliance from Pixar and it is represented superbly with this release. It is a fantastic value as well with dozens of bonus features that make a beautiful movie even better.
Monsters, Inc.
Special Features: 4-disc set including 2 Blu-ray discs, DVD, and Digital Copy. All new exclusive bonus: Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek: Building Monstropolis in Japan, Filmmakers' Round Table, Audio Commentary, plus original DVD features including the shorts For The Birds and Mike's New Car. 2nd Blu-ray includes All-New Roz'z 100-Door Challenge Game, Pixar Fun Factory Tour, Banished Concepts, and more.
Next up is the eagerly awaited Monster's, Inc.
While, it's fallen from my favorite of the Pixar films, Monsters, Inc. is still among the best of the best. The world is still as fresh and original as when we first saw it years ago and it's still just as funny. You know the story of the monsters who have careers in scaring kids only to find out that they themselves are terrified of humans after one of them gets loose in Monstropolis.
I remember the first time I saw the movie how real Sully's fur looked. It was like each individual strand was waving in the breeze. It was madness. On blu-ray that effect is still just as awe inspiring as before. You just want to reach out and pet him!
As with all the Pixar movies released including the other two discussed in this feature, the picture is incredible. Crystal clear and vibrant. I swear I noticed thing I've never noticed before. Each time I pop in a Pixar film I'm just blown away at how great they look on Blu-ray.
Again, like Up, this set is jam packed with features. You get everything from the original DVD release along with tons of new stuff in the form of featurettes, games, shorts, and more. Fans of MI will be extremely pleased with the four disc set (2 Blu-rays, a DVD, and a Digital Copy).
It may not be my favorite Pixar movie, but it's more than worth revisiting on Blu-ray.
Cars Deluxe Gift Set
Special Features: Blu-ray and DVD with 2 exclusive car figures. Also includes Cine-explore, Carfinder Game, Deleted Scene, Radiator Springs Featurettes, Mater and the Ghostlight Short, One Man Band short, Inspiration for Cars, deleted scenes, and more.
Finally, we have a rerelease of what is, shockingly, the most popular Pixar movie to date. Disney is releasing Cars in a Deluxe Gift Set, which basically consists of a couple toys and the already available Blu-ray/DVD combo.
It's definitely a buy for the boys in the family, unless the gals are Cars fans too!
Personally, I''m not the biggest fan of Cars. It's a Pixar movie so it's still light years better than most other movies but it's probably my least favorite from the company. I just couldn't really get myself involved in it.
Still, in true Pixar fashion, it looks brilliant. Beautiful colors and a picture that is about as realistic looking as a CGI movie can possible get. The characters are pretty good, if not slightly annoying in the case of Mater, which is probably why it's my least favorite. It's the only Pixar movie where I didn't immediately love every single character.
This set isn't as feature heavy as the others but there is still a nice amount, including some pretty funny shorts. The kids will go nuts for the two figures they've included. They're really durable and will be great to play with or even just display.
Even though it's my least favorite of the films, Cars is still a treat to watch and like all the other Pixar films, it's a joy to behold on Blu-ray.
Up, Monsters, Inc., and Cars are all available now.
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