Yogi Bear Blu-ray Review

Warner Brothers’ 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer of "Yogi Bear" excels visually, presenting the film in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The digital rendering of Jellystone Park’s lush greens, vivid blues, and warm earthy tones is both bright and detailed, accurately capturing the vibrant summer hotspot depicted in the film. Director of photography Peter James achieves a commendable balance in primary colors, ensuring that skin tones and fur textures are realistic, while contrasts remain steadfast and black levels are consistently decent. Details such as finely defined strands of fur on Yogi and Boo Boo are noteworthy, showcasing the depth and precision of the transfer.

Although "Yogi Bear" occasionally suffers from the inherent disconnection between its CGI characters and live-action footage, this does not detract significantly from the technical aspects of the Blu-ray. Digital artifacts like banding, artifacting, crush, and aliasing are minimal, with only sporadic instances of faint digital noise appearing briefly during nighttime scenes. The texture of natural elements such as tree bark and forest floor dirt is sharply rendered, maintaining a steady crispness throughout the film.

However, one minor critique is that at times the CGI characters can appear overly glossy and shiny, not blending seamlessly with their real-world counterparts. This slight visual discordance might be more noticeable to adult viewers, but it is an understandable stylistic choice given the film's target audience of children. Despite this, Warner Brothers’ transfer successfully brings out the high-definition potential of the film, making it a visually enjoyable experience for videophiles and casual viewers alike.

The audio presentation of the "Yogi Bear" Blu-ray is a robust and lively effort, featuring a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that captures the slapstick nature of the film with notable precision. Each of Yogi's pratfalls and physical comedy sequences is imbued with punchy, well-articulated sound effects that effectively utilize the LFE channel and rear speakers. This results in a vibrant soundstage that enhances both the animated antics and the setting of Jellystone Park. While this setup prioritizes volume over meticulous precision, it succeeds in delivering an engaging auditory experience particularly suited for younger audiences. Dialogues remain clear and intelligible throughout, though occasionally the voiceovers from Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake feel slightly detached from the live-action elements, hovering just above the natural scenes.

The family-friendly mix ensures that dialogue is consistently clear and centered, maintaining intelligibility across various registers without any noticeable dips. This makes it easy for children to follow along with Yogi and Boo Boo's misadventures. The track takes full advantage of surround sound capabilities to create an immersive atmosphere that can even shake the floor during more dynamic sequences. Though primarily targeting a younger demographic, the mix blends slapstick humor with enough immersive effects to maintain engagement. Overall, the audio track offers a fittingly loud and entertaining accompaniment to the on-screen action, making it a suitable choice for family viewing.

The Blu-ray extras for "Yogi Bear" offer a fair mix of entertaining content primarily designed for children, yet miss the mark on quantity and quality. With less than an hour's worth of features, even keen young fans might quickly exhaust the available material. Key highlights include a day-long virtual visit to Jellystone Park with multiple production featurettes and in-character shorts. Despite some technical hitches in the interactive game, the disc serves up enough behind-the-scenes charm to engage the family. However, a more immersive experience, such as commentary by Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake in character, would have been a welcome addition.

Extras included in this disc:

• Spending a Day at Jellystone Park: Behind-the-scenes featurettes and in-character shorts across five park locations.
• Yogi Bear Mash-Up: Extended preview of the film.
• Are You Smarter than the Average Bear?: Interactive memory game for kids.
• Looney Tunes: Rabid Rider: Fast-paced, entertaining Warner Bros. short featuring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.

Director Eric Brevig's Yogi Bear is an attempt to blend live-action and CGI to bring the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon to a contemporary audience. Unfortunately, the film struggles to capture the charm and cleverness of its source material. Starring Dan Aykroyd as Yogi and Justin Timberlake as Boo Boo, the story revolves around their efforts to save Jellystone Park from the clutches of the greedy Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly) and his Chief of Staff (Nathan Corddry). While Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanaugh) and filmmaker Rachel (Anna Faris) plan to raise money with a festival, Yogi's antics take center stage, albeit with mixed results.

The voice work by Aykroyd and Timberlake stands out as the film's strongest point. Aykroyd evokes the original Yogi with gusto, while Timberlake delivers a convincingly nasally Boo Boo. However, the chemistry they bring to their voice roles does not translate well into the film's overall execution. The interactions between the animated characters and their live-action counterparts appear stilted, dampening the humor and energy the movie aims for. The human cast performances are notably uneven, with Cavanaugh, Faris, and T.J. Miller delivering pedestrian portrayals that fail to rise above typical made-for-TV quality.

Technically, Yogi Bear disappoints with visuals that resemble low-budget direct-to-video releases rather than an $80 million production. The animation is uninspired, occasionally detracting from the film’s already thin narrative. At just 72-minutes sans credits, the movie’s brevity and lack of depth make it feel more like a stretched-out TV episode rather than a cohesive feature film. While younger children might find joy in Yogi's slapstick antics and high jinks, adults will likely find the humor overly simplistic, making it a hard sell outside its target demographic.

The Blu-ray release of "Yogi Bear" offers a mixed yet compelling experience for audiences, primarily tailored to younger viewers. The film itself faces criticism for its lackluster execution and uninspired storylines, indicative of the growing trend of live-action/CGI adaptations failing to capture the charm of the original cartoons. Despite a substantial budget, "Yogi Bear" presents as a simplistic and often dull portrayal that leaves much to be desired for older viewers. However, children may find joy in its antics and humorous escapades.

Technically speaking, the Blu-ray presentation excels with high-quality audio and video, ensuring a visually engaging and immersive experience. The picture quality is crisp and vibrant, enhancing the colorful world of Jellystone Park. The audio delivers a robust and clear soundstage, immersing viewers in the lively adventures of Yogi and Boo Boo. Accompanying these technical merits are several supplemental features designed to keep younger audiences entertained. These additions, while not extensive, provide an enjoyable enhancement to the overall viewing experience.

In conclusion, "Yogi Bear" on Blu-ray is best suited for families with young children who are likely to appreciate its humor and charm. While it may not meet the expectations of older audiences seeking a faithful and engaging adaptation of a classic cartoon, the technical quality and kid-friendly extras make it a worthwhile rental option. Parents looking to add another family-friendly title to their collection may find this a suitable choice, but those hesitant should consider renting before committing to a purchase.