The Seventh Dwarf Blu-ray Review

"The Seventh Dwarf" is brought to life on Blu-ray by Shout! Factory using both MVC (3D) and AVC (2D) encoded 1080p transfers in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, available on the same disc. The computer-animated film, while often appearing textureless with characters that have a somewhat rubbery look, occasionally showcases decent precision and depth, particularly with elements like chainmail. The 3D version offers above-average dimensionality without overly relying on gimmicks, providing a viewing experience where colors remain bright and bold, and maintaining excellent sharpness and clarity throughout.

The 2D presentation of the film continues this trend of bright, colorful imagery, with a particularly impressive rendering of blues, greens, and reds. Background details such as trees and stone pillars display excellent levels of depth and precision, contrasting with the flat and weightless appearance of character renderings and their directly manipulated objects. Despite this, the sense of depth and object placement in 2D remains satisfactory, evoking a popup book style wherein characters appear inserted into richly detailed settings.

The 3D iteration marginally enhances the viewing experience by adding depth to the otherwise inorganic-feeling characters, which makes them more integrated with their surroundings. Even with polarized glasses, the image appears bright and vibrant, suggesting pre-calibration for optimal viewing through glasses. Notably, the fairy tale kingdom's background achieves an almost infinite depth on occasion. However, in scenes with many characters, the image flattens slightly but does not detract significantly from overall quality. Some ghosting is observed when objects or characters move to the extreme edges of the screen. Despite these minor issues, the 3D version adds enough value to merit consideration if viewers have the necessary setup, though the 2D presentation remains highly competent for those who do not.

'The Seventh Dwarf' features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that delivers robust performance throughout. The audio mix is marked by dynamic range and fine fidelity, which ensures that dialogue is always cleanly rendered and well prioritized. Discrete sound effects are well-placed, creating an engaging aural environment. Notably, despite 'The Seventh Dwarf' being a German film, the Blu-ray only offers English and French audio tracks, which may disappoint those interested in the original language audio.

The surround channels are consistently active, contributing to the detailed and layered soundscape, especially during parties and scenes with multiple characters. The track excels in directional sound, with effects and music impressively spread across all channels. For instance, the 'Cake' song showcases particularly strong imaging, effectively immersing the viewer. Quieter scenes also maintain a rich atmosphere with ambient sounds that enhance the overall organic presence. Despite some inefficiencies in lyrical translation to English, the audio presentation remains solid and highly enjoyable for viewers.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Seventh Dwarf" provide a well-rounded enhancement of the main feature, offering informative and engaging content. Character Profiles is a text-based gallery offering detailed bios for each character; this is a particularly educational resource for younger viewers. The Fairy Tales featurette, in HD, offers a delightful behind-the-scenes look with voice actors Peyton List and Norm MacDonald discussing their experiences and cherished childhood stories. For interactive fun, Sing Alongs include vibrant karaoke-style renditions of the songs "Cake" and "Friend," ensuring an enjoyable experience for both kids and adults. Additionally, there is a Downloadable Royal Birthday Invitation accessible via the included DVD, allowing fans to print out themed invitations.

Extras included in this disc:

• Character Profiles: Text-based character bios.
• Fairy Tales: Featuring Peyton List and Norm MacDonald discussing their voice work.
• Sing Alongs: Karaoke-style versions of "Cake" and "Friend."
• Downloadable Royal Birthday Invitation: Printable invitation accessed via DVD-ROM.

"The Seventh Dwarf" offers a colorful and whimsical reimagining of classic fairy tales, specifically tapping into the universes of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Sleeping Beauty" among others. The movie's storyline revolves around Princess Rose, who falls victim to a curse from the malevolent witch Dellamorta. Her commoner love interest, Jack, and the seven dwarfs, including the bumbling yet endearing Bobo, embark on a quest to save her. Elements of humor are provided by Norm Macdonald's dragon character, Burner, and a generous sprinkling of references to other fairy tales aims to engage older viewers.

While the narrative structure is straightforward and geared primarily toward younger audiences, it does attempt to accommodate family viewing by inserting jokes likely to resonate with parents. Songs like "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold" offer nods to popular culture while others focus on universally appealing themes such as friendship. However, a caveat must be made regarding the animation quality. The CGI in "The Seventh Dwarf" fails to match the visual richness seen in industry benchmarks like "Shrek" or "Frozen". Character models often appear weightless and detached from their vibrantly-rendered backgrounds. In particular, the primary characters aside from Dellamorta suffer from a lack of detailed, emotive design which detracts from the viewing experience.

The voice acting, featuring names such as Peyton List and Norm MacDonald, is serviceable yet unremarkable, and their minimal lines do not justify their prominent billing on the cover art. Overall, while "The Seventh Dwarf" may not captivate adult viewers or animation purists, it achieves enough charm and simplicity to entertain children, potentially suitable for families seeking fresh content within age-appropriate boundaries.

"The Seventh Dwarf" is a vibrant, if somewhat formulaic, animated film geared primarily toward very young children. Its bright and colorful animation is likely to captivate its target audience, while older viewers might find the plot and characters less engaging. The pacing of the film is decent and contributes to maintaining children's interest throughout its runtime.

Technically, the Blu-ray release of "The Seventh Dwarf" is commendable. The 2D and 3D image quality are both strong, presenting crisp visuals that enhance the colorful aesthetic of the film. The audio quality is impressive, delivering clear and dynamic sound that complements the visual experience. However, the Blu-ray lacks substantial bonus features, offering little beyond a sing-along option. This might be a downside for those who appreciate additional content in their home media.

In conclusion, while "The Seventh Dwarf" doesn't reach the creative heights of Disney or Pixar productions, it serves as an entertaining and visually appealing movie for very young children. The technical merits of the Blu-ray are solid, making it a worthwhile watch. Nevertheless, due to the sparsity of extras and its specific appeal to children, a rental may be sufficient for most viewers.