Happy Feet Two Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray video presentation of "Happy Feet Two" is a testament to Warner's commitment to delivering high-quality home entertainment. Encoded in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the transfer is phenomenal. The Antarctic scenery is rendered with breathtaking clarity, boasting inky black levels and vibrant colors that leap off the screen. Primary hues like mossy greens and krill-y oranges are particularly striking, complementing the brilliant whites of the snow-covered landscape. The level of detail maintains jaw-dropping consistency across diverse textures, from the realistic ripples in water to the crisp edges of chilled air and snow.

However, while the scenery excels, the animated characters exhibit a less refined quality compared to other leading animation studios like Pixar and DreamWorks. The penguins' furry textures and human figures occasionally lack the plush, lifelike detail found in comparable films such as "Monsters Inc." Some aliasing issues arise in dense feathers and tightly patterned objects, but these minor flaws hardly detract from an otherwise pristine encode. Macroblocking, banding, and other common video anomalies are virtually non-existent, ensuring an immersive viewing experience.

Overall, "Happy Feet Two" dazzles with its stunning visuals, making it an exemplary Blu-ray release. While character animation might not always measure up to the highest standards set by industry giants, the film's color vibrancy, contrast depth, and remarkable detail secure its place as a near-reference quality transfer that fans of digital animation will undoubtedly appreciate.

Happy Feet Two’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track delivers an invigorating and immersive auditory experience. The sound mix utilizes every channel to its fullest potential, creating a rich, dynamic soundstage that brings the animated world to life. The LFE channel is particularly noteworthy, providing robust and consistent bass that underscores every rock anthem, sliding mountain, snarling sea lion, and crashing wave with palpable impact. The front channels ensure that dialogue is clear and consistently intelligible, with impressive prioritization of even the faintest sounds and vocal nuances. Moreover, the directional effects are lively and accurate, aligning perfectly with the on-screen action and contributing to an enveloping audio environment.

The music in Happy Feet Two stands out as one of the track's strongest components, offering vibrant distribution across all channels. Songs are rendered with incredible clarity and detail, making the mix feel full-throated and resonant. Dynamic range is well-executed, ensuring that everything from roaring sea lions to plopping Beach Masters enriches the soundscape. However, some voices suffer from inconsistent audio tweaking, occasionally making dialogue less intelligible. Notably, positional audio decisions for dialogue can sometimes distract; for instance, vocals may emanate from different surround channels even when the corresponding characters are centrally located on screen.

Overall, the rear speakers add substantial atmospheric detail, capturing the nuanced sounds of warbling penguin colonies, lapping waters, crunching snow, and swarming krill with finesse. Each effect is meticulously mixed to provide an engaging and realistic auditory experience. Despite occasional shortcomings in dialogue mixing, Happy Feet Two's DTS-HD Master Audio track transcends these issues with a stellar combination of music, effects, and dynamic range that significantly enhances the viewing experience.

"Happy Feet Two" Blu-ray offers a diverse array of high-definition extras that emphasize interactivity, music, and edutainment. The Happy Feet Two Movie App syncs with the disc on your iOS device, enhancing your viewing experience with an hour of curated content, games, and activities. The "Behind the Story" featurettes are particularly tailored for younger audiences, offering insights into Antarctic wildlife, character drawing tutorials, and voice acting in the film. Musical features include a look at P!nk’s contribution, alongside multiple sing-along tracks. A notable highlight is the delightful Looney Tunes short "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat," presented in 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. BD-Live portal access, in addition to DVD and UV digital copies, rounds out the package.

Extras included in this disc:

Happy Feet Two Movie App: Interactive features and additional content via iOS app sync. Second Screen: Games, sing-alongs, and more via Second Screen App. Helping Penguins and Pals: Educational featurette about Antarctica for kids. How to Draw A Penguin: Drawing tutorial by storyboard artist Tim McEwan. Running with Boadicea: Insights and deleted scenes of Boadicea’s acrobatics. P!nk's New Song: Behind the scenes of the song "Bridge of Light." The Mighty Sven Sing-Along: Karaoke-style sing-along. Bridge of Light Sing-Along: Karaoke-style sing-along. Papa Oom Mow Mow Sing-Along: Karaoke-style sing-along. I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat: Looney Tunes short featuring Tweety and Sylvester. BD-Live Portal: Online content access. DVD Copy UV Digital Copy

"Happy Feet Two," despite its attempt to follow the charm of its 2006 predecessor, falls short in delivering a cohesive and captivating storyline. The sequel carries forward the vibrant animation and energetic musical numbers but fails to weave them into a substantial narrative. The story revolves around Mumble's son, Erik, who struggles with his inability to dance amidst a community that thrives on it, mirroring and inverting Mumble's initial struggle. The plot becomes a convoluted mix of subplots involving a deceitful flying penguin called Sven, existential krill voiced by Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, and a dramatic environmental crisis. Although visually appealing, the film battles an overcrowded storyline with too many characters vying for attention, leading to a lack of clear protagonist focus.

The voice cast performance, while spirited, often gets bogged down by poorly executed accents and distracting vocal tweaks, diminishing viewer comprehension and engagement. The humorous attempts lean towards low-brow slapstick, which may entertain young audiences but lacks finesse for older viewers. The thematic elements addressing environmentalism and community spirit are present but are handled with a heavy hand, overshadowing the nuanced storytelling seen in the original film. Furthermore, the live-action integration feels odd and out of place, occasionally pulling viewers out of the otherwise immersive digital animation experience.

In summary, "Happy Feet Two" offers a technically stunning visual treat, with lively sequences and rich animations. However, its muddled narrative structure, disjointed character arcs, and less impactful musical offerings leave much to be desired. The film ends up being a flashy but shallow continuation rather than a heartfelt expansion of its predecessor’s legacy. While certain segments like the adventures of Will and Bill provide sparks of intrigue, they are insufficient to carry the entire film.

"Happy Feet Two" on Blu-ray is an audiovisual feast that unfortunately stumbles in its narrative and character development. The sequel struggles to match the charm and coherence of its predecessor, with a story that meanders and fails to leave a lasting impression. Despite dazzling landscapes and highly detailed animation, the film's overall quality is undermined by forgettable songs and numerous subplots that don't quite come together. This makes it a challenging watch for both children and adults looking for a more engaging experience.

On the technical front, "Happy Feet Two" excels with a stunning video transfer that brings the icy vistas to vivid life, coupled with a dynamic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that is nothing short of spectacular. The Blu-ray's visual and audio presentation is nearly flawless, delivering an immersive experience that showcases the film's strengths. However, the disc's extras are lacking, with features primarily aimed at children and offering little to older viewers. Additionally, the inclusion of the less user-friendly Ultraviolet Digital Copy instead of a more convenient iTunes version may disappoint some consumers.

In conclusion, while "Happy Feet Two" is visually breathtaking and sonically impressive, it falls short in terms of storytelling and character depth. The Blu-ray release does justice to the film’s technical aspects, making it a worthy rental for families who enjoyed the first film or are captivated by its stunning animation. For others, however, the weak narrative and lack of substantial extras may warrant skipping this purchase in favor of more coherent and engaging animated features.