'Consumer Reports' Gets it Wrong About 3D...AGAIN!

 

I've long since come to an understanding that magazine Consumer Reports is more about the stock market then it is about giving out useful advice to their readers.  The idea behind the magazine is that they are supposed to let readers know about different technology, how it works, and whether it would be beneficial to the people reading the magazine to have it.  More often than not, however, most of their (so-called) "recommendations" have more to do with what is catching on in the marketplace, not whether or not people would have use for an item that may or may not be catching ground.  In their September, 2016 issue, CR did yet another guide on the different types of TV's out there, who is making them, and whether or not you'd want to buy one with said features in it.  Of course, the pros and cons really just boiled down to what is selling and what's not, and no where is that more evident than in their 'advice' on whether or not to buy a 3D TV.

I have posted a picture of the (brief) article above, but the basic gist of it is that you should only buy 3D if you already like it, and that the cons are that most television manufacturers aren't making them anymore.  This is so not helpful to a consumer for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is that some people reading this magazine may genuinely not know WHY they would or wouldn't want a 3D TV!  For me, I can name some good reasons right now for owning a 3D TV:

• Avatar
• Star Trek: Into Darkness
• How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2
• Kung fu Panda Trilogy
• Gravity
• Dolphin Tale
• Anything from DreamWorks Animation
• Disney's A Christmas Carol
• The Polar Express
• The Hobbit Trilogy
• Oz the Great and Powerful
• Coraline
• The Adventures of Tinting
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Walk
• Inside Out
• Life of Pi
• Hugo
• Pina
• Frozen
• Cave of Forgotten Dreams
• The Amazing Spider-Man

And that's just what's out.  Reasons to get it soon include:

• The Jungle Book
• Star Trek Beyond
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
• Finding Dory

CR, let me clue you in on why someone would want a 3D TV: Because 3D makes certain movies better.  It just does.  Therefor, when people ask why they would want a 3D TV, you don't discuss that it makes the TV more expensive, the glasses can be a pain, or that TV manufacturer's completely overestimated how much people would want the format in the first place.  You discuss these movies.  You discuss how, even though they may be few and far between, you want the 3D TV so that should you ever watch movies like these, you will have the option to watch them not only in the way they were meant to be seen, but the best possible way PERIOD!  What you wrote was a stock holder fluff piece on how the format hasn't taken off.  If this was truly supposed to be helpful to consumers, you failed in a massive way.  The average consumer doesn't care about whether or not 3D is a technical success or not.  They do, however, care if having that option will make their favorite movies look better.  In the cases of the movies listed above (and some not mentioned) the answer is yes, and you should be ashamed that you didn't explain this.

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"The Angry Birds Movie" is First 4K/3D Combo Pack

4K TV's are here.  They are currently in stores, studios are pushing them hard, and I think it's safe to say they aren't going away anytime soon.  Hollywood is so serious about 4K content that they launched a whole new video format to maximize the home experience, called 4K Ultra HD.  I myself have already bought a few of these disks despite not owning the TV yet ("Sicario," "Concussion," and "The Revenant," in case you're interested).  I can do this because, like BluRay 3D before it, each 4K Ultra HD copy (or, most of them, I should say) come with a standard BluRay disk, as well as an Ultraviolet code to watch the movie digitally.  It's a win-win situation as I can still watch my movie, and I have content for whenever I get my 4K TV (not planning for that anytime soon, but if I've learned one thing in life, it's that "anytime soon" sneaks up on you).

The struggle 3D fans have been facing is when it comes to the new format is a lack 3D content.  Now, in the studios defense, there is no 4K content that is in 3D yet.  Chances are it will come at some point, but for the time being, we're stuck with it in 720p.  That said, so far, when a movie has been released on the 4K Ultra HD format that was seen in 3D in theaters, fans of the movie have had to choose which combo pack to buy.  They can either watch the movie in 4K, or they can watch it in 3D.  I know that 3D never quite took off in the way studios wanted it to, but the frustrating thing about this is that combo packs were made specifically to give people options.  They were made so that, in essence, people wouldn't HAVE to make a choice which version of the movie they wanted to buy; they would simply have every version!  This doesn't work when "The Peanuts Movie" forces you to choose between two viewing formats.

Thankfully, it looks like at least one movie is going to cut that problem out by making the very first combo pack that included a 4K Ultra HD, BluRay 3D, BluRay, and Digital HD versions... and it's the stinking "Angry Birds Movie."

Yep, a studio finally releases a movie to test whether or not people would buy one of these elaborate combo packs, and it's for "The Angry Birds Movie." I know I'm repeating myself there, but I almost need to keep reminding myself this is how it's working.  I mean, this option couldn't be made available for "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" this week?  It's pretty confusing.  I'm not sure why this is the first movie (to my knowledge) where viewers don't have to choose between 4K and 3D, but part of it may be that the movie was designed around 3D, and the effect is so important to the film makers that they decided to make it available for whatever version you buy (except for the DVD version of course).  I have to say, they also unwittingly may have sold me a copy of this movie.  I wasn't exactly a huge fan of this film and I certainly had no plans to buy it, but this is a great idea.

Considering how expensive these combo packs are, it's strange that I have to choose between one of two ways to future proof my collection.  There is no reason for it.  If someone is spending $44 for a 4K Ultra HD combo pack, what is an extra $5 to include the BluRay 3D disk?  So, despite my better judgment, it looks like I will be buying a copy of "The Angry Birds Movie" in this big combo pack to support this idea in the future.  When I buy it, I will also send an e-mail to the studio letting them know this is the main reason I bought this version.  Because I've been a big supporter of the "one combo pack fits all" concept, and it's frustrating to see Hollywood still dance around this concept.  Oh, and for the record, no, this does NOT include a DVD copy!  But really, if you are buying a set that comes with a 4K Ultra HD disk, then chances are you are about as far away from using a DVD to watch a movie as you can possibly get now.

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Time to Right the Ship: "Zootopia" is Released onBluRay 3D

 

This post is at least a few days coming, but I've had to entertain family this week, and there are priorities in your life you must place above certain things.  Now it is time to mention (once more) that "Zootopia" has been released in the United States in it's native 3D version.  You can go to a local Best Buy or Fry's and buy a BluRay 3D of this $1 billion dollar hit film.  Chances are the major box office played a pivotal role in Disney reinstating their support for BluRay 3D in many peoples eyes, but, as far as I can see, this is merely a way to test the market.  After all, $1 billion didn't help "Frozen" get a BluRay 3D in America.  It should also be noted that, like the movie Disney decided to choose as their ending point for 3D support, they may have picked the wrong film to use as a measuring stick for getting back in the business.  "Zootopia" is a great film.  It may go down as one of the companies best films of all time.  The 3D used in the film though, is, to be blunt, not extremely important.  Nice, maybe, but far from important.

 

This is frustrating because in almost any other circumstance, this is a title that can be purchased safely in 2D by all but the most hardcore of 3D fans (which, if we're being honest, I am).  Ah, but there's the fact that Disney hasn't been the most reliable company when it comes to releasing their films in 3D in America.  While most of us can play the import game and buy these movies from Europe, it is SO much nicer to be able to buy these movies from our home state, with our own rating system and everything!  We chided Disney for not releasing 3D versions of "Frozen," "Big Hero 6," "Need for Speed," "Maleficent," "Aladdin," "The Finest Hour," etc, etc... you get the idea.  Basically, Disney has not been a 3D fans best friend in a long time.  Pixar and Marvel are big enough to overturn Disney's stubbornness in this area, but leave them to their own guns, and even "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will get the shaft.  That makes the release of "Zootopia" on BluRay 3D a welcome surprise as well as a slap in the face.

Simply put, this is one of the few 3D releases there is not as much demand for from people.  The movie is just fine without the 3D, and most people would normally agree.  They'd much rather have "The Jungle Book" or "Alice Through the Looking Glass" in 3D, as those films benefit from the third dimension greatly.  But getting those movies on BluRay 3D is far from a sure thing at this point.  If "Zootopia" fails to sell whatever number of units it needs to sell to convince Disney the format is viable again, we may not get those movies in the format.  Even if we get a pre-order announcement, this company is not above cancelling the disks at the last minute, so chances are those future releases will rest on whether or not "Zootopia" sells.  The bad news is, the future of the companies support for the format rests on a movie that doesn't benefit much from it.  On the plus, it is such a huge title it should move some copies regardless whether people liked the effect or not.

Of course every sale of "Captain America: Civil War" is going to help in this case.  Every BluRay 3D of "Finding Dory" will be a boost.  The difference is those two movies (regardless of the quality of them) come from studios that care very deeply how their films are viewed.  They would force Disney to release a BluRay 3D of "The Good Dinosaur" and "Thor: The Dark World" even if they were only going to move a few hundred copies.  In the eyes of Marvel and Pixar, the films were projected in 3D, so they need to be made available in 3D.  Disney has no problems skipping on the proper way to view a film if it will ensure more sales (for years they were the only studio who released pan & scan only DVD's of movies they considered wouldn't sell to "film fans").  Therefor, a sale of "Zootopia" on BluRay 3D is a much bigger deal than it is for the other movies.  It shouldn't be that way; but it is.

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No 3D for Extended Cuts of "Batman v Superman" or "The Martian" (But Why?)

Coming out within the next few months are two extended editions for two very big box office hits: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "The Martian." The former needs no introduction as you all know what it is.  The latter is a science fiction drama (not comedy) starring Matt Damon as a man who is stranded on Mars.  The first film was critical panned while the second film garnered praise and Oscar recognition (including a nomination for Best Picture).  Both were directed by men who have shaky careers as directors.  The only thing they both have in common is that both movies are getting extended cuts from what movie goers saw in theaters on BluRay.  Also, in both these cases, the extended cuts will NOT be presented in 3D!  The question, of course, is why is this the case?  Especially since both these films 3D versions made lots of money at the box office and were acclaimed for actually using the 3D effects properly.

Let's look at "Batman v Superman" first, as it's obviously the one you readers are more interested in.  First of all, I do want to point out that while the Ultimate Edition of this movie will not contain the extended cut in 3D, the theatrical cut WILL be in 3D, so there will be no need to have to decide between which version you want to buy!  As for why the extended cut won't be in 3D...well, the reason may lie in the fact that "Batman v Superman" is an unconverted presentation.  That means the film wasn't shot in natural 3D and was converted during post production.  Now, natural 3D is better than upconversion, but if this movie proves anything it's that the upconversion process is getting a lot better.  It is also really expensive, one that will add millions of dollars to a films budget.  This extended cut isn't just a few minutes here and there, it's a full half hour longer.  This means the cost of up converting the new footage would be considerable.

Had "Batman v Superman" been a bigger hit, maybe the studio wouldn't blink twice at the thought of spending the money.  Yes, despite the fact that this movie has made roughly $871 million dollars world wide, this was considered a huge disappointment for Warner Bros. (I know; problems of the rich and famous).  Course, this doesn't explain why the extended cut of "The Martian" isn't getting a BluRay 3D release.  Because, unlike "Batman v Superman," "The Martian" WAS filmed in natural 3D!  There is NO additional costs to convert 2D scenes to 3D scenes because everything is already in 3D.  So why isn't the extended edition of THIS getting a BluRay 3D?!  I couldn't tell you.  I've e-mailed Fox to see if they would like to comment, but they have yet to return my e-mails.  This is especially frustrating since this is a double dip of a movie that was released with bare bone features earlier this year, and rather than put both versions in one set (kind of like what Warner Bros. is doing for "Batman v Superman"), they would rather gouge their fans.

Regardless of the reasons, it is more than frustrating to be forced to choose between a longer cut of the film and watching it the way the directors intended it to be viewed.  In all fairness, most extended cuts aren't a marked improvement over their theatrical cuts, adding little to the film other than making it longer, so chances are fans won't really want to watch these extended cuts too many times anyway.  Of the two, Warner Bros. is doing this a little better than Fox, for the mere virtue that you get a 3D disk of the theatrical cut with the purchase of the Ultimate Edition combo.  When an extended edition BluRay is released of a film that was shot in 3D in the first place can't get a 3D release... well, that is a problem, and one that needs to be rectified by the studios.

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Nostalgia Critic Reviews "Spy Kids 3D"

With half of the top ten movies at the box office being 3D movies (as of this writing), it seems poetic that this weeks episode of the hit internet series "Nostalgia Critic" should tackle "Spy Kids 3D." The Robert Rodriguez directed family film is notable in the history of 3D films as it was the first successful motion picture in years to show that 3D was a viable format.  It should be noted that at the time of it's release digital projectors were not very common, so most people saw the film in anaglyph 3D (AKA: The kind where you wear the red and blue colored glasses).  This also means "Spy Kids 3D" did not have the added benefit of having a $3 surcharge.  Nevertheless, the film would end up taking in around $197 million, showing that people actually liked the effect.  As the Critic points out though, this could almost be a dubious claim, seeing as how the effect of the 3D is "spastic."

In fact, 3D in portrayed in as three different characters in the video: Dignified ("Hugo," "How to Train Your Dragon"), Distracting ("Jaws 3," "Friday the 13th 3"), and Doesn't Count ("Clash of the Titans, "The Last Airbender"), all representing a different style of 3D.  As usual the Critic's review is funny and informative, but the reason I'm discussing this is because of how much he comments on the 3D.  First of all, he points out that despite 3D being in the name of the movie, the 3D version is NOT available on the BluRay!  That certainly seems to be defeating the point.  He also points out how the whole movie is filmed around the 3D gimmick, rather than having the 3D supporting the film.  When you watch all this in 2D it makes the film worse (if not entirely unwatchable).  It's a great way to get an idea of what this movie is like without having to watch the whole thing.

The stand out for me though, was the fact that he actually made 3D into three characters (called the 3D Brothers) and acknowledges that there is good 3D and bad 3D.  I hear way too often that 3D is pointless.  It doesn't contribute anything to the story.  It adds another $3 to the ticket price.  That third argument I'll concede, but I disagree with the first two.  What the Critic has done is essentially agree with both points of view.  There ARE movies where the 3D doesn't matter and there ARE movies where the 3D takes over the movie to a point where it's more annoying than anything!  The best 3D is the kind that pulls the viewers into the worlds.  Although the name of this blog is still "Save BluRay 3D," I am pretty certain the future of 3D is safe.  It's getting better and now almost every movie theater is capable of presenting it.

If anything we look back to movies like "Spy Kids 3D" as an example of how to not do this.  How, if left unchecked, 3D can become the center of the film and add a nauseating effect no one wants.  Interestingly, I watched this episode after getting home from a friends house, where we watched "Mad Max: Fury Road" in 3D.  They all walked away feeling that the 3D helped make that movie more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been in 2D, and made the action sequences more involving.  I have come to the conclusion that 3D is at a point where it can be taken seriously and, in many cases, should.  But there are three ways you can make a 3D movie and only one of them really works.  Future film makers would do well to remember this when moving forward in the future.

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"Captain America: Civil War" Coming to BluRay 3D

While it's release always seemed certain to me, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be happy to know that "Captain America: Civil War" is indeed coming to BluRay 3D.  Marvel movies have always been exempt from Disney's unofficial discontinuation of their BluRay 3D's, so this doesn't really surprise me too much.  Still, it IS always nice to get the all important confirmation, seeing that the company is still notoriously flakey about releasing their movies in 3D.  Please keep in mind that the confirmation comes from Amazon, as they have put up a pre-order page on their website (a link I won't share here because I don't like that site, but... eh, I'm sure you'll stumble upon it easily enough).  When Disney releases their press release I'll update this post, but for now be happy at the news!

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3D Movies on the Rise in Theaters (So Why is it Still Considered in Trouble?)

I don't know if it's just me, but it honestly seems like 3D is having a bit of a comeback these days.  Part of it could be that some friends I know got a 3D TV recently and there's this thing where if your friends buy something it means that something might be catching on.  That's me on a personal level though.  The main reason 3D seems like its at the beginning of a resurgence is the fact that there are no less than three major movies in theaters right now that are in 3D.  "The Angry Birds Movie" just opened last weekend and took the number one spot away from "Captain America: Civil War." 3D tickets were a big part of that movies opening (as well as it's better than expected Chinese opening).  These two movies aside, Disney's "live action" remake of their animated classic "The Jungle Book" is still in theaters and doing very well.  Throw in the continued unexpected success of "Zootopia," and four of the top ten movies last weekend were 3D films.

If you poke around a little bit you might find a cheap theater still showing "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Ratchet & Clank" in 3D.  This week "Alice Through the Looking Glass" will be opening everywhere and it will be interesting to see if that film repeats the original film in 3D ticket sales (of which the first was one of the highest grossing films in the format).  Throw in the upcoming releases of "Warcraft," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows," and "Finding Dory," and one has to wonder why people are still claiming 3D is dead.  Not only are we getting more 3D movies than ever, but some of them are even doing almost half their business in the format.  This makes me wonder of course why people still think 3D is dead?  If that were the case, wouldn't we see less 3D movies as opposed to more?

The answer is so simple it's frustrating: TV manufacturers.  Many of these big electronic companies saw the big business 3D was doing at the box office, jumped heavily into the 3D TV business with high expectations, and have been shunning the format with great prejudice for the past couple of years.  Why is this though?  Well, first of all, electronic companies look at how people replace their smartphones every year and want that to happen for their TV departments.  Before when there was a home theater advancement every decade or so (color, widescreen, high definition) now there is an advancement every few years.  Companies like LG and Sony aren't selling as many TV's as they were in the old days, and they would obviously like to change that.

As I've stated in other posts before though, people don't buy TV's that way.  When people buy a TV they tend to keep it for ten years or more.  The some of first HD TV's were shown off at the California State Fair in 1995.  I personally didn't know anyone who had one of those TV's until 2000 (and my family didn't theirs until 2005).  Why get a new TV when the current one you have works just fine?  People were not going to replace a perfectly good TV just to get one with 3D display anymore than people will do for 4K.  There are people who are looking to get a new TV though, and now that they are upgrading, they want all the bells and whistles.  This includes 3D.  Heck, just look at the box office these days.  3D is still being widely embraced by the public.  TV manufacturers have every reason to jump on the 4K bandwagon.  The future is the future, and some film makers will make great use of 4K at some point in time.

They need to continue to support 3D though, because while it never became the standard, many movies do use it and use it well.  It's only a matter of time before a 3D film wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and superhero movies have it whether they need it or not (most of the time they do).  3D is a mainstay in movies at this point and time and TV manufacturers need to stop ignoring that.  The format is poised to have another record breaking year at the box office.  If it does, will the TV manufacturer's still have the excuse that 3D is on it's way out?  If "Alice Through the Looking Glass" is the hit Disney expects it to be, the answer will be no.  Oh, and "X-Men: Apocalypse" is also being released in 3D this weekend.  Great time to be a theater owner who projects 3D movies!

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You Have a VERY Limited Time to See "Ratchet & Clank" in 3D!

 

If you are one of the few people who want to see "Ratchet & Clank" in theaters you might want to hurry: It bombed hard at the box office with a mighty "clank" this weekend.  Making under $5 million dollars in its opening weekend (to all the young kids out there: That isn't a lot of money for an animated movie), it just barely beat out "Zootopia" for sixth place at the box office!  The critical lashing the film has received also insures that this isn't going to become a sleeper hit.  I expect it to be in theaters for a few weeks at the most before it is quietly released on DVD.  So if you want to see the movie in theaters, you might want to hurry.  Also, if you want to see the movie in 3D, you really want to hurry because that's likely not going to last beyond this week.  Because "The Jungle Book" and "Batman v Superman" are still in theaters, many movie houses opted not to show "Rachet & Clank" in 3D at all.

The few theaters that do show it in 3D normally only have two showings of it a day (with most of them showing it in the early afternoon).  This sort of reminds me when "Avatar," "Alice in Wonderland," and "How to Train Your Dragon" were all fighting for space in the coveted 3D screens that were few and far between.  The situation is different now in the sense that pretty much every screen can project 3D if it's digital (which almost all of them are), but the demand for the format has gone down enough that theaters don't want to dedicate too much screen time to the premium format.  When it comes to family films they are probably correct in assuming most families would prefer to save $3 dollars a ticket rather than get an immersive experience, so unless a family film shows to have some strong legs with teenagers and adults (like "The Jungle Book") they would rather just show the movie in 2D instead of risk frugal parents not buying a ticket at all.

The fact that "Ratchet & Clank" got some 3D screens at all is to be commended.  This isn't the most eagerly awaited movie so 3D showings of the film were always likely to be played in empty houses.  It should also be noted that I live in the LA area where most theaters have at least twenty screens and there's a theater every five miles, so you can find ANYTHING here (including screenings of "Purple Rain" at the moment)!  If I'm having a hard time finding 3D screenings of "Ratchet & Clank" I can only imagine how rare it's going to be for people in less populated states in America.  Having seen the movie in 3D there are some nice effects and it was pretty clear the film makers intended the visuals to have a three dimensional punch to them.  Of course it doesn't make the movie any good and if it disappears without you seeing it you probably won't be missing anything.  However, in all fairness, if you do want to see this in 3D my suggestion is not to wait, because "Ratchet & Clank" itself won't last long in theaters (and the 3D version will be gone even sooner).

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It's Official: "Zootopia" is Coming to BluRay 3D!

I wrote a couple months ago that I highly doubted we'd actually see "Zootopia" get a domestic BluRay 3D.  I now have to eat those words because today Disney announced that "Zootopia" IS in fact coming to BluRay 3D!  In America.  No joke.  I'm too shocked to properly form thoughts on what a big deal this is or why Disney has gone back to pressing 3D disks for their home grown films, but I'll think of something soon.  In the meantime, enjoy this nice press release from Disney:



BURBANK, Calif., April 29, 2016 — Walt Disney Animation Studios’ (WDAS) comedy-adventure, “Zootopia” has broken records worldwide earning more than $900 million at the global box office to date. The best reviewed movie of 2016, critics and audiences around the world have fallen in love with the wonderfully innovative animal metropolis of “Zootopia” and the comedic chemistry of rookie rabbit officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and scam-artist fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). It’s been called one of the best buddy cop comedies in years! Thankfully, there’s more—much more. When the runaway hit arrives home on Digital HD, Blu-ray™, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand (does not include bonus) platforms June 7, 2016, viewers will not only be able to enjoy the vibrant world of Zootopia and reunite with their favorite characters, but also discover more about the evolution of this extraordinary tale through in-depth bonus offerings. Features include candid conversations with filmmakers and artists behind Zootopia, an alternate opening, never-before-seen characters and deleted scenes and a sneak peek at some of the hidden Easter Eggs that make reference to Disney Animation’s most beloved films and characters.

Watch Zootopia Easter egg clip:

 

Bonus features include*:
     
 BLU-RAY 3D, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:
      ·       Zoology: The Roundtables – Ginnifer Goodwin hosts an in-depth look at the movie’s characters, animation, environments and more.
  The artists at Disney Animation give a rare and in-depth look at the complexities of bringing an all-animal world to life from the ground-breaking technology behind the characters’ fur and clothing to the varied and vast environments of Tundratown, Sahara Square and the Rainforest District as well as the deep thought and research given to bringing 64 unique animal species to life through animation.

      ·       The Origin of an Animal Tale – Follow the story’s development from its origins to a big story shift that turned the film upside down. In this feature-length documentary, filmmakers give a candid look into the difficulties of creating the story of Zootopia and the bold decision to switch the main character late in the production process, putting one resolute rabbit center stage.

      ·       Research: A True-Life Adventure – The filmmakers traveled the globe to find inspiration for the diverse characters and amazing city of Zootopia. They reflect on the importance of research and how a deep dive into animal behavior at Disney Animal Kingdom theme park and a deep immersion into animal society on the African savanna shaped and inspired the characters of Zootopia and changed the filmmakers’ lives forever.

      ·       Z.P.D. Forensic Files – Find the movie’s hidden Easter Eggs. Every city has its hidden gems, especially when it has been created by the filmmakers of Disney Animation who love nothing more than sprinkling hidden references to some of Disney’s greatest animated features throughout the story.

      ·       Scoretopia – Academy Award®-winning composer, Michael Giacchino spotlights five of cinema’s greatest percussionists and how they brought an organic, animalistic sound to his powerful and emotional music score.

      ·       Deleted Characters – Directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore introduce citizens of Zootopia who did not make the final cut.

      ·       Deleted Scenes:
                        o Alternate Opening – Young Judy Hopps rescues a fellow classmate and realizes she can reach beyond a life in carrot farming to a future in law enforcement.
                        o Wild Times! Pitch – Nick desperately pitches the bankers of Zootopia on funding Wild Times!, an amusement park made exclusively for the predators of Zootopia and a sure-fire, money-making scheme for Nick and his friends.
                        o Alternate Homesick Hopps – After a frustrating first day on the force, Judy has a conversation with her parents. See how this scene changed from a heartfelt conversation with her parents to tough love when her parents discover their daughter is only a meter maid and not a “real cop.”
                        o Detective Work – Judy borrows a fellow police officer’s computer to conduct research, which turns out to be no small task.
                        o Alternate Jumbo Pop – In this early version of the story where Nick was the main character, the filmmakers and Jason Bateman were able to take hustling to a new level.
                        o Hopps’ Apartment – When Judy’s entire family pays her a surprise visit they are shocked to discover the company she’s keeping.
                        o The Taming Party – In this emotional clip from an early version of “Zootopia,” Judy attends her first “taming party” and gains a deeper understanding of the plight of the predator.

      ·       “Try Everything” Music Video by Shakira DVD:
      ·       Scoretopia
      ·       “Try Everything” Music Video by Shakira DIGITAL HD EXCLUSIVE:
      ·       International Character Reel - See the variances in news reporters in Zootopia around the world!
Directed by Byron Howard (“Tangled,” “Bolt”) and Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “The Simpsons”) and produced by Clark Spencer (“Wreck-It-Ralph,” “Lilo & Stitch”), the progressive mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a melting pot where animals from every habitat live side by side and "anyone can be anything." But when new rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives in town she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of tough, hulking animals isn't so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack an unsolved, challenging case even if it means working with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery. But the case leads these two unlikely partners to an uneasy conclusion that Zootopia’s "evolved" society is being pulled apart by unseen forces determined to use fear to take control of the city by turning predators and prey against each other.   Others who helped bring the world of Zootopia to life, include a remarkable roster of voice talent including Idris Elba (BBC’s “Luther,” Golden Globe®-nominated for Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation”) as Judy’s no-nonsense cape buffalo boss Chief Bogo, Jenny Slate (“Obvious Child,” “Marcel the Shell”) as Assistant Mayor Bellwether, Nate Torrence (HBO’s “Hello Ladies,” Fox’s “Weird Loners”) as charming cheetah Clawhauser, Bonnie Hunt (“Return to Me,” “Jerry Maguire”) and Don Lake (“Dumb and Dumber To,” “The Bonnie Hunt Show”) as Judy’s anxious, but supportive parents, Tommy Chong (“Up in Smoke,” “That ’70s Show”) as Yax the Yak, J.K. Simmons (“Juno,” Oscar® winner for “Whiplash”) as Mayor Lionheart, Octavia Spencer (“Insurgent,” Oscar® winner for “The Help”) as the distraught Mrs. Otterton, Alan Tudyk (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Trumbo”) as Duke Weaselton, Shakira as the socially minded international pop star Gazelle, Raymond Persi (“Wreck-It Ralph,” WDAS story artist) as Flash the sloth, Maurice LaMarche (“Pinky and the Brain,” two-time Emmy® winner “Futurama”) as Mr. Big, Tiny Lister (“Friday,” “The Fifth Element”) as Finnick, John DiMaggio (Fox’s “Futurama,” Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time”) as Jerry Jumbeaux Jr., Katie Lowes (ABC’s “Scandal,” “Big Hero 6”) as Dr. Badger, and Jesse Corti (“Frozen,” “Beauty and the Beast”) as Mr. Manchas.  The film is also supported by an emotional and powerful music score created by Michael Giacchino (“Jurassic World,” Academy Award®-winning composer for Disney•Pixar’s “Up”) and an inspiring original song, “Try Everything,” performed by Grammy®-winning, international superstar Shakira (voice of Zootopia’s biggest pop star, Gazelle) and written by Grammy®-winning singer-songwriter Sia and songwriting duo Stargate.
DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

Product SKUs:	Digital HD/SD, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand
Feature Run Time:	Approximately 108 minutes
Rating:	PG in U.S. and Canada
Aspect Ratio:	Blu-ray Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / 2.39:1 DVD Feature Film = 2.39:1
Audio:	Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA & 2.0 Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks DVD = English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio
Languages/Subtitles:	English, French & Spanish/English SDH, French & Spanish

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook: Facebook.com/DisneyZootopia
Website: Movies.Disney.com/Zootopia

ABOUT DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE (DMA): 
Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an engaging and family-friendly cloud-based digital movie service that makes it simple to buy your favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies once and watch them anywhere. With DMA you can explore Disney’s library of over 450 eligible digital movies, discover hours of new and exclusive short-form content, and watch your digital movies from the comfort of the living room or across multiple mobile devices. Using the free DMA apps and website, you can connect your DMA account with participating providers including iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Microsoft Movies and TV and Google Play and unlock access your eligible movie collections across platforms and devices – iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV/Airplay, Amazon’s Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Microsoft Movies and TV service on Windows and Microsoft Xbox devices, Android mobile and tablet devices and Android TV, Chromecast and the Roku® platform. In addition, you can redeem Digital Copy codes found in Disney, Pixar and Marvel Blu-rays and DVDs, as well as earn Disney Movie Rewards points with every digital purchase.


ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:
For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

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"The Huntsman: Winter's War" Screens in 3D Internationally

 

This weekend the number one movie will likely be "The Jungle Book" once again.  It will be an easy repeat victory for the animated film, as no other movie opening this weekend has the positive reviews and solid word-of-mouth.  Not to mention it will get to keep all of the 3D and IMAX screens since Universal Studios has decided not to release the 3D version of their big new release "The Huntsman: Winter's War" in America.  The movie is a prequel to the horrendous "Snow White and the Huntsman" from a few years ago.  Originally planned as a sequel, the decision to go the prequel route is probably a combination of Kristen Stewarts falling celebrity status, the scandal about her affair with original director Rupert Sanders shortly after the release of the original film, and the death of Bob Hoskins.  That is a trifecta of base events no supposed franchise wants to have... of course, since the original movie was so terrible, it's amazing that the studio attempted to franchise it at all.

To be certain, "The Huntsman: Winter's War" has been getting terrible reviews with many of us critics wondering how stupid these studios think the public are (apparently, they think the public is VERY stupid).  The question mark some have had is about the international 3D version of the film.  It was never announced to be coming to the US in the first place (unlike some other movies), but the question remains whether or not the film is supposed to be viewed in three dimensions or two?  Having only seen the movie in 2D myself I can only speculate, but with the exception of maybe one shot the movie didn't look like it was made with 3D in mind.  Granted, a couple of the fight sequences likely wouldn't be hurt by having three dimensions, but its pretty clear the studio didn't think very highly of the effect to make it a priority.  In this case I'm willing to trust them on the matter that the 3D just wasn't very good because the studio in question is Universal Studios.

Universal is one of the best studios out there when it comes to their support for 3D.  They have released movies like "Despicable Me," "Jurassic World," and "47 Ronin." These are all movies that (despite their various degrees of quality) all used 3D effectively and was worth the extra money for the added effect.  On the other hand, they also produced 3D versions for "Furious 7" and "The Huntsman: Winter's War" that were never intended for release in America.  I have actually seen the 3D version of "Furious 7" and, despite the fact that it would seem like a movie like that would benefit from 3D, but it really didn't.  My suspicion is that Universal is making these 3D versions of all their movies for the Chinese market that can't get enough of the effect, but they are being more selective of which titles actually benefit from the effect for the US market.  This makes sense because American's are still recovering from a glut of terrible 3D movies, and Universal likely only wants to release movies that will put the format back in a positive light.

While it will be nice to one day be able to just choose which version you want to see, at this point in time Universal's selective process makes perfect sense.  And really, even if the 3D was good, I would be hesitant to ask even a small percentage of people to fork over extra money to see "The Huntsman: Winter's War" of all things.  Either way, the studio has made it much easier for audiences to see the better movie this weekend by forgoing 3D and IMAX screenings.  With the exception of a few XD and RPX screens, "The Huntsman: Winter's War" is only going to be screened on standard screens across America, and if the preview numbers are any indication, it won't make much of a dent at the box office.  Personally, I think it's worth forgetting about this movie and just recommend seeing "The Jungle Book" again.  Or seek out something really unique if you're feeling adventurous.

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"The Jungle Book" is the Latest 3D Hit at Box Office

Disney's "The Jungle Book" is the latest major hit from the hit making studio.  It is also another major hit for the 3D format that is being overlooked by most of the media.  The film raked in a little over $100 million dollars and a good chunk of that likely belonged to 3D screenings.  Why do I assume that?  Because over 75% of movie theaters showed the film in the 3D format (this included IMAX screens).  It's interesting that two years ago this would be seen as a major success for the format from the studios.  These days it's barely acknowledged.  Of course, Disney has also been selling this as a live action movie when everyone who worked on the film clearly knows it isn't.  Either way, this is another major success for a format that can use all of the hits it can get at this point in the game.

Chances are pretty good America won't get a BluRay 3D version on our local shores, but the UK store Zavvi already has an exclusive steelbook BluRay 3D for pre-order on their site.  While it's not guaranteed to be Region A compatible yet, my personal experience with imported Disney BluRay's has been pretty positive, as I have yet to buy one that has not worked on an American player (or my Xbox One).  Speaking of imported Disney BluRay 3D...so far I have been unable to find a pre-order for "The Finest Hours" in 3D on any site.  It could still be coming, but for the time being it looks like this is one 3D experience that won't be available to purchase anywhere in the world.  I hope you enjoyed seeing it in 3D in theaters (although chances are you didn't).

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