Boog (Martin Lawrence) was a trained bear living with his trainer, Beth (Debra Messing). Boog’s world is about to change when he meets Elliot (Ashton Kutcher), a one antler buck that is set to become Shaw’s next trophy, and immediately draws Boog into doing mischievous things. After an incident at a show where Boog performs, Beth is forced to finally release her bear into the wild. Beth places Boog above the waterfalls so he isn’t affected by the upcoming Open Season for hunting, but the buck finds a way to get Boog into trouble and now they must survive on their way back to home.
Open Season is a tale with a story that has been used over and over with. It’s not a bad, it just simply fails to completely capture the older audience. The story tells the story of two animals who are in search to find themselves and in the midst of their adventure, they form a bigger bondage between them. In all honesty, the story tries to tell a more touching tale and it comes short, not necessarily fails, but indeed something else was needed in order to make it all work. The movie had a strong foundation to say the least, but the movie didn’t exactly evolve from what we were expecting. Regardless, the film was watchable and somewhat entertaining throughout the 80+ minutes.
Open Season has already been released on Blu-ray and now the 3D version is available. This new 3D version adds a whole another level of entertainment. It’s the same movie from before, but this time there is much more depth to the way it looks and feels. The 3D aspect really elevates this film to the next level. The 3D effects used on Open Season are by far the best Sony has used on an animated film. I suppose the type of setting that the film took place in, gave Sony an opportunity to expand the use of 3D. The 3D effects are used throughout in a wide variety of places. It wasn’t as restrictive to only certain objects. It was a very active 3D film.
Open Season arrives in Blu-ray 3D format and can be played in 3D or 2D by selecting it from the menu. I have tested this Blu-ray on a Sony BDP-S300 player and it works on 2D without a problem. One more thing you have to remember, these Blu-ray 3D titles require a 3D TV set, a 3D ready Blu-ray player, and 3D glasses that are the same brand as the TV (until universal glasses are released). The glasses mentioned earlier aren’t the same as the red and blue so please don’t confuse it. Glasses aren’t included in these Blu-ray 3D titles.
Open Season arrives on Blu-ray 3D with a gorgeous 1080p MPEG4-AVC (MVC encoded 3D) encode framed at 1.85:1. This is the best 3D title Sony has put on the market yet. Colors are vibrant and rich making the film oh so much more attractive. Black levels are deep and inky. Detailing is exceptional throughout, Boog’s fur is incredibly lifelike, the raindrops make the scenery look fantastic during the nightfall, and the objects all around reveal great textures. To top it all off, the movie has an exceptional video clarity. The 3D version of the film is exceptional, the best Sony has put out yet. The movie is very active when it comes to the 3D aspect. Objects come in and out of 3D seamlessly and are displayed without any issues or ghosting. There is always a sense of space among objects and depth throughout the film. The film really lends itself to be explored with this new 3D technique. The grass, the animals, raindrops, the menus, water from the river, etc., all looks exceptional and no ghosting is detected throughout. This film looks exceptional and there is absolutely no doubt that Sony has set the bar for Blu-ray 3D this early in the stage of the format.
Open Season arrives on Blu-ray with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless track. While the video is pretty much flawless in every aspect, the audio isn’t up to par. Regardless, it does the job with the bare minimum. The dialogue is primarily coming out through the center fronts. The rears aren’t used enough and when they are they just don’t add that expected effects to engross the viewer. There are a few moments were the film shows has some rip roaring sound, but there are very few of those. The music comes out with great fidelity thought the speakers. Overall, Open Season sounds good and it covers the basics for the film, but it doesn’t go that extra mile.
Audio Commentary – This audio commentary track allows directors Roger Allers, Jill Culton, Anthony Stacchi, and producer Michelle Murdocca to discuss all aspects of the film from the voice actors to the story. The track is very lively and entertaining and If you have some spare time I would suggest to listen to the track.
Inside the Animals Studio Commentaries – The animals of the film give you a rundown of certain scenes. Mr. Weenie, Porcupine, and Maria the Skunk have their own commentary under the menu item “Commentaries”.
Boog and Elliot’s Midnight Bun Run – Boog and Elliot star in a short film.
Behind the Trees – This featurette allows the viewers to see the process behind the animation. We take a tour to Sony’s studios to get a quick glimpse at the way an animated film is created.
The Voices Behind the Stars – This just shows the process of how they pick the right voice actors for the voices of the characters.
Music Video – “I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)” by Deathray
Activities – These are interactive features included in the supplements, the three activities are: “Wheel of Fortune: Forest Edition”, “Voice-A-Rama”, Swept Away Scene Deconstruction”
Ringtables – Three cartoon animated shorts.
Galleries – There are three galleries included: Environments, Characters, and Beat Boards.
Monster House Sneak Peak in 3D
A Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs Sneak Peak in 3D
The Smurfs Sneak Peek in 3D
Deleted Scenes
Open Season could have definitely been better than what it was. It came into an already saturated market of cute and cuddly genre. The story, the characters, the voice acting needed a bit more than what was offered at the end. For the younger audience the movie won’t be as bad as you’d think, but the older audience may not be as interested at the end. The Blu-ray offers an incredible video transfer and 3D effects that definitely set the bar high for other studios to try and top it. The audio was sub-par when compared to the video, but it does a decent job. There are enough supplements to be enjoyed once the credits start rolling. Open Season is a decent animated film, but if you have a 3D set this is the best 3D film out there at the moment and that should be your reason to buy. Otherwise, I’d suggest a rental.
