Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 3D Blu-ray

Video Codec: MPEG-4 MVC Resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 1.78:1 Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Audio English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Subtitles English SDH, Spanish Discs Blu-ray 3D Blu-ray Disc Three-disc set (2 BD-50, 1 DVD) DVD copy Digital Digital copy expired Digital copy (on disc), iTunes

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 3D

 (2011)

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 3D Blu-ray delivers great video and solid audio, but overall it's a mediocre Blu-ray release
Red Riding Hood is training in the group of Sister Hoods, when she and the Wolf are called to examine the sudden mysterious disappearance of Hansel and Gretel.


For more about Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 3D and the Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 3D Blu-ray release, see Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 3D Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on August 23, 2011 where this Blu-ray release scored 2.5 out of 5.

Director: Mike Disa
Writers: Mike Disa, Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards
Starring: Glenn Close, Hayden Panettiere, Cheech Marin, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, Bill Hader
Producer: Maurice Kanbar

» See full cast & crew

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 3D Blu-ray, Video Quality

   

Anchor Bay enters the Blu-ray 3D fray with Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil, and the results are predictably acceptable but far from extraordinary. The 2D-only release sported a fine 1080p transfer that was pretty much lacking thanks only to the inherent quality of the animation. That carries over into the 3D presentation. This one is serviceably bland; there's little here beyond general depth, and even then the image never really captures the same sense of natural space as the superior animated 3D titles. The film opens with a storybook lying flat on a table; there's an obvious sense of space from the table to the top of the book whether it's open or closed. The nighttime raid that follows squeezes out some perceptible depth, a rarity with blackened or very dark backgrounds. Longer shots with more complex animation -- the overhead shot of the lounge where Jimmy Ten Strings performs, for instance -- enjoys a very nice "realistic" scope and scale. A staircase seems to extend back into the screen in one shot, but the effect is somewhat lessened by the innate softness that characterizes the further steps. There are no real "pop out of the screen" moments; a missile shoots towards the audience at one point, but it hardly seems to penetrate the screen. All in all, this is a very average, very plain, but baseline effective 3D image.

As for the image's more generalized attributes, it stacks up quite well against the 2D-only image (also included on a separate disc identical to the standalone release). The transfer yields good strong details -- when the film allows. Faces and more complex textures such as city street and sidewalk pavement remain flat, with a few scattered niceties in the form of wooden planks on the bridge where Red fights a troll early in the film. Still, the image is decidedly lacking in that area, but fault the feature and not the transfer. Colors are accurate and pleasant, whether Red's bright cape or Jimmy's polished golden mug. Black levels yield mostly accurate shades, though they appear to lighten up in a few scenes. Banding is evident but not detrimentally so, and blocking is mostly a non factor. Again, the transfer is only as good as the source; Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil has a very cheap, lower-end feel to it, and that's readily evident from the beginning. All things considered, however, it could be worse. The 3D is fair but never really pops, and the general quality of the transfer isn't lessened when combined with the added third viewing dimension.

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 3D Blu-ray, Audio Quality

   

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil features the same frustrating DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack that accompanies the aforementioned 2D-only release. While clarity leaves little to be desired, the track is completely lacking in volume and energy at reference levels. It plays almost timidly, like it's afraid to really stand up and do what's required of it. Even heavier sound effects -- an explosion, the roar of a jet engine, the zipping of a motorcycle -- seem underpowered, but the basic delivery in terms of directionality, spacing, and the like is fine. Likewise, surround use is sporadic at best, and the track never really does much to draw the audience into the film. On the other hand, dialogue is crisp and accurate as it flows from the center channel while music enjoys a full front-half delivery, but again, though, both sound a little tinny and underpowered. Make sure to crank this one up a bit past normal levels.