Leroy & Stitch appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 on this single-sided, double-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. The other Stitch efforts offered good visuals, and Leroy lived up to those standards.
Sharpness seemed very good. From start to finish, the movie remained crisp and well defined. I noticed no examples of softness or fuzziness during this detailed and concise picture. Jagged edges and moiré effects appeared absent, and I noticed no signs of edge enhancement. In regard to print flaws, I noticed none, as the movie looked clean and fresh from start to finish.
Like its predecessors, Leroy boasted a vivid and varied palette, and the DVD presented those hues well. The colors consistently looked positive. From the lush landscapes to the bold tones of the aliens, the hues always came across as lively and tight. Black levels also seemed terrifically deep and solid, while shadow detail was appropriately dense but never seemed overly murky. Ultimately, Leroy offered a fine image.
When we moved to the audio, we found a similarly strong experience. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack of Leroy & Stitch favored the front channels, but the mix opened up well when appropriate. Stitch’s nightmares offered lively material, and other actions scenes provided a lot of exciting sonic activity. In between, things seemed more subdued, but the soundfield matched the film nicely. Music always demonstrated positive stereo imaging, and the effects created a realistic and involving sense of atmosphere. When the action heated up, the surrounds added a fine layer of material that contributed some engaging audio. The back speakers also offered a lot of effective isolated speech that created a fun sense of setting.
Audio quality seemed positive. Dialogue always came across as natural and warm, and I detected no concerns related to edginess or intelligibility. Music appeared bright and dynamic, with concise highs and rich lows. Effects also were tight and realistic. Those elements betrayed no distortion, as they consistently appeared clean and accurate. The effects provided some strong bass response as well. The track lacked the consistent ambition to make it to “A” level, but it still warranted a positive “B+”.
Only a couple of extras round out the set. The main attraction stems from a “never-before-seen” bonus episode of the Lilo & Stitch TV series. This show lasts 22 minutes and 40 seconds as it presents Experiment 251, a critter who binds together uncooperative individuals. This means he links Lilo and her schoolyard nemesis Myrtle as well as Pleakley/Jumba and Nani/Stitch.
I think this episode proves more interesting than Leroy itself. It lacks the same production values and isn’t quite as amusing, but at least it boasts a more creative story. It’s a pretty good little program.
We also get a Big Red Battleship Flight Simulator game. This requires you to use the arrow buttons to navigate a debris field. It’s pretty easy and moderately entertaining, largely because it uses Hamsterviel as an annoyance. Unfortunately, it doesn’t present a real reward for success.
Technical glitch alert: when I played this DVD through my HT receiver, the audio for the menus and the TV show episode was very rough and distorted. Everything else sounded fine, and when I checked out the bonus episode through my TV’s analog inputs, it came across well. I don’t know why some aspects of the audio were so terrible through my receiver, but I thought I’d mention this concern.
Leroy opens with some promos. This disc begins with ads for releases of The Little Mermaid, Meet the Robinsons, That’s So Raven: Raven’s Makeover Madness, and High School Musical. In addition, all of these and previews for The Shaggy Dog, The Suite Life, The Fox and the Hound, Little Einsteins Mission Celebration, Spymate, and Brother Bear 2 appear in the Sneak Peeks section.
Leroy & Stitch will create a sense of déjà vu in its viewers. Those who’ve seen its predecessors will find the same style of entertainment here. This means it provides decent fun but never becomes anything particularly inventive or memorable. The DVD features excellent picture and very good audio but lacks substantial extras. Stitch fans should rent this one, but I can’t recommend a purchase, especially since the DVD comes with a rather high list price of almost $27.