The Smurfs 2 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a satisfying image.
For the most part, sharpness looked good. At times, wider shots tended to be a little soft, but those examples weren’t terribly intrusive. Much of the film appeared pretty accurate and concise.
No concerns with jagged edges or shimmering occurred, and edge enhancement remained minor. Source flaws also failed to create problems.
In terms of colors, Smurfs 2 veered toward a pretty peppy palette to reflect the world of the Smurfs. Of course, blue dominated, but we still got a fairly broad range of hues that tended to appear lively.
Blacks were deep and firm, while shadows showed good delineation. Overall, this was a pleasing presentation.
Similar thoughts greeted the good DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Smurfs 2. I felt the soundscape delivered an involving experience in which the various action scenes offered a nice sense of impact. Overall, the mix filled out the room in a satisfying manner, especially when it involved magic.
Audio quality was positive. Speech came across as natural and concise, without edginess or other issues.
Music showed good range, and effects offered a good sense of impact with reasonable punch and clarity. This was a positive soundtrack.
This package includes both 2D and 3D versions of Smurfs 2. The picture comments above reflect the 2D edition – how does the 3D compare?
Quality-wise, sharpness and brightness took a minor hit. However, I didn’t discern anything notable, so the 3D version looked almost as good as its 2D counterpart.
Stereo imaging worked nicely, as the movie brought a fine sense of depth and dimensionality. Various flying and supernatural elements hovered out of the screen, and a few fun “pop-out” action scenes contributed life as well. The added visual impact added to the film and will be my go-to version for future screenings.
When we shift to the extras, we open with two featurettes. Daddy’s Little Girl: The Journey of Smurfette runs six minutes, 21 seconds and includes comments from producer Jordan Kerner, director Raja Gosnell, screenwriters J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, David Ronn and Jay Scherick, and actor Katy Perry.
They cover the movie’s Smurfette character as well as Perry’s portrayal of her. Perry throws out a couple of decent notes but overall this remains a light, fluffy piece without much informational value.
During the three-minute, 24-second Animating Azrael, we hear from animation supervisor Spencer Cook. We see aspects of the animation as Cook narrates the work. Despite the show’s brevity, it gives us a solid little overview of the movie’s CG.
Five Deleted Scenes fill a total of three minutes, 52 seconds. Most of these focus on Gargamel and tend toward extensions to existing sequences. None of them add much, though at least we find out where Gargamel got his personal action figure.
All the features above also appeared on the DVD, but the rest provide Blu-ray exclusives. These start with a short called The Legend of Smurfy Hollow.
It goes for 22 minutes, 15 seconds and offers Narrator Smurf’s Smurf-slanted version of the Sleepy Hollow tale. Most of the movie’s actors reprise their voices, and it’s cute and mildly entertaining.
Three added featurettes appear, and The Naughties lasts five minutes, 42 seconds. It presents notes from Gosnell, Ronn, Scherick, Stem, Weiss, Kerner, and actors Hank Azaria, JB Smoove, and Christina Ricci.
As expected, the show covers the two new animated characters. It offers minor insights but remains fairly fluffy.
Azrael’s Tail spans four minutes, 40 seconds and offers info from Azaria, Kerner, Stem, Weiss, Gosnell, Cook and head animal trainer Larry Madrid.
We learn the various methods to bring the movie’s feline to life. Expect a decent overview.
Finally, Evolution of the Naughties gives us a three-minute, 41-second reel with commentary from VFX supervisor Rich Hoover. As we view movie shots and other art, Hoover describes the visual evolution of Hackus and Lexi. Hooven brings some useful notes.
The 2D disc opens with ads for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Hotel Transylvania and The Smurfs. Previews also includes promos for Angry Birds Toons, The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale and One Direction: This Is Us. No trailer for Smurfs 2 pops up here.
The 3D disc begins with 3D ads for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Hotel Transylvania, Arthur Christmas, Pirates! Band of Misfits and Smurfs.
While I thought The Smurfs offered a reasonably entertaining effort, no praise greets The Smurfs 2. Devoid of even minor charm or fun, the sequel provides a meandering story and tedious gags. The Blu-ray gives us very good picture and audio along with a decent array of bonus materials. Maybe huge fans of the first film will find some merit here but the movie leaves me cold, though the 3D adds some fun to the proceedings.
To rate this film, visit the DVD review of SMURFS 2