The Angry Birds Movie 2 - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Angry Birds Movie 2



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


​

Movie
The Angry Birds Movie was a stupidly silly movie, but one that actually took the box office by storm. Supposedly it is ranked as the #3 most profitable movie to be based off of a video game back in 2016 (not sure if that number has been toppled or not since then), and while it wasn’t exactly setting the animated world on fire, it was a rather agreeable little flick that was entertaining to both kids and adults alike. It was bright, cheery, and had just enough winks and nods to the mobile device games to be entertaining to the adults in the crowd. The sequel is pretty much more of the same, just with slightly less plot and more “one off” gags (by that I mean that each scene is it’s own joke/gag, and that the movie just runs with that “one off” mentality for telling the overall story). It’s not great, it’s not bad, it just is a fun little movie that smartly doesn’t try to be anything that it’s not.

It’s your typical relationship issues between the birds and the pigs on their various islands, with each side slingshotting attacks on each other, with the pig island desperately trying to outmaneuver the likes of Red (Jason Sudeikis) and his merry band of protectors. However, a NEW threat to both their island occurs when a mysterious 3rd island begins to attack both Pig and Bird with volcanic ice balls from way out of range from their little islands. Teaming up with the pigs, Red and his buddies have to set aside their differences and head on over to what is now known as “Eagle Island” to fight the evil Zeta (Leslie Jones) and her scientifically advanced weaponry.
.

The film doesn’t try to forge much new ground, but it DOES try to adapt the story a little further. The most prominent sub plot (below fighting the eagles on Eagle Island) is Red coming to grips with the fact that he doesn’t ALWAYS have to be the hero. After becoming the hero of Bird Island last movie he’s gotten a bit cocky, and can’t seem to reconcile the fact that other people can be as good as he can, or even better. When Chuck (Josh Gad) introduces his brilliant sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) he’s instantly jealous, spending much of the rest of the movie proving that he CAN be better than she is. Which naturally ends up with him realizing just how great she really is, and gets rid of his misogynistic ideas. Not exactly novel or unexpected, but still a decent change of pace from the last film.

As I said earlier, The Angry Birds Movie 2 is really a film with a lot of one off gags. Each scene has it’s jokes, and the movie rotates 3-4 separate plot points throughout the film, having each scene show off it’s funny gag, then moving to another sub plot/scene in order to keep things fresh. We’ve got a plot dealing with the hatchlings, the main one with Zeta, one with Mighty Eagle (still voiced by Peter Dinklage), and the one revolving around Red and Silver. It’s a cute and funny film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and has a lot of fun with the concept of “launching things” ala the video games.




Rating:

Rated PG for rude humor and action




Video:

Uhhh, yeah, I’m just going to say it right now. Sony outdid themselves with this animated sequel, as it has one of the most stellar animated transfers that I’ve seen in ages. The 1.85:1 AVC encoded disc is just pure digital eye candy, straight from the proverbial tap. Colors are LAVISHLY coated all over the place, with reds, yellows, greens, and purples (with every color in between) just spread everywhere. Not to mention the gorgeous detail levels that the disc provides. Every little feather, every fiber of fluff, ever curve in the icy world of Eagle Island, they ALL are magnificently rendered with picture perfect clarity. The film is really bright most of the time, with so many colors popping up and even the limited amount of darkness and shadow fail to show any abnormalities or flaws in the encode.








Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA found on the Blu-ray (the DTS:X next gen disc is once more found on the 4K UHD disc), and said 5.1 mix is more than adequate for the sound design. The track is just a HAIR breadth low in it’s volume, but 1 DB up on the receiver and all is good. Surrounds are active as the birds (and piggies) sproing around the screen, and the front soundstage has some really neat panning effects as Red and Silver are zooming around. LFE is moderate, but more than adequate, with plenty of booms and thuds to shake the walls. My only complaint was that a few things that would have really benefited from some extra thump weren’t accompanied by a thump (such as the song as the birds come out of the sub on Eagle Island). Otherwise it’s a very fun and lively track.







Extras:

• ALL NEW MINI MOVIE! - "Live Stream": When Silver attempts her first livestream, Red is the ultimate Angry Bird while the adorable Hatchlings get into mischief.
• 6 Classic Hatchling Mini Movies
• DIY Family Fun!:
-- "Hangry Birds: Popcorn Balls": No need to be angry or hangry with this simple, fun cooking tutorial. Follow along to make Red's go-to comfort food and enjoy these tasty popcorn balls at home.
-- "Smarty Birds: Crafty Volcano": From the volcano on Eagle Island, Zeta plots her sinister plan and sends her lava balls flying. But why should Zeta have all the fun? Build your own volcano and watch it erupt combining crafts and science in this brainy how-to video!
-- "Crafty Birds: Pig Snot!": Ready to roll up your sleeves and get a little messy? It's time to mix a few ingredients and create your very own pig snot (slime!). Just make sure to keep it away from Bomb…he likes to drink it. (Eeeew!)
• "Bird Watching": In this hilarious "birds-eye" view of the real-life species that inspired the artists, we take a trip to the LA ZOO to get up close and personal with real-life Mighty Eagles, Blue Birds, Toucans, and more. With fun reactions from the cast intercut throughout the piece - get ready to laugh, learn and meet some amazing avian friends
• "Meet The New Birds & Pigs": Join the returning cast and meet the unique new cast members giving voice to the hilarious characters in Angry Birds 2. In exclusive BTS recording sessions and interviews, we'll see how Leslie Jones, Rachel Bloom, Eugenio Derbez, and Sterling K. Brown bring these unforgettable characters to life.
• "Hatching the Hatchlings": The Hatchlings are soooooo cute! And in Angry Birds 2, we get to join them on their very own adventure! Meet these mischievous little troublemakers as we talk to filmmakers about the creation of the Hatchlings and their expanded storyline in the film, and hear from cast members about their love for these adorable baby birds.
• "Flocking Together: Making The Angry Birds Movie 2": Go behind the scenes with the flock of talented artists who worked together to make The Angry Birds Movie 2.
• "Happy Thanks-pigging": Zeta is not a fan of the traditional Thanksgiving menu!
• "Jingle Birds: A Holiday Song From The Cast of Angry Birds 2": Sing along with Rachel Bloom and Jason Sudeikis with a new twist on this holiday classic.

Final Score: ​

They say a great movie is more than the sum of it’s parts, but in this case The Angry Birds Movie 2 is exactly the sum of it’s parts, and by that I mean that it’s a movie made up of mainly sight gags. Each scene is it’s own joke, and the movie is a hodge podge of these various scenes, with some being hilarious, some being mildly funny, and a small handful falling flat. The film isn’t exactly going to set the animated world on fire, but it’s an enjoyable kids flick that has enough sense to not try and be more than it really is. A simple animated film based upon a silly Android/Iphone game. Nothing more, nothing less. With the great audio specs it’s certainly more palatable than other animated babysitters, and the extras are pretty in depth as well. I would have preferred a little more robust of an audio mix, but it’s still very solid. Fun Rental.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Peter Dinklage, Danny McBride, Tiffany Haddish
Directed by: Thurop Van Oman, John Rice
Written by: Peter Ackerman, Eyal Podell, Jonathon E. Stewart
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, French, Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Sony
Rated: PG
Runtime: 97 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: November 12th, 2019

Recommendation: Fun Rental

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. My kids enjoyed the first version.. Will check this out once available on amazon prime/netflix.