Open Season 2 Blu Ray review

The Film:

While I was never a fan of the first film, it wasn’t awful by any means. It’s shocking that that after a few years, they chose to add a sequel it, but I’m more shocked that I liked this one better. Featuring a new voice cast, gladly in my book, replacing Ashton Kutcher and Martin Lawrence, I felt this were really characters not celebrity voiced ones. I always have a problem with celebrities voicing cartoon characters; it reeks of name placement to sell the film.

On the day of his wedding, Elliot bails out. Boog sets out to help his friend but Mr. Weenie goes missing. The film is basically just that, a search for Mr. Weenie, and all in all, it works. The jokes are there, some work, some don’t, and there’s nothing offensive. I appreciated a few hidden innuendos, but for the most part everything is geared towards kids.

The animation is okay, not better than the first, but not horrendous either. At times, it looks like a video game cut scene, but given the budget limitations, I’m glad that the frame rate is high. The film moves like a breeze, a perfect combination for a quick time-waster. By not expecting much, I was amazed on how well it came out. I’m sure I’m the anomaly here as this is for kids, but I enjoyed it. I liked the characters, the story, and the voice acting. It’s a great rental for kids, as I assume they’ll enjoy this more than Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.

That’s the thing. At least Sony knew this film would find a better audience in the DTV market. I wish DreamWorks knew better than assault our minds and wallets with tripe like their Madagascar series. I say skip those completely, and enjoy this. You’ll find a better story of friendship and loyalty here in Open Season 2, funnier situations and jokes, than anything you saw from Madagascar.

The Blu Ray:

Audio/Video: While the animation isn’t up-to-par with theatrical releases, it looks very good here, if not excellent. Bright and colorful, full of detail too, this is a great transfer as it should be. Audio is just as good too.

Going Wild with the Voice Cast: Standard interviews and behind-the-scenes fare, nothing riveting but a decent look at the film.

How to Draw…: This features a how-to-guide for kids to learn how to draw the film’s characters.

Deleted Scenes, an Interactive Game, and a music video for “Who Let the Dogs Out?” round out the extras.

Conclusion: Better than you’d think, this is a great rental when there’s little out theatrically for your family or kids.

Rating: