3D BLU-RAY MOVIE REVIEWS

Looking to gain the title of "World's Greatest Villain," Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) adopts three orphans in order to steal a shrinking machine from his nemesis, Vector (Jason Segel). What he didn't count on was the three girls changing his outlook on the world and he'll stop at nothing to protect them.

The marketing campaign for this film stunk and I had no desire to see it in the theaters (and neither did my kids) but was willing to give it a try on Blu-ray. Surprisingly there's a touching story behind the fantastic animation as the villain becomes the hero and discovers he does have a heart buried beneath his evil exterior.

Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 4.5/5
When a tight-knit group of New York City street dancers are pitted against the best hip hop dancers in the world, it's a high stakes dance battle that'll change their lives forever.

Eleven-year-old Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) has just moved with her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) to a new home in Oregon. With her parents distracted by work and no one to play with except an annoying boy, Wybie Lovat (Robert Bailey Jr.), she spends her time visiting her older neighbors. When she convinces herself that her new home is the most boring place on earth, she uncovers a secret door that leads to a parallel world much like her own—but much better. Is the grass greener on the other side or is it all an illusion?

Pixar has changed the way animated films are made, but the days of stop-motion are far from over as director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) proves with this visually stunning and wildly entertaining tale of a young girl in search of attention. One caveat—this isn't really a kid's movie. There are some intense sequences in the "other world" that may frighten younger viewers, so a prescreening is recommended for parents with young children.

Imagine a world of incredible color and beauty. Of crabs wearing jellyfish for hats or of fish disguised as frogs, stones, and shag carpets. Journey into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef and other South Pacific realms and immerse yourself into 3D from the comfort of your own home.

Here's the first of many Blu-ray 3D reviews you'll be seeing at UltimateAVmag.com. For the sake of full disclosure, our household was divided about 3D. My wife and daughter have always enjoyed it, while my son and I haven't, with one exception—Avatar. Everyone enjoyed the 3D experience of James Cameron's blockbuster at our local theater.

Inviting and magical, "Alice In Wonderland" is an imaginative new twist on one of the most beloved stories of all time. Alice, now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny. This Wonderland is a world beyond your imagination and unlike anything you've seen before. The extraordinary characters you've loved come to life richer and more colorful than ever.

The 3D Blu-ray presentation is pretty much exactly what I remember from the 3D theatrical presentation. While the 3D does add some depth to the opening sequences, you really don’t get the full effect until Alice makes her trip to Wonderland. From there it is eye candy galore with rich color and amazing detail.

Get up, get on, and get ready for the ride of your life! It's Christmas Ever, and you're about to roller-coaster up and down mountains, slip-slide over ice fields, teeter across mile-high bridges and be served hot chocolate by singing waiters more astonishing than any you can imagine. You're on "The Polar Express!" "Seeing is believing," says a mysterious hobo who rides the rails with you. You'll see wonders... And you'll believe. All abooooooard.

Like Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Zemeckis conceived this film for 3D right from the get go. The results show with a very immersive and vertigo inducing experience that is a showcase for the technology. Warner previously released this movie as an anaglyph 3-D presentation that was nearly unwatchable. Now with true digital 3-D available, you finally get to see just how good this looks. Warner has also upped the ante with a blistering 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.

Vying for the title of "World's Greatest Villain", Gru - along with his hilarious crew of mischievous minions - plots to pull off the craziest crime of the century: steal the moon! But when Gru enlists the help of three little girls, they see something in him nobody else has ever seen: the perfect dad.

So far this is the only 3D Blu-ray that has been a bit troublesome with playback. While the image has plenty of punch in contrast and rich color, it has ghosting issues that are prevalent throughout the movie. I have over a dozen other titles in 3D and none exhibit anywhere close to the amount of ghosting problems I see with this disc. I even checked it on a few other 3D displays with the same results. While this doesn’t make the film unwatchable, it can be a distraction in an otherwise solid HD presentation. The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is also quite fun with inventive sound design and plenty of great surround effects.