3D is, hands down, the way to go with Journey 2. The sequel's 2D presentation is excellent, near-perfect even, but its 1080p/MVC-encoded 3D experience actually makes for a more enjoyable movie. That's right. The film's 3D is such an asset that Journey 2 3D is better than Journey 2. Dense jungles stretch into the distance, pyramids and temples reach toward the heavens, a gold-spewing volcano looms on the horizon, massive lizards lunge at the viewer, bouncing berries ricochet into the camera, giant bees dart into the foreground, waves and currents splash upwards and outwards as the mysterious island begins to sink, electric eels snap their jaws as their enormous heads jut out of the screen, and rocks tumble down as an ancient submarine makes its daring escape, each one taking full advantage of the three-dimensional fun. Depth and dimensionality are exceptional -- the chief benefit of shooting in native 3D -- in both live-action and completely CG environments. The bright, colorful image lends itself to the experience wonderfully, and aliasing and other anomalies aren't a factor. And those who own displays that are prone to crosstalk won't encounter many significant instances of ghosting. It all comes together beautifully, without any problems to point to or any issues to address.
Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is, as I said, a terrific one. There are a few noticeable instances of artifacting -- during the opening credits, later as Sean's helicopter nears the water tornado that leads to the mysterious island, and in the night sky as glimpsed through Alexander's tree-house window -- but each one is brief, fleeting and fairly innocuous. Otherwise, no complaints here. Colors are bold and vibrant, with lush lost-island greens, dazzling ocean blues, rich reds and ornate golds, and deep, earthy blacks. Detail is outstanding too. Every pore, hair, scale, leaf, blade of grass and underwater air bubble is crisp and refined, edges are nice and sharp (without a halo to be found), textures are remarkably resolved, shadow delineation is natural and revealing, and closeups and wide shots are both stunning. If Peyton and DP David Tattersall intended it, if the visual effects team created it, it's present and accounted for in all its high definition glory. Better still, the aforementioned artifacting isn't a prevailing issue (by any means), banding and other eyesores are either entirely negligible or altogether absent, and distractions are few and very far between. Videophiles of all ages will be thrilled with the results.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Ezio
Bookmarks