New to Blu: November 30 – December 6

Two NZ movies — Richie McCaw: Chasing Great and Tickled — compete for Blu-ray shelf space this week with a ‘toon-heavy slate that includes the fifth Ice Age instalment, Collision Course.

The latter’s being released in 2D and 3D but not on UHD Blu-ray, as is the case in the US.

“While subtle at times, detail levels are definitely more precise in this 4K iteration, and there’s an appealing quasi-3D quality to a lot of the imagery that’s noticeable from the get go during the outer space sequence,” Blu-ray.com argues.

High-Def Digest reckons the sequel “makes a huge impact on Blu-ray with a beautiful, reference-quality 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode that boasts razor-sharp lines and clarity in every frame, from start to finish.

“Viewers can practically count the individual blades of grass and each leaf of trees gleaming in the sunlight, and the minute characteristics and tiniest pockmark in the various rock formations are outstanding.”

Other animated releases include Kubo and The Two Strings (“offers beautiful picture and sound”), Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) – Season 4 Vol 3 – Earth’s Last Stand, The Disappearance Of Nagato Yuki-chan: Complete Series, Project Itoh: Harmony and Fairy Tail Collection 21 (eps 240-252).

Free State of Jones (“video and audio are top-class“), War Dogs (“video and audio presentations are both very good“), Nerve (“the picture has a very high-tech flavour”), Red Billabong and I Am Bolt.

TV series are limited to Suits – Season 6 Part 1 and South of Hell – The Complete Series while being dusted off are the 1988 re-make of The Blob, Bottle Rocket and, just  in time for its 50th anniversary, A Man For All Seasons.

New on the music front are The Last Waltz – 40th Anniversary Edition and Andrea Rieu: Christmas In London.