Spies in Disguise (4K UHD) Review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Fox
Release Date: March 10, 2020
Rating: PG
Film: 3/5

Plot
Super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is none of the above. But this unlikely duo must team up for the ultimate mission to save the world when a “biodynamic concealment” experiment transforms Lance into a brave, fierce, majestic...pigeon!
 
My Thoughts
Since Toy Story came out nearly 25 years ago, every studio has seemly entered the computer animated genre with various degrees of success. Blue Sky burst on the scene with Ice Age in 2002 and in total have released 13 movies, including Spies in Disguise. All of their films have been profitable when factoring in the worldwide box office take, but this film ended up being their second worst performance domestically behind Ice Age: Collision Course taking in only $66 million while its worldwide take only added $100 million more making it the least successful film from the studio.

Frankly, I enjoyed it for what it is—a fun film with decent action, likable characters, and excellent animation. My biggest gripe is the story is a bit preachy on non-violence and overall, its seems to be a mishmash of various other animated movies such as The Secret Lives of Pets and The Incredibles, which isn’t a bad thing, but its far from original. My wife and I did laugh on multiple occasions though and the chemistry between Smith and Holland is great.

As I stated earlier, the animation is top-notch, and you’ll find yourself wowed by the visuals. The depth in the image looks very 3D-like and the color palette is bright and vivid. Compared to the included Blu-ray, the 4K is a tad sharper and has a little more depth, but you would be hard pressed to choose one over the other in a blind test. The Atmos track has some great directional cues and a decent level of LFE, but I think the mix could have been a bit more aggressive in its activity, but I’m picking nits in this regard. The kids won’t mind.

Video 9/10

Audio 8.5/10 (Dolby Atmos)

Special Features:

• Super Secret Spy Mode
• Infiltrating Blue Sky Studios
• The Top Secret Guide to Gadgets
• “Then There Were Two” Music Video
• “Freak of Nature” Music Video
• Making the Soundtrack “Then There Were Two”
• Making the Soundtrack “Freak of Nature”
• “Lunch Break”*
• Gallery
  
  
  • Color Keys and Moment Paintings
  • Character Designs
  • Locations
  • Props and Gadgets Concept Art
• Blu-ray+ Digital Copy

Conclusion
I’m sure when making this film, Blue Sky thought it had a multi-film franchise on its hands, but given the lack of a large box office, a sequel may not be in the cards. Who knows what will happen now that the studio is under the Disney umbrella after the purchase of Fox, but this has the foundation of a decent multi-film experience if they could refine the characters a bit more and come up with a story that grabs the audience. I’d give this a look but I’m not sure if it has much replay value.

Reference Review System:
 
 Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High Definition Front Projector
 (Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Fixed Screen
 Anthem AVM60 Audio/Video Processor
 ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
 Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
 System Controller: URC MX-980
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
 Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
 SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
 HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
 JL Audio Fathom F110 Subwoofers x 2 (stacked)
JL Audio Dominion D110 Subwoofer x 2 (stacked)
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
 Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
 PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner