• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  
• Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
• Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
  
• Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit)
  
• Subtitles: English, English SDH,Spanish
  
• Subtitles Color: White
  
• Region: A (Region-Locked)
• Rating: PG
  
• Run Time: 96 Mins.
  
• Discs: 2 (1 x Blu-ray + 1 x DVD)
• Digital Copies: N/A
  
• Studio: Miramax/Lionsgate
  
• Blu-ray Release Date: October 16, 2012
• List Price: $14.99

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Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]

Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures

(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)

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The Film

[Rating:3/5]

Gail Carson Levine’s novel is adapted to the big screen and directed by Tommy O’Haver for an ultimately silly and uneven twist on the Cinderella fairytale. With jokes and music updated for modern audiences, Anne Hathaway plays Ella, a young woman who was “enchanted” at birth with a spell by a fairy godmother that forced her to always be obedient. This spell proved to be a challenge for her growing up, but when her mother died and her father remarried, it becomes a true curse. Her evil stepmother, Dame Olga (Joanna Lumley) and her two stepsisters Hattie (Lucy Punch) and Olive (Jennifer Higham) begin to make her life a living hell when they discover her secret, especially when they find that the kingdom’s handsome heir to the throne Prince Char (Hugh Dancy) has feelings for her. It becomes even more vital that Ella keep her secret, find her fairy godmother and have the spell lifted when people in the kingdom begin plotting to kill the prince.

Ella Enchanted is far to goofy for its own good. There have been many re-workings of fairytales, but this one feels too scattershot, like it is purposely trying to be anachronistic (Ella and her friend chat as they are on a hand crank-powered escalator) for no good reason. Despite those things, the film does manage to create a good sense of fantasy in its sets and costumes along with having a flaky, lighthearted appeal that makes it fun for kids and families.

Video Quality

[Rating:3.5/5]

While this AVC/MPEG-4 1080p encodement of Ella Enchanted looks clean as far as source damage is concerned and offers up some nicely saturated colors, there’s an overall softness to the image. Even close-ups seem to fail to offer up strong textural detail and skin looks somewhat smooth. There are some instances of banding as well, particularly when Ella and Char make their way to the tavern with the giants.

Audio Quality

[Rating:4/5]

A pleasing English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) soundtrack is offered. Is provides clean dialogue and a good balance of atmospherics and direct sounds. It isn’t very aggressive, but it works more than well with this material.

Supplemental Materials

[Rating:2.5/5]

They haven’t even tried very hard with this release, offering up only some ported over materials.

The supplements:

• Feature commentary with director Tommy O’Haver and actors Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy
• Deleted Scenes including commentary with director Tommy O’Haver and actor Hugh Dancy (1.33:1; SD):
  • This is Frell?
  • So Last Century
  • A Serious Situation
  • A Squirrel
  • Poisoning the Crown
  • Montage
  • End Scene
• Extended Scenes including commentary with director Tommy O’Haver and actor Hugh Dancy (1.33:1; SD):
  • Invitation to the Ball
  • Dear Char
  • Be Happy for Battle
  • Which Way?
• The Magical World of Ella Enchanted (1.33:1; SD; 00:28:33)
• Ella Enchanted A Red Carpet Premiere Special (1.33:1; SD; 00:23:14)
• Music Video “It’s Not Just Make Believe” Performed by Kari Kimmel (1.33:1; SD)

The Definitive Word

Overall:

[Rating:3.5/5]

Anne Hathaway carries this silly fairytales re-working with her charming performance and Ella Enchanted provides an enjoyable time despite some of its faults and a less than perfect transfer to Blu-ray.

Additional Screen Captures

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Purchase Ella Enchanted on Blu-ray Combo Pack at CD Universe

Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com

Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]

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