- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English Dolby Digital 2.0
- Subtitles: English SDH
- Subtitles Color: White
- Region: ABC (Region-Free)
- Rating: NR
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Digital Copies: N/A
- Run Time: 297 Mins.
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- Blu-ray Release Date: March 5, 2013
- List Price: $24.98
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Overall
[Rating:2.5/5]
The Series
[Rating:2.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:2.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(The below 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 Series
[Rating:2.5/5]
Here we have Cartoon Network’s #1 rated show with boys ages 6-11, and I can see why. Any older than that, and sitting through Lego Ninjago is, well, intolerable. This is all fluff, caricatures, and over-the-top voice acting. You know, it’s just like the stuff you used to like to watch on Saturday mornings when you were 6 or 7. Leaving aside all arguments about the fact that Lego used to be about getting kids to use their own skills and imaginations to build things rather than vegetate in front of a flat panel, Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu is basically a CG-animated take-off of Power Rangers, with Lego characters in the roles of the various rangers and allusions to Star Wars no less. The latter is fitting, considering there is also the Lego Star Wars franchise. This particular series is a spinoff of an actual Lego toy series, and revolves around a group four ninja – Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane – in the titular Ninjago City. In season two’s, 13 episodes, the team of Ninja have averted the destruction of Ninjago City, defeating the Great Devourer, and are now ready for some downtime. But the Serpentine Army is at large and the dark Lord Garmadon (think a bug-like variation on Darth Vader) has acquired the golden weapons of Spinjitzu. In a story reminiscent of the original Star Wars trilogy, The ninja must train Lord Garmadon’s own young son, Lloyd, the Green Ninja, to control his untapped abilties in order to face off against his own father in an ultimate battle.
Lego Ninjago is all goodhearted, good versus bad fun. Nothing here is too violent or too scary, so parents don’t have to be worried that their kids are being led astray. It is filled with all the things that most young kids, boys in particular, really enjoy, like flying pirate ships and physical gags. Best of all, the stories do promote teamwork and a sense of self-worth, and that is perhaps the best thing the series has going for it.
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
The AVC/MPEG-4 1080p encodement is serviceable, but far from reference. With a bitrate that lingers at mid-levels most of the time (why, when there are no extras, no lossless 5.1 audio track, and only 13 half-hour episodes?), we get a colorful image with noticeable softness and color banding throughout.
Audio Quality
[Rating:2.5/5]
All we get is a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track that sounds pretty harsh in the high end and lacks any kind of dynamic range. Everything seems pushed up too close to maximum here in an effort to deafen all those young ears as quickly as possible, maybe?
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0/5]
Zip. Zilch. Nada.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:2.5/5]
From one episode to the next, Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu is pretty shallow stuff, but it’s right up the alley of its target demographic. This Blu-ray is a barebones disc that could have used some propping up, however, with some additional episodes, bonus cartoons, games, something. That said, this just may be the thing for a long road trip – assuming you have a Blu-ray player somewhere in that minivan. There’s no included DVD or Digital Copy with this package.
Additional Screen Captures
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BestBuy.com:
Purchase Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu Season Two on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
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[amazon-product]B00AQM99YA[/amazon-product]
[amazon-product]B00AY77XI6[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu Season Two on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:2.5/5]
The Series
[Rating:2.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:2.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0/5]
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