'Epic' (Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)
(Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Aziz Ansari, Beyoncé Knowles, et al / Blu ray+DVD / PG / 2013 / 20th Century Fox)
Overview: From the creators of 'Ice Age' comes the year’s funniest, most exhilarating animated adventure! Transported to a magical world, a teenager (Amanda Seyfried) is recruited by a nature spirit, Queen Tara (Beyoncé Knowles), to help the “Leafmen” save their forest from evil warriors.
Blu ray+DVD Verdict: I have to say, off the bat that watching animated films can be tiresome for me. I just don't get involved, can't stay interested ... usually! BUT 'Epic' changed all that in the first 10 minutes! Wow, this film is wonderful, chock full of heart string moments, action sequences you sit on the edge of your seat for, and oh-so-cute moments deep in the woods.
Indeed, 'Epic' is a beautifully-created animated family film based on William Joyce's book "The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs". And, trust me it is a way better flick to watch than 'Arthur & The Invisibles' - although that film did have it's own merits too, of course.
Our spunky, curiosity-filled heroine is Mary Katherine (who prefers to be known as MK) and is voiced by actress Amanda Seyfried. After the passing of her mother she goes to spend time with her left-of-center "mad professor" dad Bomba in the Boonies. A man on a mission to prove little people exist out there in the woods, the story quickly sidesteps to the Queen of the forest, Queen Tara - quietly voiced by Beyonce Knowles.
As the Queen passes the sacred flower bud onto MK (it's a long story I don't want to spoil!), she then (now tiny also) travels with Nod (Josh Hutcherson) and his band of merry men onwards and upwards into the depths of the woods. Basically what then follows is an ongoing battle between The Leaf Men and the Vermin of the Woods aka Mandrake and his Boggan minions.
'Epic' is a wonderful story of the nature around us, the tony sights and tiny sounds we take for granted. The animation was beyond beautiful. It was seriously a good, clean, fun and all around awesome family movie. I also loved the static dust scene and the fact that Steven Tyler plays Nim Galuu (the insect who knws all) as a singing-dancing scroll-reading big head! Indeed, seriously, I just can't think of anything bad about it. So, I won't! This is a Widescreen Presentation (2:40.1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the special features of:
Epic in HD
Birds, Bugs and Slugs: Forest Explorer
Rot Rocks
Bugs of Camouflage
The Epic Life at 2 Inches
Mysteries of Moonhaven Revealed
Enhanced Coloring Book App Features
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