Plot: What’s it about?
Elliott’s pursuit of Giselle has led to the ultimate in romance, a wedding with the entire woodland world in attendance. What should be a glorious day however, soon turns out to be less than romantic. Elliott struggles with the permanence of the union, while forest newcomer Mr. Weenie vanishes. Elliott takes the opening to put the wedding on hold, insisting that the focus be put on the return of Mr. Weenie. The gang is able to track down the lovable pooch, but just in time to see him taken by his former owners, who retreat to a campground for pet owners. Once there, Elliott, Boog, and the others have to contend with the owners, as well as the pampered pets, if they want to get back Mr. Weenie. When the forest animals match up against the domesticated brood, which side will prove their mettle and keep Mr. Weenie?
The Open Season saga continues, but this sequel was sent direct to video and had the two leads replaced. So with a lowered budget and less star power, how did this follow up perform? On the voice talent front, the replacements for the leads are more than adequate. While adults will notice the actors have changed, younger viewers will not, as the voice talent used is able to provide a very similar vocal performance. I was pleased to learn this was a true sequel, which builds on the events from the original, instead of a stand-alone type production. So if you’ve seen Open Season, you’ll see the storylines continue on and of course, some new ones set into motion. The animation isn’t as detailed or polished this time, but the story is solid and I have to admit, this is a fun movie that proves to be a suitable follow up. So if you or the young viewers you know enjoyed Open Season, then this release is recommended, as it offers more of the same.
Video: How does it look?
Open Season 2 is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. As I said above, the animation here isn’t on the same level as the original. As a result, the eye popping depth from that transfer isn’t found in this one. Even so, this is still a bright and bold effort that makes the most of the animation. I found detail to be strong, about as fine as the animation allows, while colors are vivid and a treat for the eyes. No issues with contrast either and of course, a direct digital-to-digital transfer ensures print concerns are never part of the equation. All in all, a great looking visual treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
A capable Dolby TrueHD 5.1 option is present, which sounds good, but not quite great. The vocals tend to take most of the spotlight, which means crisp, clear dialogue throughout. Not to be outdone, the music shines here and adds some life, but there is more than tunes in the surrounds here. The woods provide some solid ambiance, not always loud mind you, but subtle stuff that helps bolster atmosphere. A few scenes do spark up the power, but these are infrequent. In the end, this sounds better than I expected and provides a rock solid experience. This disc also includes French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Thai language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Indonesian.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes two brief featurettes, three deleted scenes, and a music video. For younger viewers, a selection of simple, but decent interactive games have been tacked on.
