FERDINAND
UHD BLU-RAY
FERDINAND IS an unusual young bull. Growing up in a ranch that trains bulls for the ring, he loves to smell the flowers and hates to fight. That just won’t do, of course, as his ultimate fate is to be either in the bull ring or what’s-for dinner. Being smaller than the other young bulls at the farm he’s also the subject of endless…um… bullying. But when a personal tragedy pushes him to escape, he wanders into small farm where he’s instantly adopted by the farmer and his young daughter, Nina.
Ferdinand soon enough he grows to an immense size, though he remains every bit as gentle as before. But he’s now far too big to hide and is recaptured. The bull ring now becomes inevitable—he must fight and likely die at the hands of El Primero, the greatest matador in all of Spain.
This isn’t a remake of Blood and Sand; no one will get nightmares from this flick. Based on a popular children’s book and brought to life by the same team that produced the Ice Age and Rio films, Ferdinand is definitely aimed at the younger set. But it does offer plenty of laughs for everyone, with the best chuckles coming from Ferdinand being put in situations decidedly unfriendly to a huge, two-ton beast.
The computer animation is beautifully done, with rich detail, vividly rendered color, and brilliantly choreographed action. As with most animation, the film is brightly lit, resulting in seemingly limited opportunities to show off Ultra HD’S high dynamic range. But while subtle, the HDR here does make an important contribution, with beautifully rendered shadows and enhanced image depth. Bright highlights in the occasional dark scenes don’t jump out at you, but when viewed on a display with good blacks they’re definitely eye-catching. I watched the film on both a Uhd-capable projector and an OLED flat-panel TV. The former triumphed in its immersion, the latter with truly jaw-dropping picture quality.
The film’s soundtrack is never truly spectacular; it won’t startle the rugrats with deep, growling bass and hyperactive surrounds. It’s also never harsh, offering clear dialogue together with a terrific music score— the latter particularly impressive in the film’s quieter moments. I auditioned it in 5.1, but the UHD disc does offer Dolby Atmos if you’re set up for it.
The disc’s extras include odd but kid-friendly advice, a few excellent, if brief, making-of featurettes, and a lesson in how to plant flowers in eggshells (!).