# Monster High: Boo York, Boo York - Blu-ray Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=54362[/img] 
*Title: Monster High: Boo York, Boo York* 

*Movie:* :2.5stars:
*Video:* :3stars:
*Audio:* :4stars: 
*Extras:* :1star: 

*HTS Overall Score:*64




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=54370[/img]*Summary*

It’s that time once more. The “Monster High” squad has pumped out another feature film hot on the heels of “Monster High Scaris: City of Frights”. This time we’re back again to the big city, but this time it’s Boo York (yes, the entire movie is pretty much filled with puns of this nature). If you’ve seen one “Monster High” flick, you’ve seen them all. The girls and boys of Monster High get together for another cotton candy fluff piece adventure and then rinse/repeat a few months later. If you’re tuned in to the younger pre-teen/middles school generation then you probably realize that “Monster High” is basically a license for the creators to print unlimited money as there is no shortage of Monster High toys, games, apps, stickers, shows, shirts and other pieces of clothing and, of course, movies. Every time I visit my friend’s house I’m inundated with a BARRAGE of Monster High paraphernalia littering backpacks to stickers adorning their school books. I’m not a wild fan of the cotton candy stories attached to the series, but the kids seem to enjoy it and the series is pretty harmless considering.

Cleo is being allowed to leave Monster High for a few days to attend a big gala in Boo York City to celebrate some mystical Egyptian comet that’s passing by. Thanks to her rich daddy, Cleo is allowed to take her friends along with, which include Draclura, Deuce, and the rest of the Monster High mainliners along for the ride. Catty Noir, an ex pop/rock star, is going along to hopefully find her voice, but the rest of the team are going along to just have a blast. Deuce is a little worried about daddy dearest, because he’s kind of a doofus, while Nefera, Cleo’s sister, has a few pans o her own to mix things up. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=54378[/img]Along the way we have a little romance with Catty, and some twists and turns along the way, but in the end, it’s just your standard “Monster High” adventure. Whether that be good or bad to you. I have to give the creators props for adding in an Egyptian mystery to the modern world of Monster High, and it was definitely cool to dip a little bit into the mythology of the culture (although on a VERY shallow level considering the target audience, but still). I can’t say I’m wildly impressed, but the younger generation seems to really enjoy the fluffy little series and if you’ve watched the others, then you already know what you’re getting into. There’s nothing new or exciting in this adventure, BUT this is the first one billed as a “musical”. While it may be labeled a musical, the main story still takes precedence and the music is really nothing but a glorified soundtrack. It’s an upbeat, pop/rock track, and certainly isn’t offensive, but the film doesn’t play out like a musical at all. 





*Rating:* 

Not Rated by the MPAA




*Video* :3stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=54386[/img]Once again “Monster High” fans are given a rather muddled and nasty looking 1080p transfer. For some reason there doesn’t seem to be a good source for the show as it barely looks better than the DVD with a transfer that looks overly soft and riddled with compression artifacts. After seeing so much consistency with these Blu-rays it looks like the source material is to blame as many other of Universal’s animated DTV releases look exceptional. There is a hazy look to the image that doesn’t lend itself to high definition very well and leaves the viewer rather dissatisfied in world that is nearly always high definition. Colors are bright and cheery, but slightly smeared, and the black levels look pretty decent if it wasn’t for the excessive crush. I can't blame Universal for this one, as from everything that I've seen, the issues in the picture quality from the animation source itself, not anything botched in the Blu-ray. It looks a LITTLE better than the included dvd, and actually includes a digital copy for those of you who like to have copies on the road, so the Blu-ray is definitely the better bargain when compared to the DVD










*Audio* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=54394[/img]The audio, on the other hand, sounds a whole heap better with a wildly aggressive sound mix that pairs quite nicely with the overly exuberant children’s shows. The music with sugar pop and light rock beats pulses nicely from all direction and creates a nice sense of envelopment for the listener. LFE pounds with a consistent level of weight giving the track a nice sense of depth and impressive punch. The surrounds aren't given a whole lot to work with, but they do a good job with the limited sounds that are pushed their way. The dialog is strong and powerful for all of the musical numbers and I can't complain at all. The highlight of these "Monster High" flicks is the rousing audio and Universal delivers the goods once more. 








*Extras* :1star:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=54402[/img]
• Animated Short: Spring Unsprung
• Previews










*Overall:* :3stars:

Out of all of the children’s films out there, “Monsters High” resonates with me the least. I actually don’t mind the “Barbie” films, or the “Thomas & Friends” flicks, despite not being the target demographic, but the “Monster High” movies just reek of pandering to the market it targets as well as stink of marketing worse than Transformers toys. I’m sure that the young ones don’t mind it, but there really isn’t any overarching positive messages to relay to pre-teens, like the other mentioned films, but rather is all glitz, glamour and colors in an effort to sell more “Monster High” paraphernalia. It’s passable and I’ve seen worse, but this particular reviewer just can’t grasp the appeal. If you’re kids already watch and enjoy the series, then this one is par for the course when it comes to the series, so they’ll most likely enjoy this one as well. For the rest, I’d recommend a pass.



*Additional Information:*

Starring: Laura Bailey, Cam Clarke, Debi Derryberry
Directed by: William Lau
Written by: Keith Wagner
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, French, Spanish DTS 5.1
Studio: Universal
Rated: NR
Runtime: 72 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: September 29th 2015




*Buy Monster High: Boo York, Boo York On Blu-ray at Amazon*


*Recommendation: For the little ones ​*








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