Directed By Ben Stassen
Starring Dominic Cooper, Gemma Arterton, Robert Sheehan, Kayvan Novak and John Hurt
Newly-hatched greenback Sammy (Dominic Cooper) gets separated from his fellow turtles and sweet girl-turtle Shelly (Gemma Arterton) in the chaos as they’re all born and make a dash for the ocean. After floating aimlessly for a while, he meets tough-skinned turtle Ray (Robert Sheehan) and the two become best pals, exploring the planet’s oceans until they, too, are split up thanks to the interfering hands of deep sea fishermen. Resilient Sammy braves sharks, piranhas and Vietnam-era hippies as he searches for his best friend Ray and lost love Shelly, witnessing fifty years of environmental damage by careless humans along the way.
Though it owes a huge debt of similarity to Finding Nemo, A Turtle’s Tale sadly doesn’t manage to be as immediately appealing to kids and adults alike as Pixar’s oceanic adventure. But while adults will likely find the atom bomb subtlety of the movie’s eco-friendly message and the overused 3D gimmickry of umpteen ‘characters toss things at the screen’ shots tough to warm to, younger kids are sure to adore this sweet, charming little animated romp.
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The colourful visuals bring the ocean scenery to vivid life as the film boasts beautiful animation and plenty of energy and action to keep little tykes entertained throughout. The British cast do a sterling job, too (the Stateside version gets its own US voice talent, including Melanie Griffith and eco-crusader Ed Begley, Jr.). Dominic Cooper proves versatile in voicing young Sammy, John Hurt’s distinct tones make for great narration, Gemma Arterton is charming as Shelly and former Misfits star Robert Sheehan does a heap of scene-stealing as fast-talking turtle Ray.
Visuals aside, parents might be disappointed to find that there’s not a great deal of all-ages Pixar appeal in A Turtle’s Tale. Even so, it’s a film squarely aimed at kids, for whom it’s a cute, colourful and charming adventure with a commendable message. If your rugrats loved Finding Nemo and A Shark’s Tale, they’re likely to be swept away by Sammy’s Adventures.
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Optimum Releasing’s Blu-ray treatment, like that of most animated and CGI films, looks and sounds phenomenal – the oceanic visuals are vibrant and colourful and everything’s as clear, crisp and detailed as you’d expect.
Sadly there aren’t any special features on either disc in the set, which is a shame since with a film all about ocean creatures and underwater nature, there’s tonnes of potential for fun, educational extras to keep kids entertained. Not including the American version of the voice track is also an unfortunate missed opportunity, but nothing kids will miss.
The Blu-ray does come as a covers-all-bases triple-pack, with a 3D Blu-Ray disc (for those with fancy 3D TVs), a regular Blu-ray (containing both 2D and anaglyph 3D versions of the film in HD) and a DVD disc (again, with both 2D and cardboard glasses variety 3D). So you’re future-proofed if you don’t have a 3D TV yet, still get to enjoy a 3D version of the movie on regular Blu-ray if you like, and have a DVD version for the kids’ rooms. (Cardboard 3D glasses are included.)
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While there’s no extras at all on the wide-release version of the set, there is a special version with added features that’ll be exclusive to Sainsbury’s stores, which Optimum were kind enough to send along for review, too (the disc, not the shop).
The added extras come on the film’s DVD disc which – as well as containing the 2D/3D versions of the movie that the standard DVD disc does – houses the following exclusive special features:
14 minutes of footage from the sound booth, which shows Dominic Cooper, Gemma Arterton, Daybreak presenter Christine Bleakley, Robert Sheehan and Fonejacker/Sirens actor Kayvan Novak recording their lines and having fun making fools of themselves.
A stack of solo interviews with the aforementioned cast and John Hurt, clocking in at 2-6 minutes apiece and focusing on the usual material – ‘What’s the movie about?’, ‘Who do you play?’, etc.
While there’s nothing mind-blowing included, if you’re picking the movie up and you’re near a Sainsbury’s store, the exclusive set is certainly the best way to go.
The Film:
The Blu-ray:
A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures is out on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK from 18th July 2011.
Click here to order the Blu-ray set from Amazon.co.uk.
(Note: The images above were captured and saved at a reduced quality, and though they give an idea of how the film looks, they aren’t intended to reflect the true quality of the Blu-ray image itself.)