EPIC DVD Review

From the creators of Ice Age and Rio, the year’s funniest, most exhilarating animated adventure comes home as EPIC debuts on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Deluxe Edition Blu-ray, and DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Directed by Chris Wedge (The Ice Age Franchise) and featuring an amazing voice cast including Colin Farrell, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler, Pitbull, and Beyoncé, the blockbuster film comes home just in time to help families become one with nature and end the summer in Epic style.

EPIC tells the story of an ongoing battle between the forces of good, who keep the natural world alive, and the forces of evil, who wish to destroy it. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she teams up with an elite band of warriors and a crew of comical, larger-than-life figures, to save their world…and ours.

Aside from the main feature the Blu-Ray & DVD  comes with several great special features but your kids will especially love the included  Colouring Book App which allows you to create their own Epic story and share it with family and friends.

EPIC is based on William Joyce’s book The Leaf Men. It plays like an updated version of “Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest” right down to having a star studded voice cast and definitely sways to the side of unoriginal for those who have seen similar nature-nurturing themed films.  That said, this is a great film for younger kids who will be able to easily connect the dots laid out in the plot.  For example, Queen Tara and her “leaf men” soldiers represent growth while Mandrake and his “boggan” troops represent decay. 

Visually, EPIC captures the vibrant beauty of the lush forest with sweeping CGI effects.  The stunning visuals really saves the movie for older viewers as the characters zoom around on the backs of Hummingbirds. 

Parents and children alike will particularly enjoy the comic relief provided by slug-snail pals Mub and Grub. 

Studio: 20^th Century Fox
Running Time: 170 minutes
Rating: PG
Number of Disks: 2

Central Voice Cast: Colin Farrell | Josh Hutcherson | Amanda Seyfried | Christoph Waltz | Aziz Ansari | Chris O’Dowd | Beyoncé Knowles | Jason Sudeikis | Blake Anderson | Judah Friedlander | Pitbull
Director: Chris Wedge
Central Writers: James V. Hart | William Joyce
Theatrical Release: May 24, 2013
Blu-Ray/DVD Release: August 20, 2013
Genre: Animation | Adventure | Family

Disclosure: I received a copy of the DVD in order to facilitate this review.  All thoughts and opinions remain honest and my own.

Elizabeth Lampman

Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!