Ernest and Celestine return in this delightful and joyous follow-up to their first Academy Award®-nominated* adventure, where the bear and mouse became the unlikeliest of friends. When Celestine accidentally breaks the beloved violin of her grouchy companion, they embark on a journey to Ernest’s homeland of Gibberitia to have it repaired. But when the duo arrives, they are shocked to discover that all forms of music have been banned for many years and the land once known for its incredible musicians has fallen silent. It is up to Ernest and Celestine and their new friends, including a mysterious masked outlaw, to bring music and happiness back to the land of bears.
For in-depth thoughts on Ernest and Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia, please see my colleague Andrew Fukui’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Ernest and Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia comes to Blu-Ray from GKIDS and Shout! Studios with a sumptuous 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. It is always a treat to get a new 2-D animated film that reminds you why animation is such an exciting medium. Compared to some 3-D animation, you get much more unique and textured details throughout which makes the world feel more lived-in and cozy. The personality in the character designs and the environments provide the film with a greater sense of depth and possibility. This animation studio chooses to give the world a more tactile experience rather than anything overly glossy.
The character designs are carefully considered to make each figure feel special and vital to the image. The animators add numerous subtle touches to each scene that give it a distinct identity. The detail put into each location is soul-enriching, especially as you explore some of the background environments more. The transfer handles every transition with impeccable stability including no jagged lines or color bleeding. The colors present in this transfer are bright and vibrant as this world springs to life in the most stunning manner. Black levels are strong with no hint of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort. This transfer is in top form.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless track presented here in its original French with optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles. There is also an English dub provided. Dialogue and vocal exchanges come through perfectly at all times without being drowned out by any of the lively competing elements. The track engages the low end when it needs to add some agreeable texture to the world. The track provides a varied listening experience that brings the movie to life with great care and nuance.
One of the most inviting aspects of this experience is the warm score which is deftly implemented as it permeates the room. The sonic detail in the surround channels impresses as the sound of various environmental flourishes creates a fully three-dimensional world. There are some creative panning effects in the rear channels that keep you on your toes. GKIDS and Shout! Studios have delivered with this audio presentation.
Special Features
- Making Of: A 15-minute featurette is provided in which the cast and creative team discuss why they wanted to make a new film with these characters, the act of animating them for film, developing the titular country, the vocal performances, the music of the feature, its premiere, and more.
- Interview with Directors: A 12-minute interview with Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger in which they discuss the story, what attracted them to the project, the process of working with one another, their reactions to first reading the script, their inspirations for the new locales, working with the performers, the challenges of producing the feature, the themes, and more.
- Interview with the Cast: A nearly 12-minute interview with Lambert Wilson and Pauline Brunner in which they discuss the journey of their characters, what it was like to record their performances, how children can relate to the characters, the messages of the film, how the film can appeal to an international audience, and more.
- Interview with Producer Didier Brunner: An 11-minute interview with the producer in which he discusses the story, why he wanted to make this project, the vocal performances, the challenges of the production, what the audience can expect from the film, and more.
- How to Draw Ernest and Celestine: A two-minute demonstration of how to draw the titular characters.
- Trailers: This disc includes two trailers totaling three minutes.
Final Thoughts
Ernest and Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia is a lovely follow-up adventure for these beloved characters that delivers charm even if it feels a bit less ambitious than the initial outing. The creativity seems to have been channeled into the world-building, as this new land is replete with fun details and character designs. The narrative feels slightly simplistic in a way that is less rewarding for older audiences than what came before, but there is still a lot to appreciate. GKIDS and Shout! Studios have released a Blu-Ray with a terrific A/V presentation and a nice amount of special features. If you want something bursting with charm in your life, don’t pass this one up. Recommended
Ernest and Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack on January 16, 2024.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: GKIDS and Shout! Studios have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.