As a fan of the Gothic works of Edward Gorey, Tim Burton, and the Quay brothers, the macabre aesthetic of Over the Garden Wall immediately piqued my interest, especially when compared to the brighter, more colorful Cartoon Network productions airing at the time. Created by Patrick McHale (co-screenwriter of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), Over the Garden Wall is a richly told and enchanting folk comedy-horror story bursting with creativity.
The story follows two brothers, Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean), as they traverse a mysterious forest called The Unknown. Aided by a talking bluebird named Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey), they begin their quest to find their way back home, while encountering many strange and unusual inhabitants along the way.
Along with gorgeous visuals and an engrossing story, Over the Garden Wall also features an incredible voice cast. Elijah Wood’s naturally earnest voice lends Wirt the appropriate level of vulnerability, helping him connect with the audience. Collin Dean’s performance as the naïve younger brother, Greg, is infectious and endearing. It’s the kind of sincerity you can only get from a genuinely sweet-sounding kid rather than an adult imitating one.
Alongside its leads, there’s a surplus of icons in supporting and guest roles, including John Cleese (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Shrek 2) as both the wealthy magnate Quincy Endicott and the evil hag Adelaide; Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Ferngully: The Last Rainforest), as Auntie Whispers; Fred Stoller (Everybody Loves Raymond, Dumb and Dumber), as the talking horse, Fred; and the standout performance: Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit) as the Woodsman. His story is the most compelling, and Lloyd conveys the character’s tortured soul effectively with emotional weight and raw intensity, delivering one of the best performances of his illustrious career.
In the years since its release, Over the Garden Wall has achieved a cult following, won an Emmy, and has become a traditional Halloween viewing for many. Now, for the first time ever, Warner Bros. Entertainment has released the entire series on Blu-ray.
Packaging – 3/5
This edition is packaged in a standard single-disc amaray Blu-ray case. No slipcover is included, and the cover insert is single-sided. It’s not the most prestigious presentation, but it’s serviceable.
Video Quality – 5/5
Over the Garden Wall’s signature warm autumn colors and tenebrism look stunning in high definition. There is great clarity in the details, like the painting textures of the backgrounds and crisp linework for the animation. With an average bitrate of 38.3 Mbps, this offers a superior viewing experience compared to streaming and a night-and-day difference from the previously available standard-definition DVD.
Images © 2014 Cartoon Network/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
This release is Region Free.
Audio Quality – 4/5
Unlike the DVD, which contained Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, the Blu-ray offers a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. While DTS-HD offers a higher bitrate and lossless quality, it’s disappointing that it is limited to stereo rather than the immersive experience 6 channels would provide, especially for a show as atmospheric as this one.
English subtitles are also provided for the series, but are unavailable for the bonus materials.
Special Features – 4/5
All the included special features have been ported over from the original DVD release.
- Behind Over the Garden Wall – A behind the scenes featurette with interviews from Patrick McHale, Elijah Wood, The Blasting Company, and more.
- Original Pilot: Tome of the Unknown – The original 2013 pilot short presented in high-definition.
- Alternate Title Cards – A short camera test for an alternate version of the show’s title cards.
- Deleted Animatics – A collection of six scenes that were cut from the animatic stage.
- Commentaries – Creator Patrick McHale and art director Nick Cross provide insight for every single episode.
- Composer’s Cuts – Isolated music tracks for all the episodes.
It’s great that nothing was omitted during the transition to Blu-ray, but it feels like a missed opportunity not to include some new retrospective extras to commemorate the show’s tenth anniversary. Even just including the Aardman stop-motion short would have been nice.
Overall Thoughts
Over a decade later, Over the Garden Wall still remains as one of the greatest animated series ever made, and despite some minor oversights, this long-awaited Blu-ray release is still worth picking up. Add this to your collection, and be sure to throw it on every autumn for the best results.
