Buy Cinderella Trilogy with Limited Edition Collectible Jewelry Box

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This review is for the Trilogy packaging onlynot a review of the movies themselves.

I'm a big Disney collectors, and typically pre-order every upcoming title. I was very excited to see the Cinderella Trilogy being release in a collectable box just as the Lion King was recently. For anyone who can remember, many years back Disney release Aladdin, Cinderella, and The Lion King (all linked below for reference) in collectable boxed platinum editions with a story book, lithographs, and nice keepsake package. I thought that these trilogies were going to be released again in a similar fashion, all the boxes would be similar, similar materials related to the films, etc. Instead, the Lion King set with a drum shaped box inner box which was essentially useless beyond a collectors point of view, but also included the 3D copy of the original feature, and lacked blu-ray copies of the sequels. For this Cinderella release, there is no 3D release, period, but the blu-ray copies of both sequels are included.

The jewelry box is very nicely constructed, heavy cardboard. It has a nice little functional mirror up top, not just a foil decoration (although, it does not feel like glass). The "storybook" is just a heavy cardboard book of sleeves for the DVDs with illustrations. I am not really a fan of this, especially since it's a poor way to store movies and will likely scratch the DVDs (the blu-rays will probably be fine.) At this time, it's the only way to purchase the trilogy on blu-ray. I imagine they did this intentionally to sell more of these, but that's just my speculation. November 20, Cinderella 2 & 3 will be released as a combo back.

One thing that really bothers me, is this set is only worth 300 Disney Movie Rewards points. I mean, 3 blu-ray movie gift set only worth 300? Since the Cinderella 2 & 3 movies will be released as a combo back instead of stand alone movies, you can get both for a lower price but miss out on additional points. With the Lion King 1.5 & 2 they were released separately, and each was 150 (for a total of 300). I wish this giftset would have been worth 450 points, just as the Lion King giftset was, the MSRP is only $10 difference. That, and the poor choice for storage of the DVDs takes away 1 star from my review.

In short-

If you're a collector or have a little girl who will appreciate the jewelry box, scoop this up. If you just want to have the movies, purchase the blu-ray Cinderella, and wait for November 20 when the Cinderella 2 & 3 are released (you'll save a few dollars doing this, and have standard blu-ray cases to store the movies)

10/3/12 While adding this to my collection shelf, I noticed that the box is the exact same size as the The Lion King Trilogy (Eight-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) released last year. In the past, the The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition Collector's Gift Set), Cinderella (Disney Special Platinum Edition Collector's Gift Set), and Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition Collector's Gift Set) box sets were released in identical packaginglet's hope this is indicative of a similar collectors set when Aladdin is released from the vault in 2013, and possibly The Little Mermaid in the same year (this one was not released as a gift box set with the other trio, but it was later released as a The Little Mermaid Trilogy (The Little Mermaid/The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea/The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning) in 2008)

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Cinderella is a classic movie I have yet to watch the other two, but Being Disney animation, Im sure they're great... I bought this set for the 3 movies 3 Disney movies in DVD and Bluray for $65 is a pretty good price, but I got my hopes up with the rest of the set... I was expecting a small story book, not a DVD case with 6 pictures. And for the Jewelry box, I was expecting a cheaply made wood/fiber board box, what I got was a paperboard bow with drawers defiantly not something I would give a kid to play with. Overall I got what I wanted, but was very disappointed with the extra stuff

What really upset me was that this set was released on the 5 October... I preordered it in May, but it took over a week to even ship and then 5 days shipping when I pay for Amazon Prime... in the end, this was the first Amazon order that I was really disappointed with

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I am very disappointed with the Amazon title for this purchase. It let me to believe that I was buying the bluray, DVD and Digital Copy for all 3 Cinderella movies. What you get is Cinderella 1 as digital, the rest are disk format. As a grandmother, I prefer the digital copy. We play the digital versions on our Apple TV, but more importantly, we use them in the car on our IPOD connected to the car DVD player. We can control the iPod up front and change out movies for our grandchildren without having to stop the car. I already owned Cinerella 2&3 on DVD, so this needlessly duplicated my inventory and the cardboard jewelry box was throwaway junk. Very disappointed in Amazon.

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The collection is excellent! To purchase these as DVDs and Blu-Rays would cost a fortune and take up space on your book shelf. The story booklet/dvd case is just the right size to keep on the shelf with the other movies while the kid plays with the box. The set also includes a digital copy of the original Cinderella *Not the sequels*!!! I knew this when I purchased it because I READ THE ITEM DESCRIPTION BEFORE PLACING MY ORDER. To get the digital copy onto your device you need the password that comes in the box so don't throw away any of the inserts! If you want digital copies of the other movies, I'm sure you can buy them from Disney's movie website.

(Sorry, I got tired of reading about how people felt cheated because they didn't read the part about the digital copy correctly. I'm also tired of hearing about people's complaints that digital copies need a disc to download onto the device. Seriously, spend $20 bucks and get a disc reader! It's an invaluable tool incase your device ever needs an install. *stepping off the soap box*)

In conclusion. The Presentation is great for a child. You really aren't paying more for the cardboard jewelry box compared to the prices of the videos individually. You can use the case to store your $20 external disc reader (Sorry, that's the last jab!).

Sorry if I came off harsh but really this is a great set for only $60. I really think it's worth the price.

1) Jewelry box is reinforced cardboard with paper hinges

2) Only the first movie has a digital format

3) All movies are in DVD and Blu-ray format

4) The story book is really a glorified DVD case, not a real book.

5) The booklet is sturdy and fits on the shelf in a space only a bit larger than a blu-ray case.

Hope this helps and wasn't too cynical.

Best of luck!

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I loved this edition! I am so thankful I bought it! The jewelry box is adorable, made out of durable material. The art is beautiful on the box and in the book. The movies are amazing I just watched the 1st and 2nd one and I loved them both! Cannot wait to watch the 3rd one!

Buy Toy Story 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ Blu-ray

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My wife and kids (11 and13) actually kind of dragged me to see this one in the theater. Boy was I happy that they did! Toy Story 2 is really a great movie that had us all laughing a lot. It also provides for some very emotional moments (Jessie's song remembering her time as a favorite toy, among others). Many of the jokes refer to the first Toy Story, so it really helps if you know that one. What I personally liked best, though, has become a great "habit" with Pixar: The end trailors where the "stars" get to be their "own self": Here especially "Tour Guide Barbie" was a blast!

Enjoy... I can't wait for it to come out on DVD to once again enjoy the great graphics AND sound effects that so impressed me in the theater last week!

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I took my Niece to see it and expected it to begood but I was not prepared for what followed. What a terrific movie.Woody and Buz have worked through the problems that existed between them in the first Toy Story and have become the best of friends. I laughed throughout the movie. What humor, I loved the scene where Mrs. Potato Head is packing Mr. Potato Head for his trip to save Woody and she packs his angry eyes "just in case". The depth of the personalities, the humor and thoughtfulness of each of the characters makes me feel as though these are real people. I have put this movie on my list of "All Time Favorites" My Niece is 5 and I am 47 and we both loved it. I am eagerly waiting for it to be available for home viewing so I can own my own copy. Hats off to Disney and Pixar for a job well done.

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Yep this movie is coming out of the vault on DEC. 26th 2005. So for whoever didn't get a chance to grab this on DVD before (like me) here is you chance!!! I am so excited!!!

Honest reviews on Toy Story 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ Blu-ray

It is rare for a sequel to surpass the original movie artistically as well as commercially. One of those rare sequels is "Toy Story 2". I didn't think it was possible for Disney and Pixar to create a sequel as good as the first "Toy Story" but they did. "Toy Story 2" is that rare treasure.

In "Toy Story 2" Woody is stolen by Al, the toy collector who plans on selling his collection of Woody and the Round Up Gang to a Japanese toy collector. With Woody kidnapped, Buzz Lightyear, Ham, Slink, Mr. Potato Head, and Rex sets off to find their kidnapped companion. There are three new characters in the movie, Stinky Pete (voiced by Kelsey Grammar), Jessie (Joan Cusack), and Bullseye the horse. The writing and animation is superb. I really enjoyed the scenes with Woody, Jessie, Stinky Pete, and Bullseye. One of my personal scenes is when the toy collector calls in the old man to fix Woody's arm. The details in the animation is amazing and very realistic. I also loved the scenes when Jessie reminisces about her former owner Emily. It was very poignant without coming off as drippy. Sarah McLachlan's song added a melancholy feel to the scenes. Another great moment in the film was when Buzz and the gang were in the toy store looking for Al, the toy collector.

"Toy Story 2" is one of my favorite Disney/Pixar collaborations. This is a film that can be enjoyed by all ages. It is also one of the best films ever, animated or not. The writing in this film is simply too good to ignore. I still enjoy watching this movie to this very day and not get tired of it.

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In November 1999, the sequel "Toy Story 2" was released in theaters and the $90 million dollar film like its predecessor did extremely well in the domestic and worldwide box office making over $485 million.

What is interesting was that the film was originally not intended for a theatrical sequel but a direct-to-video release. When Disney execs were pleased with the results, Pixar Animation Studio staff literally were on overdrive as they had only 8 months to finish the film, when the usual animated film by the company takes four years. Needless to say that while the making of the film was stressful and even some the film's animator's suffering repetitive stress injuries for working nearly 40-straight hours (rarely any sleep) shifts, the company made what was impossible...possible.

And now with a third film to be released in the Summer of 2010, 11-years-later, both "Toy Story" 1 and 2 films will be released on Blu-ray.

VIDEO:

"Toy Story 2" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1). The first thing one will notice (especially after watching "Toy Story 1") is how much detail is included in "Toy Story 2" (and after watching the special features, you'll see how much have improved over a decade later with the sneak peak of "Toy Story 3").

For the most part, "Toy Story 2" has improved animated-wide by including much more detail and textures as seen during the close-ups of Mr. Potato Head (you can see the texture as you would see from the actual toy), the plastic covering on the package of Stinky Pete, the detail of Rex the Dinosaur, more shading and the scenery of the outdoors, from vehicles to the store, the trees, the ground and everything you can think of, looks much better than its counterpart.

And of course, on Blu-ray, you see the detail and the amazing clarity. Colors are absolutely vibrant, you can see details and textures which come alive on HD and for an animated film that came out in 1999, even over a decade later, this animated film looks much, much better than a few of the animated TV shows and films that we today.

Also, the movements of the characters are just well-animated. From the characters of "Woody's Roundup" dancing, the toys and their walking movements. The movements were very good on the first film but they improved on it for the sequel. Very impressive.

Overall, wonderful picture quality for this sequel.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Toy Story 2 " is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Maser Audio and English 2.0 DTS-HD, English DVS 2.0 Dolby, Spanish and French Dolby Digital EX and I was amazed by the lossless audio quality for the first film on Blu-ray but for this sequel. WOW! Lossless audio is amazing. Just the first few minutes of the beginning of "Toy Story 2' as we see the Buzz Lightyear video game sequence, we are treated with an immersive soundscape with the center, front and surround channels being utilized as well as LFE. The film has a good amount of action sequences as Buzz Lightyear #1 takes on Buzz Lightyear #2 along with Emperor Zurg. We hear the Cheetos snap when Woody steps on them and much more.

Sound is crystal clear and overall, another impressive lossless soundtrack.

As for subtitles, subtitles are presented in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Toy Story 2' includes the following special features:

* Characters: An Exclusive Sneak Peek At Toy Story 3 (4:00) A sneak peek at the new characters and the talent voicing the new characters for "Toy Story 3'.

* Director Commentary

* Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs:

o Episode Two: International Space Station (3:43) Buzz reports back about his adventure to the International Space Station.

* Paths to Pixar: Technical Artists (4:24) In this series of shorts, Pixar artists talk about their career path and share advice to aspiring filmmakers and animators.

* Studio Stories: A series of amusing anecdotal shorts about life at Pixar.

o "Toy Story 2 Sleep Deprivation Lab" (1:25) This short featurette gives audiences an inside peek into the intense time pressures under which the Toy Story 2 editors found themselves.

o "Studio Stories: Pinocchio" (2:15) This short featurette shows an impromptu competition between the animators to decorate their workspace by throwing toys into the ceiling.

o "Studio Stories: The Movie Vanishes" (2:32) This short featurette tells how a mischievous technical error almost erased all of Toy Story 2 from the computer system.

* Pixar's Zoetrope (1:58) A look at the creation of the live-action zoetrope that Pixar created to capture the principles of animation in a live sculpture.

* Celebrating our Friend Joe Ranft (12:46) A tribute to beloved Disney and Pixar story man Joe Ranft, regarded as one of the industry's most gifted story artists.

* Making Toy Story 2 (8:10) A featurette on the making of the film, talking with director John Lasseter, crew and talent.

* John Lasseter Profile (3:02) Crew and talent talk about working with John Lasseter.

* Cast of Characters (3:28) A featurette on how the talent bring the characters to life and the new talent who provide the voices for the characters of "Toy Story 2'.

* Toy Box This section features outtakes (5:27), Jessie's Gag (1:00), Who's the Coolest Toy (3:19), Riders in the Sky Music Medley (3:11) and autographed pictures (:45).

* Deleted Scenes (4:11) Featuring deleted animation intro (:47), Godzilla Rex (1:28) and Crossing the Road (1:56).

* Design A featurette on the design of each character (Galleries), the 3D-Visualization and the colorization of the characters.

* Production Featuring Designing Woody's Past (2:50), Making Woody's Roundup (1:51), Production Tour (2:31), Early Animation Tests (3:04), Special Effects (1:38) and International Scene (1:47).

* Music & Sound Featuring Designing Sound (5:38), Making the Songs (3:25), Woody's Roundup" Music Video (2:17) and "Jessie's Song" Randy Newman Video (2:48).

* Publicity Featuring Character Interviews (2:05), Trailers (3:24), TV Spots (2:12), Posters (:50) and Baseball Woody (:18).

EXTRA:

Included in the "Toy Story 2" Special Edition is a DVD of "Toy Story. The DVD is featured in Widescreen (1:78:1) Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions and is in English 5.1 EX with English SDH subtitles.

JUDGMENT CALL:

Having gone crazy for the Blu-ray release of "Toy Story 1", I can easily say that this Blu-ray release for the sequel is equally impressive and a title definitely worth owning and worth having in your Blu-ray collection.

Although, I enjoyed the storyline for the first film much more, I enjoyed the second film because of the additional characters and the animation showed great improvement nearly five years after the first was made. But since the release of the film on VHS and on DVD (multiple times), I have owned each release because these films are both magnificent.

The voice talent and acting is top notch, the storyline is well-written and Pixar Animation Studios set the bar higher then and they continue to set the bar higher now when it comes to CG animated films.

And so far, every Pixar Animation Studio release on Blu-ray have been nothing short of magnificent. From the Blu-ray releases of "A Bug's Life" and "Monster's Inc." (and yes, we are still waiting for that Blu-ray release of "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles") and their releases from "Cars" all the way up to their 2009 film "Up", when it comes to new releases that are Pixar related, so far we have been given awesome picture quality, awesome lossless audio and plenty of special features. "Toy Story" 1 and 2 are among those films that just look and sound fantastic but also additional content to keep any animation fan happy.

I will say that if you own the "Ultimate Toy Box Set" that was released in 1999, you will want to hang on to that set because although the Blu-ray's do have new additional content, a lot of content from the Ultimate Toy Box Set are NOT included on the Blu-ray release.

"Toy Story 2" is just an enjoyable family film that holds up well today, over a decade later and will still produce plenty of laughs and even in today's world of awesome CG animation, you can't help but see this vibrant film and just enjoy it on so many levels. Just seeing the detail and texture and how much the film had improve within the last five years from the original film is incredible. And the fact that the employees busted their heart and soul to get this film done in eight months vs. the usual four years is equally impressive.

With the release of both special edition "Toy Story" films on Blu-ray, these are the definitive versions of the film to own and for those like myself who have owned several versions of "Toy Story", the upgrade to Blu-ray is definitely well worth it and highly recommended!

Reviews of Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo

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The biggest flaw in this story ... is that it makes a 45-year-old man cry like a child every time I watch it. My opinions on Disney movies vary -some are good, some are almost unwatchable -but "Beauty and the Beast" is the best work the studio has ever done.

Why do I love this movie so much? I think it's the music. In some musicals (animated or live), as soon as a song begins, the story comes to a grinding halt. (Can anyone remember one tune from "Mulan"?) But in this film, the music by Ashman and Menken advances the story marvellously. Animation and voice acting combine in a near-flawless performance, and the use of computer animation in the ballroom dance sequence was ground-breaking in its time.

As for the added features, the added song "Human Again" is a wonderful fun number. I can understand why it was left out of the original version, but its inclusion really doesn't detract from the story (it's another big production number like "Be Our Guest", not really essential to the plot, but helps us get to know the supporting characters).

The "making of" features are fairly interesting; the on-disk games I can take or leave. But the film itself is still the gem, worth the purchase price all by itself; the standard by which all other Disney movies are measured.

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Belle is bored with life in her village. Her only escape is her books, and she longs to have an adventure of her own. When her father heads out to a fair, he gets lots, and Belle finds him in an enchanted castle. The objects are thrilled, because if she and their master, the Beast, fall in love, they will all be freed from the enchantment. But will Belle be able to see past the outward appearance? And what about the handsome bore back home who wants to marry Belle?

I feel in love with this movie the first time I saw it, and that love has only grown over the years. The story is the right mix of fun and uncertainty. Gaston was a wonderful addition to the mix because his story was the part I was most uncertain about the first time around. The artwork on the film catches your eye from the first shot of the castle, and doesn't let go. Beside the incredible background shots are wonderful drawings of the characters. I especially love the boyish excitement they manage to give the Beast in several scenes. Finally, there's the music. Every song adds to the story and is memorable in its own right.

This DVD is perfect for any fan of this movie. Disc 1 includes three versions of the film. The first is the "in progress" version shown to the New York film festival 6 weeks before the premier of the movie in 1991. While it's fun to have, I won't be watching it regularly. The second version is the original release. And finally comes the special edition, with the added scene and "Human Again." Ironically, this is probably my least favorite of the songs added to the Broadway version, but it does advance the story. And, there's always the option of watching the original version. Obviously, the version that you are supposed to watch is the special edition, as the audio commentary and sing along bonus features only work with this option. All three come in Dolby 5.1 sound, which sounds great.

The second disc features hours of bonus material. Most of it focuses on the making of this movie. Everything is covered, from original idea through characters and the Broadway version and special edition. Galleries show character designs over the course of the project. Also featured is the original treatments for "Human Again" and "Be Our Guest." Celebrity voices give background on the original story and Disney versions of classic tales. And there's a fun documentary as the stars of "Even Stevens" take a backstage look at all the work that goes into making a feature animated film.

This is the first annimated film to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. Watching the film, the reason is clear. This is something the entire family can enjoy. Don't miss your opportunity to catch this classic film.

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We all know that "Beauty & the Beast" is a "5 star" movie. It's too bad this transfer is not. This is exactly the reason Amazon needs a two-rating system. One for the movie & the other for the actual product. Nobody is getting their movie reviews from Amazon, believe me. What we need to know is if the DVD or Blu-ray is good.

So, let me start by pointing out the good. You get all 3 versions of the movie. The sound is excellent. Very level, deep when it need to be & the music sounds clear & full. Colors in the movie are bright, while the darks are perfect, with no sign of artifacts in them.

Now we get to the bad stuff. Let's face it, when we're buying any kind of video product, the picture is the most important thing. If the picture stinks, the whole think stinks. And although the picture on this Blu-ray doesn't stink, it's not perfect. Far from perfect in fact.

Let's start with the first problem, the lines. In hand-drawn animation, the lines are everything. If they are not constant & clear, the characters lose some of their realism. The lines in Beauty & the Beast are very thin, which is great for details. However, digital media is just not able to handle thin lines correctly. Several times pieces of a line will disappear into the color behind it. Most noticeably on Cogworth's face. His clock face will come through & "bloom" over most of the lines on his face, losing most of the detail. But the main problem with the lines in this transfer are the white "halos" around them. It seems like they used edge enhancements on the characters. But I'm not 100% sure this is what they did, as this halo never appears on any of the backgrounds. All I know is that at certain times, characters will have these halos surrounding their lines. The Beast takes the brunt of this & looks terrible in every shot. Just check out the sharp ends of his fur to see what I mean. Gaston also suffers from this, especially his face. What I did notice is that for the first half of the film, the lines seem to have been drawn with a dark brown color. Later on, the lines are black & this halo problem lessens. So I'm thinking that the problem is the digital media of Blu-Ray, even though it's high-def is not able to handle the dark brown lines against any brown-based back (flesh, brown fur, tan). When I saw this film at an IMAX theater, I did notice some of the same problems with the lines. So maybe the problem isn't even the transfer, but the actual film itself. Maybe the transfer is just so high-detail it's showing the film's flaws. In any case, these line problems can be distracting at times & I found myself noticing them & focusing on them, rather than the movie itself. Which is not a good thing.

Other video problems include graininess within certain colors, especially yellows or gold, like Lumiere. There is also an annoying strobe like problem, when the action seems to be going fast. This was most noticeable when Maurice is escaping the wolves.

To finish up, we all know the movie is great. Unfortunately, this film just doesn't look as good as let's say Pinocchio or Snow White. Which is kind of amazing, considering those movies are 50+ years older than this one.

Honest reviews on Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo

Disney's animated version of the classic tale, "Beauty and the Beast," is every bit as enchanting as the "tale as old as time" that it tells, making its way into our hearts as well as motion picture history. Being the first film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as six nominations altogether, Disney proves that it has what it takes to make an animated feature enjoyable for adults and children. I remember watching the film as a small child, and now, as an adult, is hasn't lost its luster, and everything is just as I enjoyed it before.

Through brilliant animation and song, as well as some terrific voice talents, the story of unexpected love comes to new and exciting life. Small-town girl Belle is forced to head into the woods once her father turns up missing, bringing her to a gloomy, secluded castle where she finds him and his captor, a vicious-looking beast. Of course, the beginning of the movie explains the beast's origins: he was once a selfish prince who, after turning out an old beggar woman, was transformed, given an enchanted rose, and told "if he could learn to love another, and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time."

This begins their rocky-turned-romantic relationship, as they begin to warm to one another. Meanwhile, the town brute, Gaston, has plans of his own, involving some sinister maneuvers involving Belle's father in hopes that she will agree to marry him.

Many have hailed this as the best of Disney's films, and they wouldn't be wrong in saying so, either. It's easy to see why the movie has become such a success: there are elements at work in this film, just as in every other Disney film, only they seem to have taken on a small degree of maturity with this film's creation.

The animation is some of the best and most believable I've seen for an animated film in a long time. Most of the scenes involving solely characters is the same as most of Disney's works, but there are scenes of pure life-like reality that have a special flare to them. The ballroom scene is one such scene: the camera angles sweep across a room filled with high-arched glass windows and a chandelier which looks as real as the words you're reading on this page. Some nice effects go into the creation of the castle as well, especially in the end once everything returns to normal.

The is one of the most moving Disney soundtracks to come along since that of "Cinderella" and "Pinocchio." It is clear that composers were striving to capture the feeling and influence of their previous score for "The Little Mermaid," and they truly succeed in doing so. The songs are delightful and will have kids and adults alike smiling and singing along. The score is the perfect underlining for scenes of romance as well as tension and suspense. In case you were wondering, three of the originally written songs were nominated for Academy Awards; that should say something.

This is one of Disney's most ambitious and successful projects, ranking alongside such cinematic achievements as the successes of "Citizen Kane" and "Gone With The Wind." Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture, as well as its Oscar nominations, "Beauty and the Beast" is a hallmark of a time when movies were something that everyone, young and old alike, could enjoy on the same levels. This is the best picture of 1991.

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I just finished watching this in 3D and all i can say is that this version blew me away. I normally don't review movies i purchase on amazon but i could not get over this transfer. This is now my gem of all my Blu Ray 3D movies, period. The beautiful forest opening scene that was created by the multiplane camera grabs your attenttion like never before with the 3D effect. And from then on you can see the amount of effort that was put into transfering the original classic in to a full 3D feature. This is in no way a cheesy transfer like some of the movies that have been coming out recently. I was so blown away by this transfer that i showed my parents some of the scenes and they from the start just said "WoW" and were hooked to watch the film to its end. The beautiful animation just stands out in this 3D feature and is truly gorgeous. Truely this is the best way to watch this film, but of course this is just my opinion but i cannot say it enough that you should give it a chance. If you ever wanted to revisist the magic of Beauty and the Beast this is possibly the best way you could of ever have asked for. A++

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I looked forward to this DVD release for months and snagged a copy the first day it was available. My excitement turned to dismay, however, as I began to watch it. From the moment the birds open the curtains to reveal Cinderella in her bed, it became painfully obvious that Disney truly had "enhanced" the picture to within an inch of its life. Instead of restoring this beloved classic film, the images have been changed; this is NOT Cinderella as she was first seen in 1950. Just to make sure I wasn't mistaken, I did a comparison between my parents VHS tape (the original video release) and the DVD. True, the picture on the DVD was much sharper and the sound was crystal clear, but Cinderella's hair was NEVER that color of yellow, and lines that were part of the original animators drawings, faithfully inked and painted onto the original cells, are no longer visible. For instance, right at the beginning of the film, when Cinderella turns over in her bed to shut out the sun, there were originally clearly drawn/inked lines in her blanket to show the drapery of the fabric. Those lines, obvious in the VHS version, are now only visible if you zoom in on them. Similar editorial decisions on the part of the DVD authors are evident throughout the film, though they decrease in frequency as the film progresses. It could be said these changes don't matter much, but they truly affect the look of the film. I often found myself thinking it looked like a Scooby-Doo cartoon, a far cry from any Disney classic. Although I understand that Disney owns this intellectual property in the legal sense, I don't understand why the've chosen to disrespect that very property, especially in light of their excellent work on Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Bambi, etc. Hopefully, this is an anomaly and Disney won't continue to offer us disfigured films.

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In an effort to revive his sagging animation department, Walt Disney turned once again to a fairy tale. This time around, he chose one of the best known and oldest of them all, Cinderella.

The tale is familiar. A beautiful girl is abused by her stepmother and stepsisters and forced to work as their slave. When a ball is given for all the eligible maidens in the kingdom, Cinderella dreams of going too, only to have her hopes dashed at the last minute. With a gift of magic, she is able to go, but only until the stroke of midnight.

The story is so well known, if fact, that any story about an underdog coming from behind and winning is called a Cinderella story. Disney's job here was to make the story entertaining for 75 minutes. The solution here was creating the animals. Mice Jaq and Gus and their constant struggle against the evil cat Lucifer is funny and tying this sub-plot to the ultimate outcome is brilliant. The other standout character is the stepmother who is frighteningly evil with no super powers.

As with any Disney movie, this one also has great songs. Arguably the best known is "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo." Right behind it is "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." My favorite, however, is the often overlooked love song "So This is Love."

While not the best release in the Platinum series, it still stacks up well. The movie has been restored, and it looks great to me. I'm not a nitpicker, but I can't find any problems with the full frame picture, the original aspect ratio. There is an enhanced 5.1 home theater mix, which doesn't seem quite as impressive as some other releases. It seems more like the sound coming equally from all speakers. Of course, given the age of the film, there probably isn't much more they could do. For purists, there is an original soundtrack on the disc as well.

The extras in this set seem to be split between content for kids and adults, with the kids winning. Disc one includes a new version of "A Dream is a Wish" with the stars of several Disney Channel series. It also has several "Cinderella stories" in sports moments, a weird feature to me. Disc two includes several features about living like a princess.

Also on disc two are the bonus features adult fans of this movie will want to watch. There are two "deleted scenes," which are really abandoned songs with the storyboards created for them. In edition there are more abandoned songs with no storyboards on here. It's pretty interesting watching how various ideas went from one form to another before finally making it into the movie. Other extras include a thirty-eight minute documentary about the creation of the show, including achieved interviews with the animators behind the show. We are also treated to an overview of how the movie progressed over the years it was in development, a tribute to the "Nine Old Men," Disney's "Laugh-O-Gram" version of the story from 1922, and radio promotion from the time. I was thrilled to see trailers from the movie's multiple releases here. Unfortunately, there is no commentary in sight.

This Platinum DVD release means that all of Disney's animated movies have been put on DVD at some point in the last few years. While the Platinum series isn't quite as nice for adult fans as they used to be, this is still a release that fans of the movie will want to pick up.

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Stunning new 2-disc `Platinum Edition' of Disney's 1950 fairytale confection CINDERELLA. The story is as old as the hills: Cinderella is mistreated horribly by her cruel Stepmother and stepsisters Anastasia and Drisella. Her only friends are some pet mice, the birds and her faithful dog and horse. When the Prince invites all the eligible maidens in the land to his grand ball, Cinderella is heartbroken when her Stepmother forbids her to go. Enter the magical Fairy Godmother, who, with a little "Bibiddi Bobiddi Boo" magic, enables Cinderella to live out her happily-ever-after dream.

From a historical perspective, the Disney studio was pinning it's future on the success of CINDERELLA. World War II had virtually wiped out the studio's international market and films like PINOCCHIO, BAMBI and FANTASIA had lost a lot of money on their initial releases.

Disney has performed a complete restoration on the film, including an extensive frame-by-frame cleanup of the original camera negative and the result is eye-popping (almost alarmingly-so as every hint of speckle, dirt and debris has been removed). The film looks showroom-new and it's hard to believe the thing was actually made over 50 years ago. Likewise the soundtrack has been sweetened with Disney furnishing the film with an all-new "Enhanced Home Theatre" 5.1 mix. But purists need not worry, as the original mono soundtrack is also included.

There are some fantastic extras on Disc Two including an all-new `Making-Of' documentary which features recent interviews with Ilene Woods (voice of Cinderella), Mike Douglas (the Prince) and Lucille Bliss (Anastasia). "The Art of Mary Blair" is an invaluable look into the life of the revered Disney concept artist and designer; "The Cinderella That Almost Was" hosted by Don Hahn explores the scenes, songs and characters that were considered but eventually cut from the final film. "Disney's Nine Old Men" is a charming segment hosted by Joel Siegel which has the leading Disney animators of today remembering the trailblazers who created the classic Disney animated masterpieces.

There is also a charming clip from Perry Como's television show which publicised the film with a performance from Ilene Woods. A clip from "The Mickey Mouse Club" features Helene Stanley (the live-action reference model for the Cinderella character) enacting a scene with the help of the Mouseketeers. There are also extensive galleries, interactive games and DVD-ROM components.

There are however some needless (and downright questionable) extras like the ESPN Classic "Cinderella Stories" programme, which profiles sport celebrities and their rise to fame. Just what exactly does all this have to do with Disney's Cinderella? Plain boring old filler. That said, the rest of the package is outstanding. For Disney collectors and families everywhere, this is a must-own.

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There are two well known versions of Cinderella, the French version and the German Brothers Grimm. Disney and Rodgers & Hammerstein used the more family friendly French version and Sondheim & Lapine used the more grisly Brothers Grimm.

The story is very simple. A young girl's father remarries to vain and cruel woman with two daughters of her own. Her father dies and the stepmother turns Cinderella into a servant.

The King wants his only child, the Prince to marry. So he holds a ball with all the eligible maidens. The evil stepmother and her two daughters attend but make sure that Cinderella does not. Come to the rescue Fairy Godmother. She does her magic and uses Cinderella's animal friend. The Prince sees Cinderella and instantly falls in love. But she has to leave before midnight and only leaves her glass slipper.

A search for true love begins!

This is a fun version of the fairy tale with the most violent villains of all three main versions of the story. This is still a great movie but if you want the best get the Leslie Ann Warren version of the Rogers & Hammerstein TV special.

DVD EXTRAS:

Disc One -

Cinderella Stories presented by ESPN Classic: Joe Namath host 10 sports "Cinderella Stories" from teams like NY Jets in Superbowl III and 1980 US Hockey Team to individuals like Lance Armstrong and Mia Hamm. You can watch all ten or just the ones that you want. These are superficial but can be inspirational for young kids. (Total running time 34 minutes)

Music & More Two music videos and a making of video (9 minutes total) A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes is done by Disney Channel stars and shows that with today's technology anyone can be made to sound alright. It also shows how you can take a great song and make it into drivel. This is followed by making of video. Every Girl Can be a Princess which uses clips from all the Disney "Princess" films. The song was written for a Princess album. It actually is very nice.

Disc Two -

Deleted Scenes Two deleted scenes and an introduction by Don Hahn (Producer of Beauty and the Beast. The Cinderella Work song is newly recorded and has the original storyboards. Dancing on a Cloud is the original recording with the original storyboards. (10 Minutes)

Music & More -

Cinderella & Perry Como: A 7 minute excerpt of his show promoting the film. Perry narrates with Ilene Woods (Cinderella) and the Fontaine Sisters as the mice singing the song live. The end is a jazz version of Bibbidy Boobity Boo by Perry, Ilene and the sisters this is great.

Cinderella Title Song: Original demo recording probably by the song writers (no storyboards). (2 minutes)

Unused Songs: 7 songs not used in the film audio only (17 minutes). Disney animated films always had unused songs. Usually, the scene that it is used in was cut but sometimes it just didn't advance the story and this was the number one rule of songs. They do not give singing credits on these.

Radio Programs: Three radio program excerpts promoting Ilene Woods (12 minutes) Village Store introduces Ilene as Disney's choice for Cinderella and she sings When You Wish Upon a Star. Gulf Oil Presents Ilene sings A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes. Scouting the Star with no singing.

Games & Activities -

House of Royalty: Three six minute vignettes on Look Live Act Like a Princess. These are for the youngsters only and they probably will not watch them more than once. Although Act Like a Princess has some tips everyone could use.

The Royal Life DVD ROM game in which you can point and click to make your dream castle, ball gown or bedroom.

Princess Pajama Jam A really silly 3 minute game on dancing like a princess. It would have been better if this lasted longer as a child's exercise program but it is really an advert for the Princess Party DVD.

Backstage Disney -

From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella Four featurettes totaling 39 minutes. This is actually an indepth look at not only the film but Disney and has interviews (from 1995) with the original animators. The section on the voice casting is really interesting as many of the voices were well known character actresses. It is really great.

The Cinderella That Almost Was: This is a 14 minute featurette on the genesis of the story from a Silly Symphony to various early incarnations that were never used. It is very interesting to see what didn't make it into the film.

From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men This is a 22 minute round table discussion with today's top animated film makers discussing the original nine animators. It is nice but nothing special.

The Art of Mary Blair A fifteen minute tribute to the artist who helped conceive the style of many Disney animated features.

Storyboard to Film Comparison: Opening Sequence A seven minute comparison of the film to the original story boards or live action reference shot. These are always fun to watch.

Cinderella Still Galleries Massive stills galleries from concept drawings to posters

1922 Laugh-o-Grams: Cinderella An early animated short based on Cinderella set in current times.

Excerpt from The Mickey Mouse Club with Helene Stanley (1955): A four minute sequence with live action model Helene Stanley.

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Well, only a year to wait...

This two disc Platinum Edition will follow Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Aladdin and (Easter 2005) Bambi as Disney's jewels in their DVD crown when it is released next October.

Whilst seemingly forgetting how to produce a decent animated film lately, the folks at Disney sure know how to produce DVD packages. Expect deleted songs, artwork, games, docs, commentaries and much more!

Just avoid the embarassingly bad sequel.

Discount Cars 2 (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (2011)

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I had a very unusual experience seeing this movie in theaters.

I watched it, I had a great time, I laughed, cheered, was thrilled, and the moment the credits started to roll the people in the row behind me IMMEDIATELY started spouting off how much they HATED it. I was flabbergasted. I was sorely tempted to turn around and ask them if we even just saw the same movie? How could anyone hate something that's so much FUN?!

But after thinking about it, I could see actually why they didn't get into it. Cars 2 is the first Pixar movie where you really have to 'get the joke' of the premise, or the whole thing falls apart like a house of cards. What this movie is, is the best James Bond movie of the last 15 years (not counting Casino Royale which transcends Bond movies to be just a great spy movie), with a bit of The Accidental Spy thrown in.

I LOVE Bond movies. The crazy opening sequences, the insane gadgets, the quippy lines. And Cars 2 hit pitch perfect parodies of every Bond standard. But you could never say of any Bond movie that it's got a deep emotional core, that's not how they're made. They're made to be balls to the wall fun and thrills, and that's what this movie is. Which of course makes it the polar opposite of the original Cars. It could hardly be more different.

If you get the joke, that this is a James Bond movie with cars, it's a riot. Loads of fun. It's not deep, it's not going to tug at your heart strings, it will not make your mother cry three or four times (as virtually ever Pixar movie ever made prior has done to my mother, I take her to Pixar movies with a bucket). It's just riotous fun. And I'm amazed that people are punishing Pixar for making a movie that's just pure fun. Granted Pixar is famous for it's deep emotional stories, and I suppose people expect that sort of thing every time. Even if you make a fun and entertaining movie, if you don't do what people expect, they bite your head off for it.

I went in with few expectations cause the early reviews bashed it to pieces, and I was frankly not that big a fan of the original movie. In the first Cars McQueen spends an enormous amount of the movie whining, and I found him generally unlikeable until fully halfway through the movie. It was a good movie, with a lot of heart and a message, but not one I would describe as a lot of FUN. Mater especially, a little of him went a long way in the first movie, and I was really worried about him being the star of this movie, because if a little of him annoyed me in the first movie, this one has 10 times more of him.

And yet, he actually annoyed me LESS this time around, cause he had something to do instead of just hanging around being Mater. They struck a perfect balance in his 'mater-ness' where the Accidental Spy nature of his story is charming instead of just annoying. And even more to my amazement, Mater's unique perspective DOES actually help solve the mystery. He's not just a bumbling idiot gumming up the works, he does actually help.

I was also constantly amused at the imagination that went into Cars-ifying the world. Even little touches like the swanky party in Towkyo (not a typo! ha!), the elevators are giant pistons that come out of the floor. I didn't expect it at all but once I saw it was it was so perfect.

To sum up, I have to say, I enjoyed this movie MORE than the original Cars. Yet at the same time I'll fully agree that the original is a technically superior film in writing and character, but Cars 2 is way more fun. If you go into this with the right attitude, that you're seeing a James Bond movie with Cars, that it's meant to be pure fun and embrace it on that level, there's a lot to love.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is it IS shallow. I won't say it's a perfect film on every level cause it's not. But it doesn't deserve the hate it's getting, it's just a fun movie, and there's nothing wrong with that. If it doesn't quite transcend to the levels of brilliance of The Incredibles or Wall:E, that doesn't make it BAD, it suffers only in comparison to other Pixar work, compared to anything else, it rocks. :)

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To be fair, Cars 2 is not a dud. But it's not a hit either. As someone who's loved everything Pixar has heretofore come up with, it pains me to say it, but I think Cars 2 will be remembered as Pixar's first miss. It's one of those films that, if you've seen the trailer, you've already seen ninety percent of what there is to see in the movie itself. The rest, unfortunately, is tedium.

The plot, such as it is, is as follows: Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) invites his best buddy from Radiator Springs, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), to accompany him on an international racing event. In Japan, Mater is mistaken for an American spy by two British agents Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) who are investigating a criminal conspiracy involving oil rigs, alternative fuels and a mysterious secret weapon.

Every now and then, a film comes out where you look at it and wonder how it got into production in the first place. You keep thinking why didn't someone in the early stages come out and say "You know, this is a bad idea. A really, really _bad_ idea." And so many things about Cars 2 were bad ideas. Taking the story out of the intimate and uniquely original setting of Radiator Springs and sending it through Tokyo, Italy and London, which we recognize because they're already so familiar? Bad idea. Reducing all of the other residents of Radiator Springs, who were so memorable from the original Cars, to little more than cameos? Bad idea. Making the movie an action-driven parody of James Bond spy films? Bad idea. And last but not least, making Mater the center of everything? _Really_ bad idea.

Everything that made the first Cars film so memorable and enjoyable is missing here. Most particularly Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) who was part of what gave Cars its heart and gravitas. There's no character development in Cars 2, and no heart. There's just mindless action across dazzling settings, with repeated heavy-handed beatings over the head of _message_: "Friends are important!" and "Be Yourself!"

If the blame for Cars 2 failing to match its predecessor in quality can be laid at the feet of anyone, Brad Lewis as co-director/writer is probably most deserving of that dubious achievement. Why he was chosen is beyond imagining as his only previous work as a director was on a short video documentary on food and he apparently has no other credits as a writer. The original Cars, it must be noted, was co-directed and written by Joe Ranft, whose previous work as a writer includes a host of great films as The Brave Little Toaster, Oliver & Company, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Toy Story and A Bug's Life. And the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Mr. Ranft, having passed away in 2005, was unfortunately not available for Cars 2, but you'd think that Pixar would have at least tried to get someone of the same caliber for Cars 2.

Again, Cars 2 not a bad film, not in the strictest sense anyway. On a technical level, the look is both lush and dazzling. But beneath the dazzle, there's just no 'there' there. It's not bad; it's just boring. And because it's a sequel of a very good and enjoyable film, it's also more than a little disappointing. Recommended only for those who want to see everything Pixar and who have time to kill.

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Violence is everywhere in our current world. It's a fact of life, and as adults we all learn how to cope with it, avoid it, or confront it when we need to. I accept this fact. But I can't accept that in a movie rated "G", there are multiple scenes of violence, death, even torture. I'll need to explain these concepts to my child at some point, but I'd certainly prefer that I be able to wait until he's beyond the age of four. I'll be explicit so that other parents who are considering this movie will know exactly what they're in for: there are several scenes in which the "bad guy" pointedly tells his subordinates to "kill him" (directed a Finn McMissile and Mater). There is a full-blown torture scene in which a car is restrained, heated to the pain point, and then destroyed (the actual death is shown only as a reflection). There are a lot of guns, bullets, and missiles. There's plenty of hand-to-hand (or wheel-to-wheel) combat, which seems like a picnic after the other stuff.

I'm not anti-violence, and I appreciate a good action movie. But I'm 35 and my kid is 4. We have different perspectives on life. When a movie is rated "G", I expect something significantly less violent than James Bond.

The first Cars movie is among my favorites. It's a fantastic story that has a great message and doesn't rely on explosions. Are Pixar and Disney really so short of ideas that they need to blow things up to make money? Come on...I know they can do better.

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If you are an adult and like James Bond movies with a touch of Transformers action, you'll like Cars 2. For everybody else, this movie was just wrong. As has been said by other reviewers, this movie drops everything good about the original one: the characters, the setting, the mood, the pace, the soul. My fiveand three-year old daughters -great fans of the first installment -got up and walked away 20 minutes into the movie. Looks good, but no soul.

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Having to explain to my 4-year old Cars-aholic daughter why bad guy cars were out to "kill" other cars in Cars 2 was a little unsettling and unexpected. I was very surprised by the amount of automobile "deaths" and threat of "deaths" in the film. Cars were always out to get other cars. The spy genre was just not right for a Cars themed movie. My daughter LOVES the firetruck character Red, but he only appeared, what? A total of 2 minutes? I felt so bad for her. All those familiar and loved characters from the first film were castaways in Cars 2.

With that all said, we still enjoyed the movie. Finn McMissile became her newest favorite Car. She even calls him Finn McMiss-Sile, as Michael Caine pronounces it. We will still buy the BluRay and enjoy it at home.

Cheap Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray

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I remember being mesmerized by Bambi at the drive in as a kid in the early 70's, and then again on TV but, what a fantastic restoration.

I have to thank Amazon.com for providing this before the actual release date and I was amazed at the restoration. I am not going to review the story as it is a classic and most know what it is about. I will review the repackaging and upgrade of the classic. The new DVD provides extra outtakes that haven't been seen before and the new coloration is fantastic. Gone is the sort of gloomy non crisp colors and in its place are wonderful bright colors.

Fantastic redo! If you have kids they will love this updated version. If you just like Disney Classics than you will also want to own this one.

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Walt Disney opened the vein of fear that drives children and adults alike with his animated classic films. Disney understood, like the Grimms before him, that the same fears are at the heart of what motivate children as they do adults. In the uncertain and haunted world of the 40's where war and loss hung like a specter stalking every aspect of American life, Disney mined that vein of fear, loss and death and turned it on its head recognizing that the optimism and can-do attitude of the American dream could triumph but not undo the nightmares of the past. That's why Walt's films continue to resonate today even with fancy computer animated effects and larger than life villains. He knew that the worst monsters could be our next door neighbors. Disney adapted a modern sensibility to the same fears that the Grimms paraded in their tales.

That's why "Bambi" despite its pacing from a slower, less attention challenged era still has power and poignancy. As a kid everything you need to know about life can be learned from a Walt Disney film. The loss of innocence, the cruelty of others, the compassion of friends and the big "D" all crop up in every Disney film. It's ironic because Disney's films, unlike other animators of the time, weren't afraid to tackle the very things that both scared and delighted kids. The two big themes that figure in Disney films rear their heads in "Bambi" when death and the cruel world outside try to erase Bambi's innocence from existence. We're immediately thrown into Bambi's world and his life with his mom. When Bambi's mom is killed he becomes an orphan adopted by his new found friends Thumper and Flower. Kids will love the interaction between these characters. While the film's pacing may be a tad slow for children below the age of six used to the rapid fire editing of "Aladdin" and more recent Disney classics, the colorful landscape and the delightful characters will keep most children entranced.

Featuring a terrific restoration, "Bambi" has never looked better on DVD. Like many films of the era "Bambi" was shot on nitrate stock which disintegrates fairly rapidly over time so the miracle here is that it looks as good as it does (due to careful care) and the magic of digital technology. The images sparkle with a crystal clear image almost too perfect. The rich color, deep dark blacks and detail in the images are truly astonishing. The remastered sound makes fairly good use of the 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround medium as well. Given that the original film's soundtrack was mono, the surround speakers are used surprisingly well. You'll have to reset your expectations though as this 60 year old film wasn't designed with any of our home theater equipment in mind.

"Bambi" has a forest full of extras in this two disc set. The most important extras on the first DVD is the comparison between the finished film along side images from story meetings, script notes, surviving production drawings and other items that give you a sense of the preparation that went into making this animated classic. We get to see the amazing restoration process for the film itself from the cleaning of the original nitrate negative (stored at the Library of Congress) to the expansion of the original soundtrack for home theater equipment and movie theater exhibition. There's also the classic award winning animated short "The Old Mill". Again, many of Disney's cartoons from the 30's and 40's don't have the manic energy we've come to expect in our post-Looney Tunes/Animanics world but the quieter, slower qualities are actually appealing after one too many frantic animated adventure. "Tricks of the Trade" was originally shot for the Disney's TV show in the 50's and takes us behind-the-scenes allowing us to see the difficult and time consuming process of making animated feature films before the advent of computers. "The Art of Bambi" allows us in the Disney archive to see the surviving preproduction artwork, design elements and storyboards. "Disney Time Capsule" provides viewers with a glimpse into the world that spawned "Bambi". "The Forest Adventure Game" will be entertaining for most children over the age of six as it may take a bit too much skill for anyone below that age to master. There's also two surviving deleted scenes (which is a surprise given the age of the film but Disney is nothing if not methodical). We learn a bit about America during World War II and the type of society that America was creating for itself. "Bambi's Forest Friends" focuses on how deer live in the wild. We also get the original theatrical trailer (which provides an interesting contrast to the restored film). Most of these extras will be of interest more to the adults that grew up watching "Bambi" in theaters, on TV and early home video.

An engaging film from another era that still has tremendous power and is entertaining, "Bambi" has never looked this spry before. I imagine that this DVD looks better than the original release did in the 1940's as resolution and theater standards were quite different then.

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I was disappointed in this updated version I have seen this movie since I was a young child every year it was shown in the theaters. I looked forward eagerly to when it came out on video. But was very disappointed as they had cut out several parts of the movie that had been shown in the theater version. I figured that when they remastered it digitally on DVD, they would add those parts back. But they didnt. They cut out the part where Bambi is fighting with Rono in the clouds no loss there. But they also cut out one of the very best parts where the Owl is talking to the youngsters about being Twiterpaited then starts singing the twiterpaited song. "Everybody's twiterpaited in the spring, skunks smell sweet, rabbits sing, daffodils go daffy when the bluebells ring, the whole wide world's in love. When you can't control a grin, when your head's inflated. Love just socked you on the chin, pal your twiterpaited! Anyway. It is one of the best parts and I was really saddened that they didnt include it in the movie.

But the color is good and it will always be a classic. Just wish they had included "ALL" of it.

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Another of Disney's Platinum Editions; "Bambi" is certainly a Disney classic, and quite unique in their catalogue. This is a 2 DVD package, with the first DVD containing the 1942 movie in its original format (1.33:1, the same as a standard television) with an enhanced 5.1 enhanced sound mix (THX certified). It also contains a feature entitled "Bambi: Inside Walt's Story Meetings" where we are able to listen to the comments of those involved in making the film. It also contains a preview of the second disk.

The second DVD is packed with extras as is the case with all of the Platinum Editions. It includes a couple of deleted scenes (Winter Grass, and Bambi's First Snow), some games and activities for the younger viewers, and a lot of behind the scenes features as well, called Backstage Disney. These include a making of feature, a restoration features, a sneak peak at the new Bambi movie, a time capsule for 1942, a feature on the multi-plane camera, a feature on the Disney archives, "The Old Mill" animated short (in which many of the techniques that were used in "Bambi" would be tried), the original trailer, and artwork from the movie.

It has been said that "Bambi" is the animated feature with the fewest lines of dialogue, and it is amazing how they combined movement and music to effectively tell the story while keeping the dialogue to a minimum. The movie also is known for its very stylistic or impressionistic backgrounds. Lastly, as far as I know this is the only Disney movie where the main villain (Man) never appears on the screen. Instead we see and hear the tools of man, such as gunshots, his hunting dogs, and his campfire which gets out of control and starts a forest fire.

The movie was based on the 1923 book of the same name by Felix Salten, although I think it is safe to say that most people now think of the movie when they hear the name. It premiered in London on August 8th of 1942, in the midst of World War II. It was the only civilian project which Disney continued during the war years. The rest of the studio was dedicated to helping the war effort. Not surprisingly, given the circumstances, the movie lost money in its initial release but has subsequently made millions for the company.

The movie was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1943, including Best Music, Original Song (Frank Churchill & Larry Morey), Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Frank Churchill & Edward H. Plum), and for Best Sound, Recording (C. O. Slyfield). In 1948 it won a special Golden Globe award for Walt Disney for futhering the influence of the screen with the Hindustani version of the movie. In 1988 it won the Genesis award for classic feature films. Lastly this DVD was nominated for the Satellite Award for Outstanding Youth DVD in 2005.

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I am very appreciative to Amazon.com, and Buena Vista Home Entertainment for sending my family and I this DVD (before it's public release March 1st).

I have always loved this film. Bambi is a timeless treasure that I am glad I am able to share with my children.

Made in 1942, the animation is flawless (my favorite scene is where it's raining, it's so perfect). The animators have truely captured the movement of each different type of animal that inspired the film. This is Disney at it's very best!

Besides the wonderful animation, my children and I enjoy the humor. I love the owl talking to the older Bambi, Thumper, and Flower about all the animals being "twitterpated" in the Springtime; they all vow that it will never happen to them, but sure enough, one by one, they all fall victim to it.

The flawless animation, the colorful imagery, cute, memorable characters, humor. Bambi is a true gem; a timeless treasure. A priceless Masterpiece.

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Considering Disney's recent track record, it would appear that they think the average kid is maturing faster than before. Thus, they seem to put out movies that are dark and inappropriate for the average kid. The only exceptions to this trend are the wonderful Toy Story movies and A Bug's Life. Flash back a decade or two, and you'll find a different Disney, a Disney that made movies everybody could enjoy. Aristocats comes from that era. True the animation from this decade is weak, and the story loses a few points in some areas. The villain is also quite tame. All of that, however, disappears under the movie's charm, upbeat attitude, and general fun. It's certainly more fun than Hercules. People looking for something intense should avoid this. Families with small children and those who love adorable cats will love this movie. From this era, I also recommend Robin Hood. As I've said before, you just can't beat old school Disney.

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There are over a hundred reviews for The Aristocats as of this date. They all refer to the previous edition (Disney Gold Classic Edition or whatever they called it years ago when it first came out on dvd).

So now we will have those reviews mixed up with new reviews for the Feb 5, 2008 version which offers more extras and a different aspect ratio. This may make things a bit confusing.

Moving on...

People compare this film to 101 Dalmations. This is Disney's "cat" movie, they say. You can't compare them; they're too similiar somehow.

But they are both decent, cute family films.

Yes, Cruella is scary compared to the bumbling butler Edgar. There is a sense of jeopardy but Dalmations is much stronger in that sense.

Both films were made using the 1960's Xerox method where the resulting animation is more sketchy looking and more close to the original animator's drawings.

The Aristocats is more of a musical, definitely. A few forgettable songs, but also the charming and infectious tune "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat". That is the tune I think of when I remember the adventures of Duchess and Thomas and the kittens. (101 Dalmations had the little "Cruella De Vil" song, but that's it.)

Overall this is a fun vehicle but it is not a classic such as Peter Pan, Cinderella, or Lady and the Tramp. It has a nice, relaxing pace and is probably most appealing to youngsters. The voice talent, as ever with Disney cartoon features, is great. Eva Gabor's Duchess is warm and maternal while Phil Harris as Thomas O'Malley is macho yet sweet (and sounds like a lifelong diehard smoker). He also lent his vocal prowess to The Jungle Book when he played Baloo the bear.

This special edition for 2008 has some cute extras. But unless you're a total stickler for aspect ratios or you collect every version they release, the previous edition should suffice. It was fine, with a clear and bright picture/sound presentation.

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This movie is in the old Disney fashion. This would never win an academy award but for that reason it makes a great movie for little kids. Unlike the Disney movies of the past decade, violence is very minimal to almost non-existant. The "villain" in this movie a greedy but likable butler is baffoonish and not prone to causing nightmares. All the music is fun and upbeat. Lots of sassy talking animals. The humor and tone is very similar to Disney's Robin Hood another movie for good clean fun. My 2 year old LOVES the Aristocats.

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With all of the violent cartoons out today, we looked long and hard for something like Aristocats to share with our daughter. She is sensitive to angry voices and loud noises so it was difficult to find a movie or cartoon that she could enjoy without having to skip the violent or noisy scenes.

Aristocats is such a perfect little show for her to watch over and over, she now knows all of the songs, imitates the kittens and runs through the house calling "Duchess, kittens, where are you??"

If you want your child to enjoy Disney classics without the witches and mean-spirited people, or worse, the later movies with violence and loud, angry voices throughout, this is the best chance you have to show your child the lighter, gentler side of Disney.

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Shame on Amazon for recycling reviews without adding a disclaimer. The reviews complaining about full screen do not apply to the 2008 release. This release is "enhanced" for 16x9. It is widescreen but not a true Theatrical Ratio.

I enjoyed it when I first saw it in theater and feel it's one of the underated Disney classics.