Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Disney Magic Makes SNOW WHITE Classic DVD
I was extremely excited to receive this DVD.... Upon opening it, one gets the feeling that it is truly a special edition. The packaging is very nice: the DVD box is sturdy with two openings for each disk. The pamphlet inside the DVD is gorgeously produced and very helpful.My first impression is that Disney has spent much time making this DVD user-friendly. There is an abundance of directions and drawings showing you what is on the disk and how to get there. Since there are two disks and a KINGDOM of information to pour through, these directions are very welcome (even to this seasoned DVD-viewer!) Disney pulls out some familiar faces to make the experience as warm as possible: Disney himself appears in various footage; Angela Lansbury narrates the documentary and provides a "tour" of the disks; Michael Eisner shows up; and Barbra Streisand sings a specially recorded version of "Some Day My Prince Will Come". SNOW WHITE, the movie, looks gorgeous and, although old fashioned, is quite wonderful. SNOW WHITE, the double-disk, is a lot of information to wade through. I am amazed at the amount of behind-the-scenes film that exists! Disney must have suspected that he was creating a classic - he filmed every aspect of it! I especially enjoy the HALL OF ART section. There are 3 halls of various story art (i.e. "The cottage"; "The castle"; "the Forest"; etc.) Although initially I found it hard to move from hall to hall, I eventually figured it out. The animated HALLS are extraordinary and the art that "hangs" there is incredible -- various renderings and attempts at bringing the story and locales of SNOW WHITE alive. It's even more incredible that Disney Co. held on to these papers for all these years. Well, in case you can't tell, I highly recommend the special SNOW WHITE disks. You will spend days looking at everything that is included -- or you can opt to spend an hour and a half viewing the original,gorgeous film that started the Disney empire....
Rating: - Finally, a mind-boggling Disney DVD release.
Finally, finally, FINALLY, Disney is releasing one of their films with a format, media and extras that do it justice. I'm an adult (most of the time), with no kids, but I still can't buy and receive this DVD soon enough; I think it has to be the best value of the year. I don't personally really care for Disney's more recent efforts, but there's no denying the magic of its early works, and Snow White is the perfect title to kick off this incredible-sounding Platinum Collection. One thing that I have never been a fan of, though, has been Disney's marketing and sales schemes (VHS and DVD alike), and these Platinum titles, while finally doing justice to both the movies and the fans, will likely just add to the overall confusion for most buyers. The Limited Edition and Gold Collection DVD's already released are somewhat substandard; they are generally devoid of any extra DVD features and often are shortchanged technically (lack of widescreen or surround audio when available, etc.). They certainly don't hold a candle to the upcoming Platinums, which features tons of extras, innovative and wonderful-sounding DVD navigation schemes, incredible color and sound enhancement, and pretty much everything a fan could hope for in a Disney DVD. However, this being Disney, not everything could be good news of course, and with the Platinum Editions, the bad news comes with the ridiculous marketing plan for them; 1 per year for the next 10 years (Snow White being the first of 10). Until Disney to come to its senses and shortens that moronic release timeframe, however, we at least can have a taste of the incredible potential in this line with this first release. Whether you were lucky enough to have a childhood touched by the magic of the early Disney classics, or if, like me, you weren't that lucky but have the alternate fortune of experiencing these titles for the first time with these mind-boggling Platinum Editions, this should be the easiest, most no-brainer DVD purchase you make all year. And for those able to pre-order and get another DVD for free (Limited/Gold Edition, but still), the deal becomes almost criminal to pass up. Thank you, Disney, for what you're giving fans with this wonderful new line of Platinum titles. (Now if you'll PLEASE just release them more often than over 10 years! :O )
Rating: - The Classic Disney film in a DVD Edition for the Ages
It is clear from the DVD edition that Disney has put together for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the beloved film enshrined in cinema history as the first full-length animated film, that this is the standard by which all future Disney releases will be judged. Your kids or grandchildren might find the animation to be somewhat quaint, but they will certainly be impressed by this "Immersive 2-Disc DVD Experience." There is so much to do with the extras that they might even forget to actually watch the movie, which has been digitally restored. However, this would be a big mistake as you are not going to be able to solve the puzzles and win "Dopey's Wild Mine Ride" game if you have not seen the film.Everything is hosted by either Roy Disney or the Magic Mirror on the Wall (you have to love that that dry sense of humor), and what they have on the first disc along with the movie is enough to thrill any fan of Snow White. You can listen to Barbra Streisand sing "Some Day My Prince Will Come" or you can all sing the Karaoke version of "Heigh-Ho." Then there is "The Making of 'Snow White'" documentary, the aduio commentary and even the Silly Symphony cartoon "Goddess of Spring." And all of this is before you even get to the second disc where you are simply going to find what must be EVERYTHING Disney has relating to this film as we explore "The Legacy of 'Snow White.'" There are not just deleted scenes and a deleted song ("You're Never Too Old To Be Young"), there are abandoned concepts for several scenes, such as a "fantasy version" of "Some Day My Prince Will Come." Just look at the Edition Details for this DVD: have you ever seen a list that long? It took me the entire weekend just to get through MOST of what is on this DVD. Yes, you bought the Disney animated films on videotape and then you went out and got them on DVD. But the extras alone are worth the price of this first "Platinum Edition." Most importantly, Disney has clearly made a covenant with its audience that this is indeed the level of excellence they will do with their entire collection of classic films and I only hope they do this not just for "Pinocchio" but also for "Mary Poppins" as well. This is what happens when a studio cherishes its classic films as much as we do.
|
