DISNEY PARKS CHRISTMAS DAY PARADE (December 25, 2011)

Cars 2: 2-Disc Combo Pack (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Cars 2″ is a fun family film with plenty of action and humor!  Sure, it doesn’t feature Lightning McQueen as the main character but I found the whole Mater spy action storyline to be quite entertaining and fun!   Also, he film looked absolutely incredible on Blu-ray!  The lossless audio was immersive and awesome!   I absolutely enjoyed this film!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Cars 2: 2-Disc Combo Pack

FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 106 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:39:1), English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio ES, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Near Field Mix 2.0, Subtitles: English SDH Subtitles, Spanish 7.1 DTS-HD HR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital EX & Spanish Subtitles (US Only), French 7.1 DTS-HD HR, French 5.1 Dolby Digital EX & French

COMPANY: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

RATED: G

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis

Screenplay by Ben Queen

Story by John Lasseter, Brad Lewis and Dan Fogelman

Produced by Denise Ream

Music by Michael Giacchino

Edited by Stephen Schaffer

Art Direction by Jay Shuster

Featuring the Voices of:

Larry the Cable Guy as Mater

Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen

Michael Caine as Finn McMissile

Emily Mortimer as Holley Shiftwell

Eddie Izzard as Sir Miles Axelrod

John Turturro as Francesco Bernouli

Bret Musburger as Brent Mustangburger

Joe Mantegna as Grem

Thomas Kretschmann as Professor Z

Peter Jacobson as Acer

Bonnie Hunt as Sally

Darrell Waltrip as Darrell Cartrip

Franco Nero as Uncle Topolino

Jeff Garlin as Otis

Tony Shalhoub as Luigi

Patrick Walker as Mel Dorado

David Hobbs as David Hobbscap

Jenifer Lewis as Flo

Bruce Campbell as Rod “Torque” Redline

Jason Isaacs as Siddeley/Leland Turbo

Star race car Lightning McQueen and the incomparable tow truck Mater take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2” when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell. Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.

There was no doubt that a sequel to Pixars “Cars” film would be made.  It was all about when will it be made.

In 2006, the seventh Disney/Pixar film “Cars” was released in theaters.  Needless to say, the film was a major hit as it was nominated for two Academy Awards, made over $461 million worldwide.  The film was so popular that merchandise for the film is still sold in stores today and the cars have been popular toys that have earned over $5 billion in sales.

Needless to say, “Cars” was not just a box office success, it is one of Disney/Pixars biggest money making titles that is loved by critics and fans.

“Cars 2″ becomes the 12th Disney/Pixar film and once again, “Cars 2″ would meet box office success earning over $551 million worldwide.  And now the film will be made available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on November 1st.

In “Cars 2″,the film begins with spy Finn McMissile (voiced by Michael Caine), trying to capture photos of the evil Professor Zundapp (voiced by Thomas Kreschmann) and his goons working on a deal.  Unfortunately, one of the spies were captured and crushed.  And next thing you know, Zundapp sees Finn and everyone goes after him with bullets and missiles.  Needless to say, the enemies think they have destroyed him but being a spy with many vehicle modifications, he is able to turn into a submarine and escape.

Lightning McQueen’s (voiced by Owen Wilson) racing career is going great as he is a four-time Piston Cup champion.  Meanwhile, back home at Radiator Springs, McQueen’s best friend Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy), girlfriend Sally (voiced by Bonnie Hunt) and friends look forward to when Lightning can return back home.

And when McQueen does go back home, he is able to spend a good day with Mater but wants to spend a date night with his girlfriend Sally.  While out on a date one night, Mater watches oil tycoon Miles Axlerod (voiced by Eddie Izzard), a green power advocate announcing the “World Grand Prix”.  But the Italian formula racing car Francesco Bernoulli (voiced by John Turturro) is cocky and tells the world on television that Lightning McQueen is so slow and that he can beat him anytime.  Upset by what Francesco is saying about his best friend, Mater calls up the TV show and tells Francesco that Lightning McQueen can beat him anytime.

When McQueen finds out what is happening, he tells Francesco that he will compete against him in Japan at the first event for the World Grand Prix.

As McQueen gets prepared to leave once again, Sally asks him if he could bring Mater along with him, not to be part of the pit crew but just to hang out.  At first McQueen is against it but he reluctantly agrees.

When they leave to Japan, Mater is shocked about arriving in a new country.  While in Japan, Mater accidentally mistaken wasabi as pistachio ice cream and downs a large chunk of it.  With his mouth burning, Mater accidentally interferes with McQueens live interview and accidentally leaks himself in front of everyone.

Embarrassed, McQueen tells Mater to clean himself up and while Mater tries to get used to the technology of Japan’s bathrooms, spy Fin McMissile and spy tech Holley Shiftwell (voiced by Emily Mortimer) must retrieve information from an American spy.  But with Professor Zundapp’s evil car goons all around the area, Fin knows that his cover can get blown, so he has Holley meetup with the American spy which she can find via GPS.

But the American spy is approached by two of Professor Zundapp’s evil goons and with quick thinking, the spy hides the information in the bottom of Mater while he leaves the bathroom.

Thinking that Mater is an American spy, both she and Fin try to help him and protect him from Zundapp’s evil crew and Holley goes so far to pretend that she is asking Mater out on a date.

Of course, Mater tells his friends about it but no one, including Lightning McQueen believes him.

Meanwhile, during the start of the Japan race, both McQueen and Francesco exchange barbs for their first race.  And interesting enough, during the race, some of the cars explode while racing.  But as McQueen And Francesco are neck-and-neck, Mater is contacted by Holley and he thinks that she is asking him out to a date at that minute.  The truth is that Zundapp’s men were able to find out by torturing the American spy that Mater is the one carrying the information.

So, as Holley and Finn try to help Mater escape from the spies, Mater doesn’t know that his communication with Holley and what he is saying at the moment is being heard by McQueen and distracting him from the race.  And eventually costing McQueen the win.

Upset about the loss and Mater being a distraction, Lightning McQueen ends up telling his friend that he is not needed.  Hurt and dejected, Mater decides to go back home to Radiator Springs.  But instead, Finn Missile ends up meeting with Mater and helping him leave the airport (which is surrounded by Zundapp’s goons).  With Finn and Holley thinking Mater is an American spy, Mater (who doesn’t know what is going on) ends up joining the two on their mission to find out who is running the operations for Professor Zundapp.

Meanwhile, Lightning McQueen feels terrible about what he said to his best friend and wants him back with him.  But the race must continue.

As for Mater, not knowing how big of a mission he is caught up in and the things he must do… What happens when he finds out that his best friend McQueen may be the next targeted for destruction by their mysterious enemy?

VIDEO:

“Cars 2″ is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:39:1 aspect ratio).  As expected from a Disney/Pixar release, the picture quality is full of detail, colors are vibrant, blacks levels are deep and the textures and edges are fantastic.  Everything about this film looks perfect.  I didn’t see any banding, nor did I see any artifacts or edge enhancement.

Every detail from the rust and dents on Mater, the shine on McQueen, sparks, explosions, the asphalt, the backgrounds and yes, even the water looks amazing in this film.  Overall, as one has expected from Disney/Pixar, they continue to deliver excellence for picture quality in this latest Blu-ray release!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Cars 2″ is presented in English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio ES, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital and English Near Field Mix 2.0.

Similar to the picture quality, Disney/Pixar is known for its lossless audio and everything from the tires squealing to the engines roaring, explosions, machine guns and the panning from one audio extreme to another, this is an immersive soundtrack.  LFE showcases the booms of the explosions, surround channels showcase the gunfire, engines revving and because this film incorporates racing and action, the soundtrack delivers!  Especially in ambiance as McQueen and Mater are in different countries, the lossless audio is amazing!

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Cars 2″ comes with the following special features:

• Director John Lasseter Commentary – Co-directors John Lasseter and Brad Lewis talk about the film but also how promotion for the first “Cars” film internationally  made him think about Mater (Lasseter always wears Hawaiian shirts but when invited to an F-1 party event, he realized how under-dressed and out of place he was in Italy) and Lasseter and his children’s love for the “Bourne Identity” films led to the storyline of “Cars 2″.
  
• Toy Story Toon “Hawaiian Vacation” – (5:53) When Barbie and Ken are expecting to go with Bonnie and her family to Hawaii, they end up being left behind.  With Ken wanting a romantic trip with Barbie and Barbie hoping to get that first kiss, Woody, Buzz and the gang decide to bring Hawaii to Bonnie’s bedroom.
• Cars Toon “Air Mater” – (5:22) A story about Mater telling one of his stories and this time, him flying in the sky.

EXTRAS:

“Cars 2: 2-Disc Combo Pack” comes with a slipcover case and a DVD presented in 2:39:1 aspect ratio – Enhanced for 16×9 televisions, English 5.1 Dolby Digital EX, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Near Field Mix 2.0 Dolby Digital, English SDH subtitles, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital EX & Spanish subtitles and French 7.1 DTS-HD HR, French 5.1 Dolby Digital EX with French subtitles.

“Cars 2″ may have not been the critic-friendly Disney/Pixar animated film that many have hoped for but for me, it was great to see Lassetter and friends do something different.

Part of the complaints by critics was how the film was devoid of it’s emotional storyline and how it focused more on Mater instead of Lightning McQueen.  And depending on one’s feeling towards Mater, if you dislike the character, then chances are, the film may turn you off.  Afterall, Lightning McQueen is the cool, dashing hero of the first film and Mater is a redneck-talking, rusted tow truck.

But for me, I enjoyed the film because it was able to take the characters out of Radiator Springs and showcase them in Japan, France and Italy.  And as for Mater, yes…the storyline focuses on his character but if you enjoy spy films, to see him being mixed in an international spy case with the James Bond-ish Aston Martin-like Finn McMissile and the high tech Holley Shiftwell.  Sure, Mater is not the smartest car on the planet but to see these action sequences happening quite often, I found that to be quite refreshing for a Disney/Pixar film.

But at the same time, I must acknowledge the problem that children might not understand the discussion about alternative fuels and why the bad evil cars were trying to sabotage other race cars throughout the World Grand Prix.  I watched the film with my eight-year-old and he enjoyed the film for its action but the storyline of why the evil people were doing what they were doing, that went over his head completely.

But we were both in agreement of how cool the film was because of its action.  And this of course, may be a problem for those expecting a deep and emotional storyline.  Sure, every Disney/Pixar film typically touches you in someway and while Mater is not the typical character for some viewers not to feel sorry for, I think too much “Mater” for some, is not a good thing.

For me, I felt that his character was utilized in a way that was not too annoying and the fact that he is brought into this spy thriller was entertaining.

Like all Disney/Pixar films, the voice acting was excellent. But this film definitely was Larry the Cable Guy’s moment to shine as the voice of Mater as he is brought together with wonderful actor Michael Caine (who plays the Bond-like spy Finn McMissile) and actress Emily Mortimer (voice of Holley Shiftwell).   But everyone on the film, Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, Eddie Izzard as Sir Miles Axlerod, John Turturro as Francesco Bernoulli, etc.  They all do a wonderful job!

As for the Blu-ray release, as expected from a Disney/Pixar film, the picture quality and lossless audio is magnificent and perfect in every way!  Disney/Pixar films have always been magnificent on Blu-ray when it comes to PQ/AQ that it was no surprise to me that everything looked and sounded great!

But…with this being an awesome Blu-ray release, recently I began to question Disney’s latest strategy of not including many special features for its normal Blu-ray release and adding them only on their Blu-ray 3D releases.  One thing that I love about Disney Blu-rays and also Disney/Pixar Blu-rays is the amount of special features included.

The first “Cars” Blu-ray (and DVD) release was filled with special features but not this title.  No Second Screen that Disney has been pushing, no deleted scenes, no interviews with the voice cast of “Cars 2″ but we do get the audio commentary and two animated shorts.  And as grateful as I am for the inclusion of these three special features, I have to admit that it’s quite small for a major release such as “Cars 2″.  But if you buy the much more expensive 3D version of “Cars 2″, then you get most of those special features.

It was one thing in the past, to include special features on Blu-ray and less for a DVD, in the hopes that people would upgrade to Blu-ray.  And that was a no-brainer as Blu-ray players are quite cheap these days.  But for people to upgrade to a 3D TV and purchase 3D glasses that is asking too much for the average consumer and unlike blu-ray players which are affordable, 3D TV’s are still a bit pricey for many people.

But with the “Cars 2: 2-Disc Combo Pack”, you do get that extra DVD, so with the holiday season coming up, you can definitely have the DVD playing for your children during those long traveling commutes or to keep them occupied during the holiday season.

Overall, “Cars 2″ is an enjoyable family film and an awesome Blu-ray sporting awesome animation and picture quality as well as audio quality via HD.  While many people have their opinions of this film, I absolutely enjoyed this film because it was different than the first and that I love spy action films!

“Cars 2″ is a fun family film with plenty of action and humor!  Sure, it doesn’t feature Lightning McQueen as the main character but I found the whole Mater spy action storyline to be quite entertaining and fun!   Also, he film looked absolutely incredible on Blu-ray!  The lossless audio was immersive and awesome!   I absolutely enjoyed this film!

Recommended!

DISNEY/ABC TV GROUP’S CASTING DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND 38TH TALENT SHOWCASE

DISNEY AND DISNEY•PIXAR FAVORITES POISED TO RETURN TO THEATERS IN 3D

‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Finding Nemo,’ ‘Monsters, Inc.’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’ Will Make 3D Theatrical Debut in 2012 and 2013

BURBANK, Calif. – October 4, 2011 – On the heels of the phenomenal success of The Lion King 3D – which will cross the $80 million mark at the domestic box office today – The Walt Disney Studios has announced limited theatrical engagements for four of its classic films for the first time in 3D. The following titles from Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios will be released in 2012 and 2013:

· Beauty and the Beast – January 13, 2012
· Disney•Pixar’s Finding Nemo – September 14, 2012
· Disney•Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. – January 18, 2013 (Monsters University, a prequel to the original film, arrives in theaters in Disney Digital 3D on June 21, 2013)
· The Little Mermaid – September 13, 2013

“Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we’re fortunate to have a treasure trove of both,” said Alan Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios. “We’re thrilled to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these beloved tales in an exciting new way with 3D – and in the case of younger generations, for the first time on the big screen.”
Originally released in 1991, Beauty and the Beast is a classic “tale as old as time” that follows the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman imprisoned in the castle of a mysterious beast and his enchanted staff, who must learn the most important lesson of all – that true beauty comes from within. Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film ever nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Picture, earning an additional five Oscar® nominations and winning two. It has grossed $380.4 million worldwide.

First released in 2003, Disney•Pixar’s Finding Nemo takes audiences into a whole new world in this undersea adventure about family, courage and challenges. When Marlin, an overly cautious clownfish living in the Great Barrier Reef, helplessly watches his son get scooped up by a diver, he must put aside his fears of the ocean and leave the safety of his coral enclave to find Nemo. Buoyed by the companionship of Dory, a forgetful but relentlessly optimistic fish, Marlin finds himself the unlikely hero in a seemingly impossible land-and-sea rescue.Finding Nemo won an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for three others. With a total of $867.6 million worldwide, it was the second highest-grossing film of 2003.
In 2001, Disney•Pixar released Monsters, Inc. Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. But when a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it’s up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.Monsters, Inc. shattered every DVD-era home entertainment sales record when 11 million DVD/VHS copies were sold during its first week of release. It won an Academy Award® for Best Song and has grossed $526.9 million worldwide.

Released in 1989, The Little Mermaid, stars Ariel, a fun-loving and mischievous mermaid, off on the adventure of a lifetime with her best friend, the adorable Flounder, and the reggae-singing Caribbean crab Sebastian. But it will take all of her courage and determination to make her dreams come true and save her father’s beloved kingdom from the sneaky sea witch Ursula. One of the most celebrated animated films of all time, The Little Mermaid was nominated for three Academy Awards®, winning two. It has grossed $228.9 million worldwide.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel; and Touchstone Pictures, which includes the distribution of live-action films from DreamWorks Studios. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!. For more information, visit www.waltdisneystudios.com.

ACADEMY EXPLORES COLORFUL WORLD OF DISNEY ARTIST MARY BLAIR

Beverly Hills, CA – The lasting influence of Disney artist Mary Blair will be celebrated through an examination of her concept artwork for “Cinderella,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Peter Pan” in the 1950s during “Mary Blair’s World of Color: A Centennial Tribute,” the latest installment of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Marc Davis Celebration of Animation, on Thursday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Several of today’s top animation talents will discuss Blair’s work as an artist and stylist and will also demonstrate how her work has influenced their own. The panel will be moderated by animation critic and film historian Charles Solomon.

Blair’s unmistakably bold and colorful designs continue to inspire artists in all areas of animation today. Her unique and lasting impact on animation continues to this day, though Blair is best known for her design of Disneyland’s “it’s a small world” attraction, which she worked on with legendary animator Marc Davis, for whom the lecture series is named, and his wife Disney Imagineer Alice Davis.

Panelists for the evening include:

Pete Docter, whose Oscar nominations include Original Screenplay for “Toy Story,” “WALL-E” and “Up,” Animated Feature film for “Monsters, Inc.” and Animated Short Film for “Mike’s New Car,” received the 2009 Oscar for Animated Feature Film for “Up.”

Mike Giaimo, who served as a character designer on “The Brave Little Toaster” and “FernGully: The Last Rainforest,” was the art director on “Pocahontas” and a visual development artist on “Home on the Range.”

Eric Goldberg, who served as the supervising animator for the Genie in “Aladdin,” Phil in “Hercules” and Rabbit in “Winnie the Pooh,” was the co-director of “Pocahontas” as well as the director of the “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Carnival of the Animals” segments of “Fantasia/2000.”

Susan Goldberg, who served as an assistant animator on “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Hercules,” was the art director on the “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Carnival of the Animals” sequences in “Fantasia/2000.”

Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi, the lead color key artist on “Robots” and the lead color designer on “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” was the art director on “Toy Story 3.”

Following the program, attendees will be able to view a selection of original works by Blair.

The Marc Davis Lecture on Animation was established in 1994 to provide a forum for established film animators and other experts in the craft to share their experiences as well as explore with their colleagues the challenges of creating animation for the screen. The lecture is named in honor of the man who gave life to characters as diverse as Brer Rabbit, the beautiful Cinderella, Alice (of Wonderland fame), Tinkerbell, and the delightfully wicked Maleficent and Cruella De Vil.

Tickets for “Mary Blair’s World of Color: A Centennial Tribute” will go on sale Monday, October 3. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. They may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the program when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

# # #

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

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The Lion King: Diamond Edition (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Magnificent!  “The Lion King” continues to resonate strongly with viewers today as it did back in 1994.   And with a Blu-ray release with awesome picture quality and an immersive soundtrack plus an abundant amount of special features, I have no problems saying that this is the definitive version of the film to own yet but also worth buying and owning on Blu-ray.  “The Lion King: Diamond Edition” is highly recommended! 

Image courtesy of © Disney. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Lion King: Diamond Edition

FILM YEAR OF RELEASE: 1994

DURATION: 88 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:78:1), English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio,French and Spanish 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home theater Mix (DEHT), Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles

COMPANY: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: G (for General Audiences)

Release Date: October 4, 2011

Directed by Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff

Screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton

Story Supervisor: Brenda Chapman

Story by Burny Mattison, Barry Johnson, Lorna Cook, Thom Enriquez, Andy Gaskill, Gary Trousdale, Jim Capobianco, Kevin Harkey, Jorgen Klubien, Chris Sanders, Tom Sito, Larry Leker, Joe Ranft, Rick Maki, Ed Gombert, Francis Glebas, Mark Kausler

Produced by Don Hahn

Executive Producer: Sarah McArthur, Thomas Schumacher

Associate Producer: Alice Dewey

Music by Hans Zimmer

Edited by Ivan Bilancio

Casting by Brian Chavanne

Production Design by Chris Sanders

Art Direction by Andy Gaskill

Featuring the following voice talent:

Matthew Broderick as Adult Simba

Niketa Calame as Young Nala

Jim Cummings as Ed

James Earl Jones as Mufasa

Nathan Lane as Timon

Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa

Jeremy Irons as Scar

Robert Guillaume as Rafiki

Rowan Atkinson as Zazu

Moira Kelly as Adult Nala

Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi

Zoe Leader as Sarafina – Nala’s Mother

Cheech Marin as Banzai

Madge Sinclair as Sarabi

Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Young Simba

An unforgettable story, breathtaking animation, beloved characters and award-winning music sets the stage for “The Lion King”, a Disney classic that follows the adventures of Simba, the feisty lion cub who “just can’t wait to be king.” But his envious Uncle Scar has plans for his own ascent to the throne, and he forces Simba’s exile from the kingdom. Alone and adrift, Simba soon joins the escapades of a hilarious meerkat named Timon and his warmhearted warthog pal, Pumbaa. Adopting their carefree lifestyle of “Hakuna Matata,” Simba ignores his real responsibilities until he realizes his destiny and returns to the Pride Lands to claim his place in the “Circle of Life.” The all-star vocal talents—including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Ernie Sabella, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Robert Guillaume, Cheech Marin and Moira Kelly—rip-roaring comedy and uplifting messages of courage, loyalty and hope make this a timeless tale for all ages. Produced by Don Hahn and directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff from a script by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton, “The Lion King” is rated G by the MPAA.

Disney has had many successes since Walt Disney created the popular animation studio back in 1923.

With the success of their live action films and their PIXAR 3D animated films, still to this day, “The Lion King”, the 32nd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics remains as the most successful animated film for the legendary company earning over $862 million in the box office (created with a budget of $45 million) and in terms of overall animation, it’s the fifth highest grossing animated film of all time and the #1 highest grossing film when it comes to hand-drawn animation.

The film earned two Academy awards plus a Golden Globe for “Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy” and is the #4 animated film on the American Film Institute’s “10 Top 10″ list.

With a 3D version of the film released in Sept. 16, 2011, “The Lion King” makes its debut on Blu-ray (2-disc) courtesy of a Diamond Edition on Oct. 4, 2011, as well as a 3D Blu-ray (4-Disc) and also an 8-disc “The Lion King” trilogy box set.  The last version released was a “Platinum Edition” back in 2003 and as that was a pretty marvelous DVD release, let’s just say that fans of the film will find “The Lion King: Diamond Edition” to be a spectacular release on Blu-ray and definitely a title worth owning on Blu!

“The Lion King” begins with the wise mandrill Rafiki presenting lion King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi a newboard son named Simba.  While a joyous occasion in Pride Rock in Africa, not so pleased is King Mufasa’s dark brother, Scar as he wants the throne for himself.

We watch as Simba grows and his father Mufasa teaching him about being king and as the two go through the Pride Lands, King Mufasa tells his son that he should never go towards the shadowy place.  But as the two are enjoying father and son time, the King’s adviser Zazu informs the King that the evil hyenas have entered the Pride Lands.  So, Simba is left with Zazu while King Mufasa heads to his home to get rid of the hyenas.

Later, Scar tells young Simba that the “shadowy place” that his father had told him not to go to is actually an elephant graveyard.  Of course, this makes Simba more curious that he asks his friend Nala to join him.  Concerned about the two, Queen Sarabi ask Zazu to keep an eye on them but the two are able to get away from Zazu.

When both Simba and Nala arrive at the shadowy place, they are encountered by three evil hyenas named Shenzi, Bandazi and Ed.  The hyenas try to kill both of them but to their rescue is Simba’s brave father, the lion King Mufasa.

Mufasa tells Nala and Zazu to go back to Pride Rock and Mufasa is angered by his child for disobeying him by going to the shadowy place.  Mufasa also uses that time to tell Simba about the stars in the sky and how each star represents the great kings in the past and if he looks up to the stars, that they will guide him.

Later on, the jealous younger brother of Mufasa, Scar is working with the hyenas in their effort to take over Pride Lands.  Scar orders the hyenas to wait for his sign and that is to send a large number of wildebeest into a gorge but right in front of the gorge is where he will have young Simba sitting.

Immediately, Scar gives the signal for the Hyenas to scare the wildebeest and the stampede begins.  Scar tells Mufasa about it and immediately, the lion King goes to rescue his son Simba.  But while he successfully saves his son, Mufasa is caught in the gorge and while trying to escape up to a cliff, Mufasa asks his brother Scar for help to get him out of the gorge, instead… Scar throws his brother back into the gorge leading Mufasa to his death.

After the stampede is over, a young Simba finds his father dead.  His uncle Mufasa comes and tells Simba that it’s his fault that his father is dead and in order to not bring shame to the Pride Lands, he should run and leave, to never come back.

And as Simba goes to run and leave, Scar sends out the three evil hyena’s to kill Simba.  But Simba’s size helps him to escape.

Feeling ashamed that he is responsible for his father’s death, Simba leaves the Pride Lands and with Mufasa and Simba gone, Scar now becomes the new lion King.

Now alone by himself, young Simba leaves to the wasteland and encounters a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumbaa.   The two become his very good friends and eventually takes care of him.

Fast forward years later and Simba is now an adult.  When Timon and Pumbaa are being hunted by a lioness, Simba comes to their rescue and encounters the lioness and finds out that she is his childhood friend, Nala.  Nala can’t believe that Simba is alive but quickly tells him that the animals in Pride Land are suffering because of Scar’s leadership as King.  Because Simba is the rightful heir as the next lion King, she tries to convince him to go back but for Simba, he refuses to return.  But when the wise mandrill Rafiki finds Simba, he summons the former lion King’s ghost, Mufasa tells his son that he must return to the Pride Lands and that he is his son, the true king and he must take his place as the king.

But will Simba have what it takes to become lion King?  And will he eventually return to the Pride Lands, especially when his Uncle Scar is the current ruler?

VIDEO:

Each time I have watched a Disney animated classic on Blu-ray, suffice to say, there are no disappointments.  Each release has been spectacular when it comes to picture quality and with the Blu-ray release of “The Lion King”, once again viewers are receiving a quality product as this film looks fantastic on Blu!

Presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1), the first thing you will noticed about “The Lion King” is how vibrant the film is.  The colors are spectacular, the black levels are nice and deep and the colorful visuals are just breathtaking.  There were times where I was expecting to see some banding, especially the gradient pink to purples in the background but for the most part, the film looked awesome with no problems whatsoever.

The artistic backgrounds are well-detailed, the strokes around the characters show no edge enhancement (stair stepping), no artifacts, no banding, no spotting and this is the BEST looking version of the film to date.  “The Lion King” looks fantastic on Blu-ray!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

If you thought the video was awesome for “The Lion King”, let’s just say that the lossless audio soundtrack is just as magnificent! Presented in English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT) Language Tracks, I was quite amazed of how incredible this film sounds.  Not just during the stampede of the Wildebeast, Mufasa fighting the hyenas or Simba taking on Scar, the dialogue sequences are crystal clear, the music sounds fantastic and utilizes the surround channels but yes, the action sequences of the film are fantastic.

There are directional sound effects, awesome use of surround channels….quite simply, I have never heard “The Lion King” sound this immersive in my life.  I have had previous releases but this version of the film just blows all the past releases away.  For example, when the Hyena’s are talking the cavern, you can hear their echoes in the cavern quite well, the flickering of the fire.  You can also hear ambiance of what is around the Pride Lands, from the birds high over the land to other noises that sound great!

You also have to give renown composer Hans Zimmer (“Pirates of the Caribbean”, “The Dark Knight”, “Inception) a big hand because the musical score for “The Lion King” is fantastic!  The musical soundtrack for this film is incredible and Zimmer’s music really gives you the sense of emotion that is taking place on screen. An amazing soundtrack that I still enjoy today!

If you have the means to enjoy the 7.1 lossless soundtrack, you’re in for a treat!  “The Lion King” sounds magnificent in HD!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Lion King: Diamond Edition” comes with the following special features:

• Second Screen - While watching “The Lion King” you can sync to your computer or iPad an enjoy interactive games, storyboard and concept art.
• Sing-Along Mode – Watch the film and sing-along to “The Lion King”.
• Audio Commentary – In-depth audio commentary with co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff with producer Don Hahn.
• Bloopers & Outtakes – (3:44) Outtakes from the film.
• Pride of the Lion King - (38:06) Featuring the making of the film, the musical and reunion with the animators and a few of the voice cast reflecting on “The Lion King” and its popularity.
• The Lion King A Memoir – Don Hahn - (19:40) Producer Don Hahn revisiting his home movies from 1994 with interviews with the crew and also revisiting of how the “The Lion King” came to be made as an animated film.
• Deleted & Alternate Scenes – (14:33) Featuring five deleted and alternate scenes with introductions by co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff.
• The Morning Report: Extended Edition – (2:30) Featuring the extended edition of “The Morning Report” musical scene.
• Interactive Art Gallery – Featuring hundreds of images from the Visual Development, Storboards, Layouts and Backgrounds.
• Disney’s Virtual Vault: - (5:56) Featuring the following featurettes (note: These will need to be loaded online and buffered before playing):

- The Making of the Morning Report (3:09)

- Deleted Scenes - Bug Football (:52), Hakuna Matata (Warthog Rhapsody) – (2:24), Can You See The Love Tonight (1:44)

- Musical Journey – Musical Inspiration (3:48), Landmark Songwriting (3:13), Orechstral Color (4:23), Scoring Emotion (2:58), Music: African Influence (3:48), Full Circle (1:43), Circle of Life Music video feat. Sir Elton John (4:57)

- Stage Journey – Musical Origin (4:00), Screen to Stage (3:41), Musical Texture (3:26), Setting the Style (2:29), Leaps of Fantasy (3:46)

- Film Journey – Origin (5:54), Production Research Trip (2:21) Character Designs of each character, Art: African Influence (4:02), Reflections (5:10), Storyboard process (1:55), Computer Animation (4:26)

- Story Journey – Story Origins (4:36), Timeless Themes (3:51)

- Storyboard Film Comparison – (4:00), The Story Comes to Life (3:13), Early Concept: Timon and Pumbaa (2:58), Early Concept: Simba’s Presentation (4:01), Abandoned Scene: Warthog Rhapsody (4:18)

EXTRAS:

“The Lion King: Diamond Edition” comes with a slipcover case and a DVD version of the feature film. The DVD is presented in widescreen 1:78:1 aspect ratio, English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT),  subtitles in English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

Remember that moment when you heard the bullet shot in the Disney animated classic “Bambi”?  That depressing scene was possibly one of the strongest, most memorable animated scenes that I grew up with as a child and possibly one of the most shocking things that I would have never expected to see in a Disney film.

At the time, most animated films that I grew up with in the ’70s were pretty upbeat, but the film had one dark moment that eventually set the direction of the story for that coming-of-age film.

Created back in 1942, you would expect that within the many decades that have passed, that Disney would try to create something powerful to that same effect.

It took well over 50-years but there is no doubt that “The Lion King” accomplishes a similar efficacy but with much more emotion, jubilation but also an ending that many can feel happy about.

It’s all about having a fine balance of upbeat moments but also a realistic lesson for about the relationship between the parents and child and what happens when the parent is no longer there.   It’s a film about moving forward, making important decisions and to this day, this powerful, fun animated film is able to resonate so strongly with a viewer of any age and at any time.

“The Lion King” touched a lot of people and even to this day, I still have a friend who continues to sing “Hakuna Matata” and in 2011, fans and a new generation of movie viewers turned out to see “The Lion King 3D” film in theaters.  It’s a testament to how powerful this movie is and how entertaining it was and is, today.

I suppose now, for myself, I have grown up since I watched this film in theaters, have owned various versions on VHS and DVD and now all grown up, I have a family and have a young son and together we watched this film many times before and like Simba’s father Mufasa, as a father, you can only hope that your young one can grow up and not be afraid to take on challenges head on. As my wife feels that “Bambi” was her Disney animated film that she shared closely with my son, for me, it was “The Lion King” which is logical.

But there are somethings in life, situations where you want your child to learn from those experiences.  “The Lion King” is one of those films where children can learn, especially if a parent is to pass on…you want your child to be strong and know that they can accomplish big things even when their mother or father is no longer there.

And for me, that is what made “The Lion King” so special.

Of course, part of the efficacy of the film is its entertaining and memorable characters but also its dark antagonists.  Scar, the hyenas, they were the perfect villain for this animated film.

But also coming together along with the perfection of this film comes with the voice cast for the film.  James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Matthew Broderick as adult Simba, Jonathan Taylor Thomas as younger Simba, Moira Kelly as adult Nala, Nathan Lane as Timon, Ernie Sabella as Pumba and Jeremy Irons as Scar.    A lot of talent utilized in this film and it worked!

And yes, there are many reasons why “The Lion King” became a success.  Everything from the talent’s performance, animation, the painted backgrounds, the audio, the music, the direction and over all writing, “The Lion King” embodies what we love about Disney animated films.  They are fun!  They are entertaining family films but at the same time, they are films accessible to anyone of all ages.  “The Lion King” may have a bit of a darker edge compared to other Disney films but its a film that anyone can enjoy.

But as we are now in the generation of 3D animated films and everything CG-based, “The Lion King” still holds on to the title of being the biggest box office earning film that features animation that is hand-drawn.  And among the top 3D animated films that dominate the list of box office hits, “The Lion King” is still on that list.  For me, having grown up with hand-drawn animation, it kind of makes you happy that in today’s era of 3D animated films, you have one hand-drawn animated film that still maintains that spot of being the #1 earning hand-drawn animated film.

And since this movie was released back in 1994, we have seen a wonderful musical based on the animated film and now a 3D version of the film doing extremely well in the box office and now here we are with the Blu-ray release of “The Lion King” ala Diamond Edition.

There are three versions that will be sold on the day of release.  This 2-Disc edition with Blu-ray and DVD, the 3D Blu-ray which has 4-discs with the 3D Blu-ray and the Digital Download disc and the 8-disc box set version which has everything as the four disc version plus the discs that include the two direct-t0-video sequels and more.

And as the picture and audio quality was expected to be and is fantastic for this Blu-ray edition, this is one release that also comes with plenty of special features.  At first glance, I thought there were just a good number of special features but once I started watching them and I got to the Virtual Vault, there were dozens of more special features (note: your Blu-ray player must be connected online) and I was impressed.  You definitely are getting your money’s worth for this Blu-ray release!

Overall, many people have their own experience of watching the “Lion King” and have their reasoning of why they love the film and it’s no surprise that in the 90+ years that Walt Disney’ has released animated films, that “The Lion King” still remains strongly as a fan favorite.  It’s one of those films where the writers decided to tackle on real issues and to see how effective this film is in the long run and how strongly it resonates with the viewer, as well as how accessible it is for people of all ages.

But “The Lion King” is also one of those films that is not only fun to watch for entertainment sake, it’s a film that we can all learn from as well.

I’m quite confident that fans are going to love this Blu-ray release of “The Lion King: Diamond Edition”.

If you love and have enjoyed the film…”The Lion King: Diamond Edition” is highly recommended!

Dumbo: 70th Anniversary (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Make no doubt about it, “Dumbo: 70th Anniversary” is the definitive release of this Disney animated classic.  The restoration is absolutely beautiful, vibrant  and spectacular.  The 7.1 lossless soundtrack sounds fantastic and with the new special features along with the old, makes this Blu-ray release a must buy!  Highly recommended!

Image courtesy of © Disney. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Dumbo: 70th Anniversary

FILM YEAR OF RELEASE: 1941

DURATION: 64 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:33:1), English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 English Restored Featured Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home theater Mix (DEHT), Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish Subtitles

COMPANY: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: G (for General Audiences)

Release Date: September 20, 2011

Directed by Samuel Armstrong, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen

Screen Story by Joe Grant, Dick Huerner

Story Direction: Otto Englander

Story Develoment: Bill Peet, Aurelius Battaglia, Joe Rinaldi, Vernon Stallings, Webb Smith

Music by Frank Churchill, Oliver Wallace

Featuring the following voice talent:

James Baskett as Crow

Herman Bing as The Ringmaster

Cliff Edwards as Jim Crow

Edward Brophy as Timothy Q. Mouse

Sterling Holloway as Mr. Stork

In celebration of this landmark film‘s 70th anniversary, experience the daring adventures of the world‘s only flying elephant with a dazzling all-new digital restoration and brilliant Disney Enhanced High Definition Theatre Mix Sound. The inspirational tale of Dumbo, the courageous baby elephant who uses his sensational ears to soar to fame with the help of his clever best friend Timothy Q. Mouse, will thrill and delight audiences of all ages. And now, the award-winning music and empowering messages about friendship and belief In yourself reach new heights in this must-have Blu-ray high-definition presentation of Walt Disney‘s classic Dumbo!

It was 1941 and with Disney having its first successful animated film with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” back in 1938, unfortunately its next two films “Pinocchio” and “Fantasia” would not be the big box office hits that Disney had wanted.  And partly that was because of World War II, as Disney would not be able to recoup through international screenings.

In fact, the two films hurt Disney financially and now with the studio hurting, their fourth feature “Dumbo” was created with the idea of keep things economical with a tight budget and because of that, they had to focus on simplicity.  And that meant creating an animated film that is just a little over one-hour long.

The animated film is based on a children’s story by Helen Aberson and was illustrated by Harold Pearl and was featured as a “Roll-A-Book”.  In 1939, Disney’s head of merchandise licensing brought the Roll-A-Book to Walt Disney’s attention and sure enough, Disney gave the greenlight for an animated short.  But because they were hurting financially, “Dumbo” was selected to help generate income and Disney relied on his storytellers, Dick Huemer and Joe Grant to being working on the plot of the film.

So, following the rules of a strict budget and simplistic features, “Dumbo” was not a film that would feature the same production level as the first three films. No emphasis on character design, backgrounds were not as detailed  and utilized water colors and the film would feature less cells.  It’s also one of the first Disney animated films where there is no cast list for its voice talent.

“Dumbo” was released by distributor RKO Radio Pictures in 1941 and at first because of its short length, it did cause a brief riff between both Disney and RKO Productions but in the end, Disney won and the film was released during World War II and it was a financial success.  The film which cost around $813,000 to make (much cheaper than the previous three films) grossed $1.6 million in the box office and  would win an Academy Award for Original Musical Score and would receive re-releases in 1949, 1959, 1972 and 1976.  “Dumbo” was also well-received by film critics.

Since its release, “Dumbo” has been considered a timeless Disney classic and will now be released in a 70th Anniversary Edition via Blu-ray and DVD release on Sept. 20th and will feature more special features compared to its 50th Anniversary and 60th Anniversary counterparts and also will feature restoration to bring the film to an audience wanting to watch this film in HD.

“Dumbo” begins with the circus transporting Mrs. Jumbo and a few elephants.  A stork comes down to deliver her a baby but immediately, the elephants begin to look at the baby with disdain due to it having large ears and immediately, they give the baby the nickname “Dumbo”.

When the circus begins, the human boys tend to make fun of Dumbo because of his ears but Mrs. Jumbo is protective towards her son.  Because of that, she is locked up and separated from Dumbo.

With no friends, Dumbo meets a mouse named Timothy Q. Mouse who becomes his mentor and new protector.  And for Timothy, he just wants to make Dumbo happy.

Meanwhile, the circus director tries to find out how to utilize Dumbo in the circus and has him in an elephant pyramid stunt but because of his ears, he has an accident and all the elephants fall.  So, then the director tries to have Dumbo become a clown who falls in a vat of pie filling and sure enough, he becomes famous for his clown act but for Dumbo, he dislikes his new job.

Timothy manages to take Dumbo to see his mother and he cries afterward.  Will Dumbo and his mother ever reunite?  Can Timothy Q. Mouse help Dumbo reunited with his mother?  And what new skill will Dumbo develop?

VIDEO:

With the success of “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs”, “Pinocchio” and “Fantasia” on Blu-ray and seeing how Disney went all out in the restoration and look of the film, needless to say, I had the highest expectations for “Dumbo”.

Presented in 1080p High Definition (1:33:1), let’s just say that Disney once again, has done fans a great service by giving us one awesome restoration.

And I know… many of us own multiple copies of “Dumbo” on DVD but this is Blu-ray, it’s intro. to Blu-ray and as a 70th Anniversary release, it blows away any of the previous “Dumbo” releases on video.

OK, sure…”Dumbo” was created simplistic and with a lower budget than the previous three films but the overall character designs are crisp and the background still look beautiful and well-balanced.  Colors are vibrant and there are no signs of artifacts, banding, edge enhancement or DNR.  This was a straight-up restoration in which Disney restored each cel and are giving us the best presentation of the film yet!

“Dumbo” looks absolutely fantastic on Blu-ray and yes, even the drunken Dumbo scene looks vibrant than ever before.  I don’t want to use the word “pristine” but for Disney fans, “Dumbo: 70th Anniversary” looks fantastic!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

When I saw that Disney gave fans an all new English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless soundtrack, I couldn’t help but be happy about it!  The Blu-ray release also features the 2.0 English restored featured audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT).

But the 7.1 lossless soundtrack is fantastic.  From the opening scene with the thunder cracking, the rain and wind…you hear the sounds all around you. Dialogue for the film is crystal clear, as with the original musical soundtrack, it sounds awesome via lossless.  Granted, the film as I mentioned in the picture quality, this was a film created on a budget, kept simplistic on purpose but still, it was great to see how the music utilized the surround channels and for the most part, this is the best soundtrack for “Dumbo” yet!

As for subtitles, “Dumbo: 70th Anniversary” is presented in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Dumbo: 70th Anniversary” comes with the following special features presented in HD (note: original DVD features that are on the Blu-ray are presented in standard definition):

• Cine-Explore - Featuring a picture-in-picture section hosted by Pixard director Pete Docter, Disney hitorian Paul Sigman and Disney animator Andreas Deja.  Learn about the history of the film and how “Dumbo” saved Disney from financial ruin and more.
• DisneyView -  While watching the film, you can fill the black bars on the side by selecting the optional DisneyView which features paintings by Disney background artist James Coleman.  Also, features a brief interview with Coleman.
• “Celebrating Dumbo” - (14:53) Featuring a featurette with Deja, Roy E. Disney, Don Hahn, Rudy Behlmer and film critic Leonard Maltin talking about “Dumbo”.
• Deleted Scenes: Featuring two deleted scenes “The Mouse’s Tale” and “Are You a Man or a Mouse?” presented via storyboards.
• Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo – (28:18) A journey back to the origins of the film as everybody‘s favorite baby elephant takes wing.
• The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage – (3:08)  Witness the excitement and magic of Disneyland‘s most popular ride through the eyes of a child.
• Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary with Pete Docter, Paula Sigman and Andreas Deja
• Sound Design Excerpt from The Reluctant Dragon - (5:56) A classic featurette on the sound design for “The Reluctant Dragon”.
• Original Walt Disney Television Introduction – (1:04) Featuring the classic TV introduction by Walt Disney.
• Animated Short: “Elmer Elephant” - (8:31) A 1936 Silly Symphony Short about Elmer and friends attending Tillie Tiger’s sixth birthday party.  But what happens when Tillie’s treehouse catches fire.
  
• Animated Short: “The Flying Mouse”  - (9:21) A 1934 Silly Symphony Short about a young mouse who tries to swing from leaves and fails.  He is is saved by a butterfly and now wants wings.
  
• “What Do You See?” Game - Featuring a image-scramble game which you can play via using your remote control.
  
• “What Do You Know?” Game – Featuring a trivia challenge which you can play via using your remote.
  
• Art Galleries – Featuring images in the following categories: Visual Development, Character Design, Layouts & Backgrounds, Storyboard Art, Production Pictures, Research Pictures, Publicity and from the Original Dumbo Storybook from 1941.
• Trailers – Featuring the original 1941 theatrical trailer and 1949 re-release trailer.

EXTRAS:

“Dumbo: 70th Anniversary” comes with a slipcover case and a DVD version of the feature film.  The DVD is presented in 1:33:1 aspect ratio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT), 2.0 English restored featured audio, subtitles in English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

“Dumbo” is a Disney animated classic which my wife and I have purchased countless versions on VHS and DVD and it has been a favorite of ours.  Especially now that we have a son, it’s a film that we can share with our child and now enjoy especially with this beautiful restoration that Disney had given to this film.

Beautiful and vibrant, when I first watched this film on Blu-ray, I couldn’t help but see how clear everything looked.  But so far, Disney has not disappointed me because with the release of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Pinocchio”, “Fantasia”, “Bambi” and several other films, Disney has really gone all out with these Blu-ray releases and also giving fans the best looking and sounding versions of these Disney animated classics yet.

“Dumbo” is a touching story and I can remember as a child wondering if the fate of Dumbo’s mother would be similar to Bambi’s situation.  And then watching it again as a college student and wondering what was the motivation towards the drunken dream sequence.  But having watched this film for countless times during my near 30+ years, this animated film is timeless.  I never get bored of it and as mentioned, I have purchased nearly every video release of this film since it’s 50th Anniversary and I can only wonder how Disney will outdo themselves when this film reaches its 100th Anniversary.

But still, this is the definitive version of “Dumbo” to own at this time.  And if I was asked if there was any faults of this release, it’s not more of faults but for one, “Dumbo” is not as detailed as the previous three films because Disney was hurting financially at the time and the film was made on a budget and was made to be simplistic.  Not that it’s a bad thing but for those who admire the first three films for its beautiful artwork, one has to understand that Disney had to make cost-cutting decisions for “Dumbo”.

The other thing is that with the other three releases, Disney really went all out in special features.  Not to say that there aren’t many in the 70th Anniversary release for “Dumbo” because there are a good number of special features including the really cool “Cine-Explore Experience” but in terms of what is featured in the first three releases on Blu-ray compared to what is included in “Dumbo”, the other three definitely offered much more bonus content.

But of course, that is me being spoiled by the first three releases on Blu-ray and if I haven’t watched those Blu-ray’s, I would still feel the sheer number of new and older special features included in this release would be nothing short of  magnificent.

With that being said, “Dumbo: 70th Anniversary” is a fantastic, timeless Disney animated classic and because Disney really went all out in terms of look and sound, this Blu-ray release deserves to be watched and owned by fans of the film!

Highly recommended!

SPOOKY BUDDIES on Blu-ray & DVD 9/20!

The Buddies are Back in a Spooktacular Adventure!

SPOOKY BUDDIES premieres on Blu-ray, DVD & Movie Download from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on September 20th!

For a goulish good time, catch Rosebud, B-Dawg, Buddah, Budderball, and Mudbud in their all-new Halloween-themed movie! SPOOKY BUDDIES continues the overwhelmingly popular franchise that features the adorable talking puppies, with action, laughs, and fast-paced adventure. We’ve got some assets to help spread the word!

Buddies Are Back!

Bdawg Released the Halloween Hound (film)

Taking Responsibility (film)

Sniffer’s Help (film)

Pip the Friendly Ghost (film)

DISNEY/ABC TELEVISION GROUP’S CASTING DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES ITS 10th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DIVERSITY TALENT SHOWCASE ON SEPTEMBER 20

11 Diverse Actors to Perform in New York for a Select Group of Network and Industry Professionals

The Disney/ABC Television Group’s Casting Project will celebrate its 10th anniversary of their diversity talent showcase in their ongoing efforts to discover and nurture culturally and ethnically diverse talent and actors with disabilities. This year’s New York showcase, taking place Tuesday, September 20 at the New World Stages, will feature 11 talented, yet-to-be discovered actors.

Eleven actors were selected from among more than 7000 candidates who submitted their resumes and the 500 who auditioned for ABC casting executives in New York. The actors will have the opportunity to perform in one-act vignettes directed by Ted Sluberski and Joe Ward to an audience of industry executives and decision makers. Many of the actors selected were submitted through showcase partners AFTRA, SAG, ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION and the ACTORS ALLIANCE for INCLUSION in the ARTS, as well as many other theatre companies and organizations throughout the country. Following the showcase, all 11 actors will continue to be mentored by the New York casting executives in order to help hone their skills and provide guidance throughout the year. The actors will also audition throughout for ABC Entertainment Group’s current series and pilots.

The talented actors to be featured at the showcase, which is not open to the public, are Esteban Benito, Hank Chen, Stephen Drabicki, Negin Farsad, Jermaine Fowler, Kimiko Glenn, Ian Quinlan, Xavier Rodney, Jackie Stewart, Michelle Vanegas and Pearl Veldwijk.

The casting showcase is spearheaded by Keli Lee, executive vice president, Casting; Claudia Ramsumair, vice president, Casting; Marci Phillips, executive director Casting; Peachy Pascual, manager, Casting; John Ort, coodinator and the Los Angeles casting office.

“We are looking forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of our diversity talent showcase and continuing our long standing tradition of tapping into a huge array of undiscovered, immensely talented individuals,” said Ms. Lee. “Our ongoing commitment to scouting and presenting actors of diverse backgrounds to all organizations involved demonstrates how proud we are to be a part of something truly special.”

ABC’s Los Angeles and New York Talent Showcases have been the launching pad for discovering new talent, including Jesse Williams, who currently stars on “Grey’s Anatomy” as Dr. Jackson Avery, “Dancing with the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba and Liza Lapira, who stars as Robin in the upcoming ABC new midseason series, “Apartment 23″.

The Disney/ABC Television Group’s commitment to discovering and nurturing diverse talent is exemplified through many different programs, including the Casting Project, the Disney/ABC Writing Program, the Disney/ABC/DGA Directing Program, The Production Associates Program and The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) Writing Workshop.

Prom: 2-Disc Combo Pack (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Prom” has its fair share of fun moments but also is hurt by its missed potential.  If you are a tween, teen or a parent looking for an upbeat prom film, then Disney’s “Prom” is definitely for you!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Prom

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 104 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (widescreen 1:78:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA (48 kHz/24-bit), French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 DVS, Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

RATED: PG (For Mild Language and a Brief Fight)

COMPANY: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: August 30, 2011

Directed by Joe Nussbaum

Written by Katie Wech

Produced by Ted Griffin, Justin Springer

Executive Produced by Sean Bailey and Samson Mucke

Music by Deborah Lurie

Cinematography by Byron Shah

Edited by Jeffrey M. Werner

Casting by Gail Goldberg, Marcia Ross

Production Design by Mark White

Art Direction by Nick Ralbovsky

Set Decoration by Jennifer Lukehart

Costume Design by Shoshana Rubin

Starring:

Aimee Teegarden as Nova Prescott

Thomas McDonnell as Jesse Richter

DeVaughn Nixon as Tyler Barso

Danielle Campbell as Simone Daniels

Yin Chang as Mei Kwan

Jared Kusnitz as Justin Wexler

Nolan Sotillo as Lucas Arnaz

Cameron Monaghan as Corey Doyle

Kylie Bunbury as Jordan Lundley

Joe Adler as Rolo

Janelle Ortiz as Ali Gomez

Jonathan Keltz as Brandon Roberts

Nicholas Braun as Lloyd Taylor

Raini Rodriguez as Tess Torress

Christine Elise as Sandra Richter

Robbie Tucker as Charlie Richter

Dean Norris as Frank Prescott

Faith Ford as Kitty Prescott

At ―Prom‖, every couple has a story and no two are exactly alike. For Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden), it’s a classic tale of opposites attracting when she finds herself drawn to the guy (Thomas McDonell) who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Share the laughter and the drama as secrets are brought to light, seemingly steady relationships unravel and new romance catches fire. Get ready for this hilariously heartfelt date with destiny featuring a hot ensemble cast of rising young stars and cool bonus features. There are hundreds of nights in high school, but there’s only one Prom!

Prom.  The anxiety of trying to find a date, going with your friends to get a tuxedo or a dress, renting a limo and finding out what to do later in the night.

And when it comes to movies, there have been a good number of prom films in the ’80s from “Footloose” and “Pretty In Pink”, the 90′s with “She’s All That”, “American Pie” and “10 Things I Hate About You” but lately, prom films have become more horror-driven, and in recent memory for non-horror prom film’s in recent years, the only thing that comes to mind is the 2004 film “Mean Girls” and the 2008 film “High School Musical 3″.

But in terms of a film that primarily focuses on a high school prom, I guess America’s due for a new prom film.

And so we have Disney’s “Prom” directed by Joe Nussbaum (“George Lucas in Love”, “American Pie Presents the Naked Mile”) and written by Katie Wech.

The film focuses on a group of teenagers from the same high school preparing for the prom.

The main protagonist is class president Nova (played by Aimee Teegarden, “Friday Night Lights”), the over-achiever and the person responsible for planning this year’s high school prom.  Helping her are Mei (played by Yin Chang, “Gossip Girl”), Ali (played by Janelle Ortiz), Brandon (played by Jonathan Keltz) and Rolo (played by Joe Adler).

Nova likes Brandon and hopes he will take her to the prom.  While her friend Mei plans to go to the prom with her boyfriend Justin Wexler (played by Jared Kusnitz, “Secret Life of the American Teenager”) and Ali wants to go with Rolo, but Rolo insists that he is going with a popular teen super model (which Ali has a hard time believing).

Another student named Lloyd (played by Nicholas Braun) is the meek guy who doesn’t have many friends and usually complains to his younger sister Tess (played by Raini Rodriguez), so Tess tries to give him some positive reinforcement by telling him to ask any girl to the prom and just do it.  Unfortunately for Lloyd, each girl shuts him down.  Will Lloyd ever find a date?

Then there is the three way love triangle between jock Tyler (played by De’Vaughn Nixon) who is dating Jordan (played by Kylie Bunbury) and was formerly dating Simone (played by Danielle Campbell, “StarStruck”).  Jordan suspects that Tyler may be cheating on her but he is suave and manages to make her believe that he isn’t doing anything.

Meanwhile, Sophomore Lucas (played by Nolan Sotillo) and his buddy Corey (played by Cameron Monaghan) are both music fans and for Lucas, his dream girl is his lab partner Simone and wants to ask her out to the prom.

While all the teenagers are stressing out and are planning for the prom, we are introduced to one guy who has no desire in going to the prom.  The school’s bad boy Jesse Richter (played by Thomas McDonnell) who has been missing school because he works at a full-time job to help support his mother and younger brother.   Also, because he has a bad attitude and rides a motorcycle, Principal Dunnan (played by Jere Burns) doesn’t have much faith in him and will think of a punishment.

One day, as Tyler and Jordan visit the school’s shed (where all the prom decorations are kept) to make out with lighted candles everywhere, the two forget to extinguish the candles and the following morning, the shed is burned down.

Now with three weeks left until the prom, Nova is stressed out because now their is no prom decorations.  When Jesse Richter comes by on his motorcycle, Principal Dunnan decides to punishes Jesse for his tardiness and his punishment is to help Nova build the decorations for the prom.  If he doesn’t do it, he won’t graduate.  Both Jesse and Nova are not too thrilled that they have to work together but they have no choice.

Meanwhile, trouble hits the other teenagers as Lloyd is unable to find a date, Lucas is too shy to ask Simone, Jordan dumps Tyler who is now trying to get back with Simone and Mei is not so enthusiastic of going with Jared to the prom anymore.  And as for Nova and bad boy Jesse…. what happens when all the work they start doing with each other, leads to them starting to fall for each other?

Will each of these students have their problems fixed before prom?  And will Nova and Jesse, two completely opposites, eventually go to the prom together?

VIDEO:

“Prom” is presented in 1080p High Definition (widescreen 1:78:1).  For the most part, “Prom” is a beautiful looking film.  Because there are so many characters, various locations, outdoor, indoor, you get a wide range of colors featured throughout the film.  Colors are absolutely vibrant, black levels are nice and deep and you can see actually see the detail on the faces of the characters as well.

Picture quality is very good!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Prom” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz/24-bit), French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital.  The film is primarily dialogue and musically driven.  So, dialogue and music is crystal clear and when it comes to surround usage, its pretty much the music that envelops the soundscape.  From Katy Perry’s “Firework”, Taio Cruz’s “Break Your Heart” and plenty of Indie music playing throughout the film, definitely makes the film upbeat.  But aside from that, I don’t recall any major use of the surround channels.  “Prom” is pretty much a front and center-channel driven film.

Subtitles are in English SDH, Spanish and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Prom” comes with the following special features:

Prom films are not the easiest films to create especially if you incorporate many characters to the film.

Back in 1999, “She’s All That” incorporated a lot of people but opted to include Hollywood’s up-and-coming stars such as singer Usher and Lil’ Kim, actor Freddie Prinze , Paul Walker and actress Rachael Leigh Cook, Gabrielle Union and Anna Paquin.  But what made the film work was how you have high school life outside of the prom and everything leading to the prom as the climax.

We have seen the efficacy from that formula for prom films such as “Pretty in Pink”, “Footloose”, “Mean Girls”…you have to showcase the high school life of these characters and then lead to the prom.

And sure, you have the banality of the dance scene, the fight scene that you typically get from prom films but with “Prom”, the problem is that there is too much focus on different characters, there is not enough story development to make you care for them.  The only couple you are emotionally invested in is Nova and Jesse.  Two people who are opposites but are attracted to each other.

But when it comes to the other characters of the film, you just don’t care.  Mei and Jared, we assume they a long time couple but there was no plot device to setup the friction between the couple until later into the film.  The same goes with the love triangle between Tyler, Simone and Jordan.  Jordan’s character wasn’t really explored.  She shows up earlier in the film and disappears until prom day.

There is so many of these situations where you felt blocks of story may have been edited out for time, that it’s unfortunate.  In fact, there are deleted scenes that probably shouldn’t have been cut out at all.  And this is sad, considering Joe Nussbaum mentions it right after his commentary for the deleted scenes, in which he tells viewers “hopefully, you agree that these scenes should have been deleted”…but unfortunately, some should have stayed in.

“Prom” is a film that feels incomplete because the pacing of the storyline for the characters outside of Nova and Jesse is off.  I liken it to a child’s first try at connect the dots.  When the child forgets to follow the correct order and miss a dot, the picture doesn’t seem right.  It’s the same thing with “Prom” and how it introduces so many characters without building the storyline around those characters.

But Aimee Teegarden and Thomas McDonell do a wonderful job playing the main couple of the film.  For those who grew up in the ’90s, it was quite interesting to see Christine Elise (who was the spunky teenager, Emily Valentine on “Beverly Hills 90210″) playing Jesse’s mother and also a brief cameo by actress Faith Ford (“Murphy Brown” and “Hope & Faith”) as the mother of Nova.

As for the Blu-ray, there a quite a few special features and its cool to see a good number of music videos included on the Blu-ray.    The only thing that I wish was included on the Blu-ray are the web episodes of “Corey & Lucas For the Win” featuring “Prom” Sophomores Cory (Cameron Monaghan) and Lucas (played by Nolan Sotillo).

Obviously the purpose was to show how different types of students deal with prom and also, its target audience are more than likely tweens and teens who probably are not going to delve so much into how deep the story is.  If anything, it’s a safe film as well, so parents wondering if there is going to be any hanky panky teen sex ala “American Pie”, they need not worry about that with “Prom”.  There is a fight scene and teens ditching class but nothing else beyond that.

Overall, “Prom” has its fair share of fun moments but also is hurt by its missed potential.  If you are a tween, teen or a parent looking for an upbeat prom film, then Disney’s “Prom” is definitely for you!

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