DISNEY HOME VIDEO P(REVIEW)S |
PHOTOGRAPHY | ART | EMAIL DAVE | HOME |
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| THE MUPPETS | LADY AND THE TRAMP | THE ROCKETEER |
| THE HELP | CARS 2 | POTC: ON STRANGER TIDES |
“The Muppets” 20th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray/DVD Available on Amazon.com.
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“The Rocketeer” 20th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray/DVD Available on Amazon.com. I finally saw "The Rocketeer" for the first time earlier this year; I was pleasantly surprised by its low-key charm. The set design, cinematography, and costuming of this movie perfectly capture the 1938 era in which it is set. The glowing color seen on this stellar high-def transfer makes the movie seem as if it were a 3-Strip Technicolor classic. Casting is top-notch as well; Billy Campbell perfectly embodies the down-on-his-luck hero, Cliff Secord, who stumbles upon a Howard Hughes designed back pack that transforms him into The Rocketeer. Timothy Dalton is a very convincing villain, and Jennifer Connelly has the perfect ratio of sweet and sexy as the heroine of the story. By capturing the flavor of a 1930's serial, "The Rocketeer" avoids the pitfalls of attempting to be a special effects laden Hollywood Blockbuster. This movie stands up well to the competition with a number of subtle inside jokes (such as what happened to the last four letters of the original Hollywoodland sign), well-played double-entendres (the sequence with W.C. Fields is wonderful), and an overall feel-good tone that allows the audience to have hope in the underdog and hiss at the villain all at the same time...while watching true-love conquer all. You can't help but feel good after seeing "The Rocketeer." Warning - there is a bit of violence in this movie, making it a tad inappropriate for the very young set (even if it is a Disney movie!). Besides the superb high-def transfer, this 20th Anniversary all boasts a very clean soundtrack (DTS-HD Master Audio English & Dolby Digital Audio French tracks) that shows off the James Horner score to full advantage. Plenty of good separation that comes into play with the aviation sequences. The big surprise is the lack of extras. You get one theatrical trailer...all 2 minutes and 19 seconds of it. Not really what I would call a 20th Anniversary edition. It would appear that Disney didn't want to put too much effort into this disc. Still, those who have complained about the rotten transfers previously available should rejoice at the clean video and audio of this Blu-ray. Do yourself a favor and check out this chestnut; the four stars are for this edition, not the movie itself, which is five star all the way! SPECS: 109 minutes, 2:35:1 aspect ration • Blu-ray audio of 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio • Language: English, French • Subtitles: English SDH and French
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“Cars 2” on Blu-ray/DVD Available on Amazon.com. Disney/Pixar has gotten a lot of flack for "Cars 2." I was expecting the worst when I watched it and was pleasantly surprised. Is it an "Up" or "Toy Story"? No, unfortunately not. What it is though is a pleasing movie that makes for an enjoyable 106 minute watch. This installment to the "Cars" franchise focuses on Mater, the loveable tow-truck that would do anything for his best friend, Lightning McQueen. When Mater's backwoods ways embarrass McQueen at the World Grand Prix, Mater sadly goes off feeling that it would be best not to offend his best friend. Rather than disappear into the shadows, Mater is suddenly thrown into a world of international espionage and intrigue. Naturally a happy ending brings all of the parties back together, but not before Mater saves the day and shows that a few dents and rust do not make him any less a hero. There are a few uneven and slow spots in the film, mainly at the beginning which seems to take a bit of time to get going. Once the action starts though, there are quite a few exciting moments and plot twists that the younger set are sure to enjoy. Warning - even though this is an animated feature and all of the characters are cars, there are a few uncomfortably violent moments where cars get killed or injured. It might be a good idea to monitor the very wee ones who are watching. The blu-ray itself is impressive; I was blown away by the sound, especially in the action sequences. The video is crystal clear and shows the animation off to full-effect. Hard to believe so much emotion can be achieved with these characters; a true testament to the talent of the Disney/Pixar team. Extras on this release depend on the set that you buy; for the basic 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, bonus features are: Cars Toon "Air Mater," exclusive all-new short, Toy Story Toon "Hawaiian Vacation" theatricaly released short, and Director John Lasseter Commentary. If you are a "Cars" fan, then this set is not to be missed!
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