Reviews Archive for Ben Simon

Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection Vol 1

At last! Tom & Jerry finally get the really deluxe treatment they deserve in the first of Warners’ high-definition shorts compilations. If they’re all as good looking and awarded with supplements as this, we’re going to be collecting a long time!

The Lion King: Diamond Edition

The most crushingly disappointing Blu-ray since Fantasia, it’s disturbing that such little attention has been paid to Disney’s biggest film. Two new documentaries are very good, but that’s pretty much all you get: there’s much more to do than has been done here…

Beauty And The Beast: Diamond Edition (3D)

With newly included Digital Copy and 3D that adds a surprisingly immersive aspect to Disney’s 20-year-old classic, this Diamond Edition reissue remains an excellent package that is certainly more Beauty than Beast!

Dumbo: 70th Anniversary Edition

Although one important supplement from previous disc releases hasn’t made the Blu-ray cut, one of Walt’s true classics flies high again in this 70th anniversary edition. With stunning image and new extras, Dumbo is an instant recommendation!

Phineas And Ferb: The Movie – Across The 2nd Dimension

While not classic Disney, or even classic Disney television animation, I’m sure long-time fans will get a huge buzz from Disney Channel’s Phineas And Ferb’s first big movie and this packed disc presentation.

Mad: Season One, Part One

The original satirical magazine makes a truly genuine translation from page to screen in a Warner Bros. Animation animated program that feels close in freewheeling spirit to the unit’s classic 1990s animated comedies.

Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil

Though not the worst animated film you’re ever likely to see, don’t get hoodwinked into seeing this lower than average sequel to a surprisingly fun original. The extras try, but there are no happy endings here.

Bambi II: Special Edition

Disney’s surprisingly good direct-to-video midquel gets its own Blu-ray special edition upgrade, and while the film looks great – too perfect at times – the extras don’t really offer anything new of worth.

The Fox And The Hound: 30th Anniversary 2-Movie Edition

Unexpectedly vibrant in a new restoration, Disney’s overlooked 1981 feature makes it to Blu-ray, though the film’s mid-quel follow up and lack of vintage documentaries don’t enhance the package much.

The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D

Tim Burton’s holiday tale returns to hi-def disc, now with an added third dimension that spookily looks like it’s being watched through a ViewMaster. And it works…kind of…

Mars Needs Moms

A misfire from Disney and ImageMovers, Mars Needs Moms fails in almost every regard to bring a fun kids book to the screen with any sense of fantasy about it, with the 3D adding very little.

Have A Laugh! Volumes 3 and 4

The use of Hawaiian Holiday’s wrong master aside, the treasure here is the pristine restorations of some classic Disney animated shorts, even if the selection isn’t always great and the remixing and “Blamming” of footage is redundant.

Superman: The Motion Picture Anthology

Lack of hi-def supplements aside, this really is a super-powered boxed set collection of Superman on screen from 1942-2006 and especially presents the Christopher Reeve films as never before. Essential!

Gnomeo & Juliet

Elton John teams again with Disney Studios for a jolly romp based on Shakespeare’s classic, featuring some cutting-hedge animation and big family fun for all. Touchstone’s disc isn’t blooming, but does sprout some welcome, if potted, extras!

The Art Of Kung Fu Panda 2

Although it will certainly please fans of DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda and its upcoming sequel, this Art Of… suffers from over familiarity, even if the image choices are refreshingly from the genuine concept stages as opposed to final frame filler.

The Incredibles

Disney/Pixar’s super-family return in a great high definition version of the original DVD, with practically all of that set’s extras carried over plus the addition of some new ones. The image isn’t quite as super-sharp as expected, but it’s a worthy upgrade.

Tron: Legacy and The Original Classic 2-Movie Collection

Disney’s high-tech 1982 blockbuster gets a deserved lick of digital paint in a terrific new restoration and, while the 2010 sequel isn’t as ambitious, it’s a satisfactory enough continuation of the franchise.

Tangled

From a big-screen worthy 3D experience, to high-definition, regular DVD or even portable digital file, Disney’s Tangled Combo Pack offers multiple ways to enjoy this wonderful film. It’s just a shame that any decent in-depth extras got brushed out…

The Ballad Of Rango

Insight’s latest Art Of book is an engrossing trawl through the developmental work created by director Gore Verbinski and ILM for their collaboration Rango, and a fine companion to that unique film.

Bambi: Diamond Edition

If Love Is A Song that never ends, then Bambi’s Blu-ray melodies will have you falling for Walt Disney’s enthralling classic all over again, even if the supplements are essentially pulled over from what we have seen before.

Scooby-Doo: Where Are You! The Complete Series (Mystery Machine Edition)

Fans with previous Scooby-Doo sets will probably not need to buy again for the new bonus disc, but – zoinks! – the quality packaging might be enough to tempt them!

Fantasia / Fantasia 2000

Perhaps the most anticipated release of the year, a variety of poor choices easily make this the most disappointing too, even if it’s nice to finally own Destino and see the documentary that we’ve been teased for years among some technical quality issues.

Walt & El Grupo / The Boys / Waking Sleeping Beauty

Take a wonderful trip back in time to witness three periods in Disney Studios’ history, via a trio of excellent documentary features accompanied by a fantastic supplemental selection of Disney treasures.

Scooby-Doo / Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Double Feature

Scooby swaps limited television animation for full-blown CG, in a pair of fun live-action films that stay true to the original cartoons, particularly in the inspired casting.

Disneynature: Oceans / The Crimson Wing: Mystery Of The Flamingos

While I don’t think Pierce Brosnan’s narration for Oceans could get any more waterlogged or mundane, The Crimson Wing gets back to what made the Disney nature films of old so enjoyable.

Warner Archive: The Green Slime

Brilliantly bonkers slice of sixties sci-fi kitsch that actually disguises some solid story points, even if the unintentionally hilarious script and rubber monsters derail the fear factor! The disc is pricey, however, for an average transfer and zero extras.

Sherlock: Season One

The Doctor Who team’s excellent contemporary updating of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s brilliant detective, with the disc also surprising in its solid technical and supplemental aspects.

Secret Origin: The Story Of DC Comics

Though casual comic book fans may find much interest in this general-audience pleasing exploration, collectors and geeks could struggle to discover many new revelations, and the disc is as super-barren as they come.

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens’ century-plus classic gets rebooted into the digital age, by way of motion-capture that, in parts, breaks away from the restrictions of before. This disc does away with the 3D aspects, but offers a fascinating look into the process.

Toy Story 3

This closing chapter of the Story may well be perfect family entertainment, but an over-familiarity and a lack of genuinely awesome originality has set in third time around, even if the disc package still manages to fill the toybox.