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The Smurfs 2
The sequel is much like the first, but this time the focus is on Smurfette and her families. This is a primo example of kids films in the modern age, with lots of CGI as well as old-fashioned slapstick. |
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Saving Mr Banks
Disney’s own retelling of a moment in the Studio’s history doesn’t dig deep enough to be a real “making of Mary Poppins“, but a unique story angle and fun 1960s recreations add up to a jolly confection that should please fans and casual viewers alike. |
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Frozen
Some of the plot holes may be frightful, but the story, music, visuals, and cast are delightful. Frozen is easily one of the Disney’s best in recent years, and it’s a film that will definitely not leave you cold. |
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Marine Boy: The Complete First Season
As some of us clamor for more 1960s classics, Warner Archive surprises us with instead digging up an obscure anime production from that era, dubbed by the Speed Racer team. |
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Help! …It’s The Hair Bear Bunch!: The Complete Series
It’s not all that original, but this 1971 escape-from-the-zoo show did predate Madagascar by a few decades. It also provides the typical mix of good-natured humor and great voice actors that Hanna-Barbera fans love. |
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Free Birds
Free Birds may not be the main course on our animated menu this year. But with a fun story and some hilarious performances it’s no canned cranberry sauce either. |
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Captain Caveman And The Teen Angels: The Complete Series
Warner Archive reaches back to 1977 – an era of crime-solving teens and crime-fighting ladies. This Hanna-Barbera show has all that, plus a Caveman. Unga bunga! |
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Scooby-Doo: Stage Fright
After more than twenty direct-to-video movies, Scooby still has what it takes to entertain and maybe even surprise, as seen in this updating of The Phantom Of The Opera that uses elements of today’s televised talent shows. |
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From Up On Poppy Hill
Goro Miyazaki lives up to the family name this time, with a wonderful piece of filmmaking. This nostalgic look at Japan in the 1960s features the conflict of progressives vs. traditionalists, and a love story you haven’t seen before. |
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Peter Pan: Return To Never-Land
Pan flies again in Disney’s direct-to-video turned theatrically-released sequel, breaking the curse of the DTVs but not really providing anything we haven’t seen before. |
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Robotech 2-Movie Collection
For one low price, you get a pretty decent sequel to a beloved saga, plus one glorified clip show. There are great extras too, but they’ve been seen before. |
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Oliver & Company: 25th Anniversary Edition
Disney does Dickens as the story of Oliver gets a new twist in a modern-day New York setting populated by celebrity-voiced canines. An HD transfer is top dog, but the (same old) extras are kitty litter. |
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Planes
Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign because there’s more turbulence than high flying in this should-have-gone-straight-to-home-video release. |
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Robin Hood: 40th Anniversary Edition
This fast and furry-ous animal take on the Robin Hood legend is Disney at its most economical artistically, but that doesn’t hamper a good tale being told with fun characters and music; the Studio’s new disc is a winner too. |
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The Sword In The Stone: 50th Anniversary Edition
Walt’s side-swiping comedy take on the King Arthur legend isn’t what you’ll be expecting, though it is a lot of fun and cooks up some great characters, even if Disney’s HD disc has its own severe problems… |
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Turbo
If you can buy into the concept, or are under ten years old, Turbo might be a fun ride. For the rest of us, the film is less fast and furious and more of a race to the bottom. |
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The Regular Show: The Complete First & Second Seasons
Two slackers get into bizarre mischief as they try to avoid work. Despite strange plots and characters, the show remains oddly down to earth, thanks to the light touch of its creator, who also voices the main character. |
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Despicable Me 2
Laughs — and minions — aplenty. But other than that Despicable Me 2 is an ultimately bland and forgettable hour and a half at the theatre. |
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Lilo And Stitch: 2-Movie Collection
Disney’s zero-extras policy on its June 11 titles continues here, leaving the included DVD to mop up the embarrassing lack of anything on the Blu-ray except for the feature’s pristine picture and sound. |
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The High Fructose Adventures Of Annoying Orange: Season 1
The YouTube hit first came to cable, and now appears on DVD. It’s the best talking fruit show on television, but is that saying much? |
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Adventure Time: The Complete First And Second Seasons
Finn The Human and Jake The Dog travel through and beyond the Land of Ooo, befriending princesses and vanquishing evildoers, in two oddly enchanting seasons of the Cartoon Network smash hit. |
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Monsters University
Monsters University is that rare follow-up that perfectly expands and enhances the world created in the original film. And best of all, it’s so funny it’s scary! |
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Atlantis: The Lost Empire – 2 Movie Collection
Could Disney’s BD set of its epic adventure be among the last to offer decent extras? It’s the only of the Studio’s June titles to do so, also bolstered by exceptional audio and video, even if a “sequel” is predictably dire. |
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The Emperor’s New Groove: 2-Movie Collection
Disney’s raucous comedy is still a laughfest, but this barren Blu-ray set only provides a decent picture upgrade: a video sequel is here but limited extras are only on DVD. |
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Oz, The Great And Powerful (regular and 3D editions)
Sam Raimi’s return to Oz is more lame and disappointing, truth be told, with surprisingly bad effects only countered by Danny Elfman’s score. Disney’s two conflicting disc options offer great extras or 3D, not both. |
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Who Framed Roger Rabbit: 25th Anniversary Edition
Roger is back in the limelight for a 25th anniversary revisit of the groundbreaking contemporary classic that put animation back on the map. The Disney renaissance started here, the set celebrates the film well. |
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Howl’s Moving Castle
A young old woman, a bird-man, and an animated house all figure in this brilliant but confounding film from Miyazaki. It may be our most negative positive review ever. |
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My Neighbor Totoro
Miyazaki’s most beloved film makes the jump to hi-def, while carrying over all the best feaures of the previous DVD. This gentle but great family film has never looked better. |
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Superman Unbound
Superman has to save the Earth from the alien cyborg known as Brainiac, while learning how to cope with the two women in his life: cousin Supergirl and girlfriend Lois. |
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The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: 2-Movie Collection
Proving musical Hugo doesn’t just mean Les Mis, Disney’s bold take on Gothic literature looks gorgeous here, even if an almost total lack of extras and a truly risible sequel somewhat spoil the original’s legacy. |
