Alice in Wonderland vs. Aladdin

[SleepingBeautyAurora]

Which film deserves the Platinum Editon treatment ??

[Widdi]

Based on what the line was originally created to showcase: Aladdin.

Mind you, I'd love to see Alice released as a PE along with a lot of other Disney Animated Classics, but I would not sacrifice any current PE titles to make Alice one.

[SleepingBeautyAurora]

In my opinion, Aladdin deserves to be in the Platlinum Edition lineup. I don't feel Alice in Wonderland is worthy of Platinum Edition status.

[Flanger-Hanger]

I do.

[SpringHeelJack]

I likewise would not oppose "Alice" being added to the line, but not at the expense of losing a movie.

Still, to me "Alice" lacks the gravitas of "Aladdin" et. all.

[rs_milo_whatever]

Aladdin deserves the Platinum treatment above Alice in Wonderland; but Aladdin already had a Platinum Edition.

[Escapay]

I believe all of the films from Walt Disney Feature Animation - er, Walt Disney Animation Studios - should get a Platinum treatment, even if only a select few will get the actual "Platinum Edition" banner and fan-created prestige. After all, "Platinum Edition" is just a merchandise brand, and being part of that brand isn't the primary factor to a film's merits. Pocahontas isn't a Platinum and has an excellent two-disc release, as did quite a few other DACs.

But if we had to accept the fact that only 14 films from WDFA/WDAS would get a true Special Edition With A Different Name treatment while the others got pretty-good-to-mediocre releases, then I'd want Aladdin to get it over Alice in Wonderland, simply because I like it more.

The problem with Disney, is that since about 2005 or so, they feel only the Platinum brand should get a high-quality bonus-features treatment that used to be so well done on past releases. And the bar for Platinum quality is continually being lowered and lowered instead of raised. They're all pretty much the same cut-and-paste template now:

Disc One:
-The movie - restored/remastered/recolored and in either the animated ratio or the theatrical ratio (though fans will always be divided as to which should be dropped and which should remain, or whether both should be available)
-Disney Song Selection - a cutdown of Scene Selections, for those of us who want a songs-only cutdown of the movie. I'd complain about it, but sometimes I'll prefer to watch just the songs over the scenes.
-Music Video by Disney Channel's flavor of the week

Disc Two:
-A main documentary that must never ever run over 45 minutes.
-Two or three related featurettes
-Deleted Materials - because if there's one thing that a casual DVD buyer prefers over anything else, it's anything deleted.
-Art galleries
-Set-Top Games - that have some effort put into them simply to appease the mythical "children who actually enjoy set-top games".
-And if we're lucky: vintage promotional materials like TV excerpts & specials, trailers, and/or radio interviews.

Albert

[Disneykid]

Based on what the line was originally created to showcase: Aladdin.

Mind you, I'd love to see Alice released as a PE along with a lot of other Disney Animated Classics, but I would not sacrifice any current PE titles to make Alice one.

My thoughts exactly. The Platinum Collection was meant to represent the top 10 (and then later, top 14) best-selling Disney animated classics on home video. With that in mind, Aladdin deserves to be included more than Alice.

That said, from a creative and historical standpoint, Alice certainly should be included. While it may not have been financially successful, it's become a staple of the Disney canon. Rarely will you see a grouping of various Disney characters without someone from Alice included, and the Disney film tends to be what most people think of when they hear the title Alice in Wonderland. Plus, its history is rich, dating back to Walt's early days as a filmmaker and was the film everyone felt he needed to make. It's been widely criticized for its story (or lack thereof), but you'll be hardpressed to find a film historian or animator who doesn't acknowledge how brilliant the film's technical merits are, as well as its characterizations.

I do not, however, think Alice should be included at the expense of Aladdin. Either keep both of them, or just give Alice an elaborate set of its own outside the collection. I stopped caring about Disney's edition titles years ago, anyway. I still don't believe Aladdin's been dumped. Look at the schedule from that Powerpoint:

March 2008: 101 Dalmatians
October 2008: Sleeping Beauty
March 2009: Pinocchio
October 2009: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
March 2010: Fantasia
October 2010: Beauty and the Beast
March 2011: Alice in Wonderland
October 2011: The Lion King

See the pattern? Every Fall Platinum after Sleeping Beauty is a re-release, and they're in order of their original DVD releases. So if that pattern were to continue (which it doesn't on the PowerPoint), Aladdin would be re-released October of 2012. I don't understand how by cutting the slide off at Lion King, people are automatically assuming Aladdin's been dropped. Alice is a filler title so that the rest of the collection can maintain its original order. If it were truly an Aladdin replacement, it'd get the prime Fall spot (and wouldn't even show up on the slide if that were the case).

[Simba3]

See the pattern? Every Fall Platinum after Sleeping Beauty is a re-release, and they're in order of their original DVD releases. So if that pattern were to continue (which it doesn't on the PowerPoint), Aladdin would be re-released October of 2012. I don't understand how by cutting the slide off at Lion King, people are automatically assuming Aladdin's been dropped. Alice is a filler title so that the rest of the collection can maintain its original order. If it were truly an Aladdin replacement, it'd get the prime Fall spot (and wouldn't even show up on the slide if that were the case).

But why has Aladdin's picture been erased from the timeline, leaving no trace of it ever being a Platinum Edition. And on top of that, Aladdin's name has been erased from the list of titles included in the Platinum line, where Alice's name has now emerged. Why has only Aladdin gone missing from both places? This seems to hint that Aladdin is no longer being included in the Platinum Edition line. But really, who knows??

To answer the question, I voted for "Aladdin" because I definitely feel it is more deserving of the Platinum Edition title than Alice in Wonderland. Alice is not one of my favorite films, but it does have it's own following. However, I think the "Masterpiece Edition" suited the film just well.

[rs_milo_whatever]

At least we're not getting a cheesy named one disc edition we're getting so uncomfortably used to; Alice in Wonderland fits perfectly in the Platinum line, and if there is already a Platinum Edition of Aladdin, why do we need another one that will probably get downgraded into the newer format of Platinums??? Disneykid's theory is what i think is going on, I'm eager to know what will be the filler title between The Lion King and Aladdin if the theory is correct.

[merlinjones]

Why not both? Alice certainly deserves Platinum treatment, it is a beautiful and marvelous tour-de-force of character and effects animation and art direction, with a host of special features readily available for extras.

Dumbo should also be a platinum title.

Although, if going "Platinum" means having a strange, garishly enhanced picture and sound transfer that looks as flat as art on a platten with colors pumped up to nowhere near their original hues, overcleaned and with new live-action foley sound effects and the wrong aspect ratio - - then maybe they all should just be special editions instead...

[ChrisLyne]

Aladdin.

I would have nothing against Alice getting the "spring" slot before TLK and another film being added to the "spring" slot before Aladdin. But Aladdin should not be dropped for Alice. If I was going to drop any film from the Platinum line it would not be Aladdin.

Personally I'd love Hunchback or Hercules to be added, but Dumbo is probably more realistic.

[Widdi]

I personally think if Alice has indeed been added to the collection, that spring 2010 would be the most likely time for it's release. And if the collection is reissued than it should look like this:

March 2008: 101 Dalmatians
October 2008: Sleeping Beauty
March 2009: Pinocchio
October 2009: Fantasia
March 2010: Alice in Wonderland
October 2010: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
March 2011: ????
October 2011: Beauty and the Beast
March 2012: ????
October 2012: The Lion King
March 2013: ????
October 2013: Aladdin

March 2010 would make sense because they can use it to promote Tim Burton's Alice movie that comes out that May. I think it's (Burton's movie) probably the only reason Alice got added to the collection and maximize on cross promotion a March 2010 release date would make the most sense. I honestly don't expect anything other than a re-packaged Masterpiece Edition with maybe a few more features from the Laser disc, a couple new brainless games and a short "The Making Of..." featurette.

It's also possible that if Alice comes in Spring 2010 and Fantasia in Fall 2009 that Alice could just be the last PE and no "second issue" PE's will follow and the extra three filler movies will be un-needed. If Disney does decide to do "second issue" PE's then I expect these movies to be the other filler titles:

Dumbo: will make all 10 "golden age" movies Platinum Editions

Lilo & Stitch: Undeniable popularity = big sales. Slapping a PE banner on that 2-Disc set they've been sitting makes this release super easy for the company. I'd expect in 2012 and have it marketed as a "10th Anniversary Platinum Edition"

The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Cross promotion with the Broadway show that's in the early stages of production. OR The Princess and the Frog/Rapunzel: if either become popular enough OR Tarzan: the highest grossing '90s flick after Aladdin and The Lion King.

Of course it's all just mindless speculation at this point. Anything could happen.

[Lazario]

Both.

But I think the only reason Dumbo never went Platinum is that it's too short.

[Ariel'sprince]

Well,thought Aladdin had a Platinum Edition already and Alice In Wonderland and I have Aladdin on DVD and I don't have Alice,I think Aladdin.
Well,I like Aladdin more thought I love Alice In Wonderland too,I don't understand why they don't make it a PE or why people didn't bought the 2004 PE.
So Aladdin,maybe both.

[kbehm29]

I voted for Alice, but I think they BOTH deserve Platinum treatment. Who says there is a limit to the number of films added to the Platinum line? I would hope eventually there is a new era of Disney material that would eventually qualify.

[Ariel'sprince]

I voted for Alice, but I think they BOTH deserve Platinum treatment. Who says there is a limit to the number of films added to the Platinum line? I would hope eventually there is a new era of Disney material that would eventually qualify.

Yeah,why's a limit? they can make more movies and more Platinum Editions,But I"m sure that they"ll add another movie in 2010.

[UmbrellaFish]

There was a limit! At first it was ten, then they made it 14.

[Jack Skellington]

I don't want Aladdin to be in the platinum edition line again because I want it to come sooner on Bluray, if it was part of the platinum line again it would mean that it would come out again on 2012 or later !

I was never the type of fan who stressed on the special features anyway I just want the best resoloution and audio possible so I can enjoy watching the movies that I love.

I'm not pleased that Alice is part of the platinum editions like you guys, I bet that it would've come out sooner on Bluray if it wasn't planned for a platinum edition release.