Two disc DVDs: Emperor's New Groove vs. Tarzan

[SpringHeelJack]

Hey there, forum goers. So, it was my birthday a few days ago, and I decided that something I might like to buy with my birthday money would be one of the older two disc DVD sets that I missed along the way. Of those, the only two disc DVDs I don't currently own are "Snow White", "Tarzan", and "The Emperor's New Groove" ("Dinosaur" doesn't count for me at all ever in any way, shape, or form). "Snow White" I'm pretty much holding off on until I see what the newer release will offer, and so I think it's coming between "Tarzan" and "The Emperor's New Groove".

If I had to pick one, I'm currently leaning towards "TENG", both because I enjoy the movie more than I enjoy "Tarzan" and because from what I can gleam from the UD reviews, the special features seem to have a slight edge on that DVD set (if only in part because "TENG" uses two dual-layer discs and "Tarzan" only has one). I'm especially curious about "Kingdom of the Sun", will the DVD set disappoint in that regard?

Ideally, someday, I'm going to track down both, as I'm not exactly faithful that both will be re-released fully with all previous special features intact in the future on any format (prove me wrong, Disney!). However, I ask you, the UD members, who I on the whole like and trust: if you could only have one two-disc DVD set, which would you choose- "The Emperor's New Groove" or "Tarzan"?

(Also, are there any old two disc DVD sets- non-Platinum- from back in the day I'm forgetting about? I'd be up for some suggestions there, too.)

[KubrickFan]

I guess it's all a matter of opinion. You state you liked The Emperor's New Groove better than Tarzan, so I would go for that, for now (you eventually want to own both, don't you?). If you search sites like eBay, you might find both for a reasonable price. I wouldn't wait for a re-release, these Special Editions are really good. The fact that one has two dual layered DVD's doesn't matter. Bonus material doesn't need that much space, and it's shot in video anyway.

[BambiFan87]

Do you have Atlantis? That was another great 2-Disc set along the lines of TENG and Tarzan! But as I have all three they are all pretty amazing DVD's. So go with your fav movie I think!! oh and on where to buy them I actually recommend amazon...thats where I got mine and they were in perfect condition and were not expensive at all from what I remember.

[littlefuzzy]

There is the Dumbo 60th Anniversary edition, while it's not a 2-disc, it is loaded with good special features (not just kiddy stuff.) I feel that it is better than the Big Top edition.

On Tarzan, make sure you actually get the 2-disc Collector's edition, instead of the newer 1-disc "Special Edition." The same thing applies to TENG: look for the 2-disc Ultimate Groove, not the 1-disc "New Groove" edition.

Dinosaur has a 2-disc Collector's edition, as does Atlantis: the Lost Empire.

Chronicles of Narnia: TLTW&TWR has a 4-disc version. I'm not sure if there is more than one version of Prince Caspian, or not.

The Pirates of the Carribbean movies all have 2-disc editions (or 3, if you count the Lost Disc from the first one.)

National Treasure 1 and 2 have 2-disc sets.

I think the only version of Tron that is still in print is the 2-disc.

Nightmare Before Christmas came out with a 2-disc.

A Bug's Life, Toy Story, and Toy Story 2 all have 2-disc versions. I think most of the other Pixar films only have one version, whether it's a 2-disc or just a single one.

[Escapay]

I'm especially curious about "Kingdom of the Sun", will the DVD set disappoint in that regard?

If you're easily pleased with a 12-second introduction and 22 stills of concept art, then no, you won't be disappointed. After all, who needs The Sweatbox when 22 pieces of art and a quick line of "here's stuff from the early version of the film" will do?

However, I ask you, the UD members, who I on the whole like and trust: if you could only have one two-disc DVD set, which would you choose- "The Emperor's New Groove" or "Tarzan"?

Probably because I prefer the movie more, I'd go for Tarzan.

Bonus features-wise, it's not as packed as future two-disc sets would be (well, before even they started getting the shaft), heck, the making-of featurettes (which are in their own sections, and this was before the play-all option that The Emperor's New Groove and Atlantis: The Lost Empire got) add up to only 35 minutes. But it does offer a lot of good non-featurette material (the likes of which Disney doesn't see fit to include on their new releases, aside from deleted scenes) such as the early presentation reel, original song demos, loads of image and text stills (nearly 600 altogether, IIRC, more than most of the Platinums' galleries), a storyboard-to-film comparison, an animation progression reel, and three whole trailers! Three!

The Emperor's New Groove contains the same kind of stuff (various short featurettes, lots of stills, other cool features), and the slightly wacky tone that they intentionally take in their featurettes make for some enjoyable viewing. But I still prefer Tarzan's material.

albert

[ajmrowland]

Both sets are very good. I'd personally pick ENG, though, as that has a little more of the smaller things(character animation tests, etc.). It also has that one gallery from Kingdom of the Sun, which is said at some point on the disc, to have been written as an epic before the magical transformation into the wacky adventure that is the final film. The character design gallery even shows that most of the characters were finalized before the film got it's final name.

Escapay says more of the same; I say only ever since equaled by Snow White, Atlantis and, to great extent, Beauty and the Beast(Not counting Pixar, otherwise Monsters' Inc., as well). Emperors' was pre-platinum, but was very much treated the same way on terms of features.

Tarzan is similar, but not as voluminous. It doesn't seem as good to me. I'd go with the "Groove".

[Goliath]

It's really strange that so much mediocre, unsuccesful recent Disney animated movies have gotten a 2-disc presentation (Atlantis, Emperor's New Groove, Brother Bear), while true, succesful, Classics have not (Dumbo, The Rescuers). And what's even more strange is that they only came out in the US and not in Europe.

But I would go for the Tarzan DVD. I've got the European version, and the bonus features are really good, although the audio commentary is not really informative. I don't care much for TENG, so that's why I'd choose Tarzan.

[2099net]

It's really strange that so much mediocre, unsuccesful recent Disney animated movies have gotten a 2-disc presentation (Atlantis, Emperor's New Groove, Brother Bear), while true, succesful, Classics have not (Dumbo, The Rescuers). And what's even more strange is that they only came out in the US and not in Europe.

Well, I wouldn't say it was strange. They made the newer films when TV Specials, DVD Special Features and other promotions are more frequent. As a result, all of the films you mention were thoroughly documented as they were made - if they've got the stuff, then why not release it?

Judging from the single disc Treasure Planet though, my guess is they have lots more behind the scenes stuff for that, which they've sat on.

I'm not sure what they can say about Dumbo. It's never had an extensive LaserDisc release has it? Not like the two Latin America films, which have been re-released with loads of pre-prepared content still being sat-on and ignored. But Dumbo, well, the commentary is so good, its basically a making-of already, making an extensive making of somewhat redundant. My favourite features are the galleries, and I'm sure every Disney animated movie can have a gallery as in-depth as Snow White's or Sleeping Beauty's, but beyond that...

[SpringHeelJack]

Wow, thanks for all the comments / feedback, guys. It's a very close contest, with more people leaning towards "Tarzan" than I might have thought...

That's a bummer to hear that "KOTS" didn't get more of a shout out. I certainly wasn't expecting something akin to "The Sweatbox", given how it's probably never going to see the light of day, but some concrete discussion on the idea would have been nice.