Robin Hood DVD Preview:Screen Shots,Scans & Trailers

[akhenaten]

xerox or not, matted or not, in time the film will wear out and quality will lessen a bit.ergo a restoration to enhance the color back to the original cel like state is highly recommended. from the GC dvd, robin hood didnt look dirty from old age at all. it just look..dull. i'm sure disney couldve done a better job at that.it'd be interesting how they'd polish jungle book and dalmatians since this will be given the platinum treatment. so we'll see how far restoration on xerox films can go. disney should've included both matte and fullscreen and most kids these days (that's us) grew up watching the fullscreen version and had thus have this perception of the films in that way. unless they give a sayyyyyy for example beauty and the beast in open matte fullscreen that would've been a different matter. anyway i'm still holding on to my GC dvd and does anyone find that matting the film softens the look a bit because it is zoomed in to give the widescreen look? from the screencaps it does look that way.

[Escapay]

Well...the transfer looks to have minimal change, mainly lighter colors and of course, being matted.

The full 4:3 frame is from the Gold Collection

The larger red rectangle is from lighthousemike's cap

The smaller rectangles is from the Gold Collection



And here's a somewhat puzzling screencap.

The sides are from the new widescreen cap

The 4:3 image is from the old comparison cap I had

It *looks* like pan & scan, but likely is two entirely different frames, with the new widescreen one being a few seconds earlier than the old comparison cap...



Escapay

[MickeyMouseboy]

luke will save us! why is this transfer in widescreen if fullscreen is it's OAR? if WS is the original OAR then the other remaing classics like the jungle book, sword in the stone and so forth are WS movies too? which would make sense since sleeping beauty was WS why would the following movies got back to FS? im so confused! The movie looks great in WS!

[Dottie]

Wow, the movie looks really good now, in my opinion. I like the disc art .
I so hope they're gonna release Robin Hood again in Germany, but if not I'll just import that one. I don't like the widescreen though, it was originally pesented in Fullscreen and it should be in fullscreen on the DVD. Or both, wide and full.

[Escapay]

luke will save us! why is this transfer in widescreen if fullscreen is it's OAR? if WS is the original OAR then the other remaing classics like the jungle book, sword in the stone and so forth are WS movies too? which would make sense since sleeping beauty was WS why would the following movies got back to FS? im so confused! The movie looks great in WS!

We've had this question brought up time and again for various animated films, and MichaeLeah has answered it already. But for a quick recap:

Animated Classics from 1961 to 1977 were animated in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio (fullscreen), with the intention of being matted down to about 1.75:1 in theatres. So what we're getting, likely for the first time ever in a home video release, is the theatrical aspect ratio of Robin Hood.

Animated films that should get this treatment will be:

101 Dalmatians (1961)
The Sword in the Stone (1963)
The Jungle Book (1967)
The Aristocats (1971)
Robin Hood (1973)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

The Rescuers (1977) was the first to be animated and presented theatrically in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio, and The Fox and the Hound (1981) should be the second, but Disney still insists on releasing the film in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, which lead many to keep speculating that maybe they went back to a 1.33:1 animation ratio (and 1.75:1 theatrical ratio) for this one film. Other clues point to The Small One and Mickey's Christmas Carol, two half-hour shorts that were animated in 1.33:1 and matted for theatres.

Escapay

[goofystitch]

The screen caps look great and I like the disc art, too. I can't wait to upgrade to OAR with the alternate ending and gallery!!!!! "Robin Hood" was one of my favorites as a kid.

[Josh]

Hmm...I really don't like it how Disney doesn't give these Restorations (RH, Dumbo, TF&TH) as much as they do to the Platinum Editions. It still looks quite sketchy, which some might say is a good thing as it keeps Robin Hood's originality alive. But I would've like to see it restored to perfection.
Does anyone think it's worth the upgrade from the GC Edition?

[goofystitch]

Josh wrote:

Hmm...I really don't like it how Disney doesn't give these Restorations (RH, Dumbo, TF&TH) as much as they do to the Platinum Editions. It still looks quite sketchy, which some might say is a good thing as it keeps Robin Hood's originality alive. But I would've like to see it restored to perfection.
Does anyone think it's worth the upgrade from the GC Edition?

The reason the Platinum Editions get fantastic restorations and these "special editions" don't is due to cost. It takes alot of man hours and money to restore a film to "it's original brilliance." Platinum Editions are almost certain to sell well (unless it is "Aladdin") whereas Disney has no reassurance that there is enough demand for films like "Robin Hood," "The Fox and the Hound" and "Dumbo." Why "Dumbo" slips into this catagory is beyond me because honestly, what Disney fan wouldn't own "Dumbo" in some form (VHS or DVD) and if they put out a fully restored 2-disc set with some TV adds, I think it would sell well. Anyways, as mentioned, "Robin Hood" should look somewhat rough due to the Xerox process, but we will all know next October wether or not a decent restoration can be done to a film made like this when the fully restored "The Jungle Book" Platinum Edition is released. However, I do agree that colors could have been restored to match the cells and backgrounds because the color schemes in the screen caps look pretty dull (Thanks to Escapay for his time creating comparison shots). So to answer your final question, is this worth an upgrade? That is completely relative. I personally AM upgrading because I want the matted version for my widescreen TV. That and the addition of an alternate ending and photo gallery is enough for me to upgrade a film that I have fond memories of from my childhood, even though I no longer considder it one of my absolute Disney favorites. However, if you have no interest in an alternate ending or photo gallery and aren't adamant about seeing films in their original aspect ratio, you would be very dissapointed with this re-release and I would advise you to wait until a more substantial release probably in 7 years and on a another format such as Blue-ray, HDDVD, or something that hasn't been invented yet.

[lighthousemike]

Well...the transfer looks to have minimal change, mainly lighter colors and of course, being matted.

The full 4:3 frame is from the Gold Collection

The larger red rectangle is from lighthousemike's cap

The smaller rectangles is from the Gold Collection



And here's a somewhat puzzling screencap.

The sides are from the new widescreen cap

The 4:3 image is from the old comparison cap I had

It *looks* like pan & scan, but likely is two entirely different frames, with the new widescreen one being a few seconds earlier than the old comparison cap...



Escapay

Awesome job Escapay!!!!

[lighthousemike]

Cool preview, mike. Can you tell me if you'll be doing just one or both of the Pirates 2 DVD's? Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
JM

sorry but i'm not going to buy it on DVD. i got the first movie and still haven't seen it since the first time at the movies.

[jeremy88]

Robin Hood: Most wanted edition is looking pretty good, cant waite to get my copy on the 28th. I think Ill just give my gold collection version to my cousin or something.

[yamiiguy]

Cool preview, mike. Can you tell me if you'll be doing just one or both of the Pirates 2 DVD's? Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
JM

I could do a review of the Region 2 (around Nov 20th)

[MichaeLeah]

And here's a somewhat puzzling screencap.

The sides are from the new widescreen cap

The 4:3 image is from the old comparison cap I had

It *looks* like pan & scan, but likely is two entirely different frames, with the new widescreen one being a few seconds earlier than the old comparison cap...



Escapay

Escapay, you are very observant to notice these differences but fortunately you are incorrect. I own the GC Robin Hood and I checked the frame in question and it did include the full width of the frame you have presented here. The shot starts from a distance and zooms in. Therefore, at least based on the above image, GC Robin Hood is not pan & scan.

[Escapay]

It *looks* like pan & scan, but likely is two entirely different frames, with the new widescreen one being a few seconds earlier than the old comparison cap...

Escapay, you are very observant to notice these differences but fortunately you are incorrect. I own the GC Robin Hood and I checked the frame in question and it did include the full width of the frame you have presented here. The shot starts from a distance and zooms in. Therefore, at least based on the above image, GC Robin Hood is not pan & scan.

Hence, why I said "likely is two entirely different frames" and "widescreen one being a few seconds earlier".

I double checked my GC after making that composite, but never got around to re-doing a cap comparison, so it went unnoticed until now!

Escapay

[MichaeLeah]

Hence, why I said "likely is two entirely different frames" and "widescreen one being a few seconds earlier".
Escapay

Yes, I hadn't missed that part. The reason I went back and looked at the GC Robin Hood was because you weren't certain. I wanted to verify one way or the other. I wasn't trying to correct you so much as I was trying alleviate your fears that the GC version was pan-and-scan. I was trying to rule out a possible scenario.

I think we are on the same page now...

[Escapay]

Hence, why I said "likely is two entirely different frames" and "widescreen one being a few seconds earlier".
Escapay

Yes, I hadn't missed that part. The reason I went back and looked at the GC Robin Hood was because you weren't certain. I wanted to verify one way or the other. I wasn't trying to correct you so much as I was trying alleviate your fears that the GC version was pan-and-scan. I was trying to rule out a possible scenario.

I think we are on the same page now...

Yeah, we were on the same page, just different sides, lol.

One of these days I'll get around to actually fixing that comparison cap, but in the meantime, I'm sure those who read this will know that we figured it out.

Escapay

[Poppins#1]

Well, Disney never fails to befuddle me on their decision-making process. Why "The Fox in the Hound" with its ambiguous aspect ratio should be full frame and "Robin Hood" which we know was animated at 1.33:1 should now be released with its theatrical matting is beyond me.
I believe this is the first of the Disney animated Classics to not use the "created in" or "filmed" aspect ratio!

[Escapay]

I believe this is the first of the Disney animated Classics to not use the "created in" or "filmed" aspect ratio!

Mulan: Limited Issue/Gold Collection - both were framed in its theatrical 1.85:1 aspect ratio (unfortunately, both were non-anamorphic as well), but also included a 1.33:1 pan & scan version on the disc. The current Special Edition has the anamorphic 1.66:1 aspect ratio of the fully animated cell.

Beauty and the Beast: Platinum Edition - all three versions are anamorphic and framed in the theatrical 1.85:1 aspect ratio, not its animated 1.66:1 aspect ratio.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame - it's also presented in the theatrical 1.85:1 aspect ratio as opposed to its animated 1.66:1 aspect ratio.

All three films were presented in those ratios at the request of their producers/directors, though for the SE of Mulan it was decided to release it with the animated aspect ratio instead.

Escapay

[blackcauldron85]

Thanks for the screencaps/art, LighthouseMike!!!
Question: Is "Deleted Scenes" it's own category, with the subcategory "Alternate Ending"...I mean, is the only thing under "Deleted Scenes" that one "Alternate Ending", or are there other deleted scenes? I already have the Gold Collection DVD and was counting on multiple deleted scenes...even though I bought TF&tH again for one 6-minute documentary and an art gallery... I'm very glad this DVD has an art gallery, too, though...it justfifies the purchase a bit more!

[Atlantica]

Cool preview, mike. Can you tell me if you'll be doing just one or both of the Pirates 2 DVD's? Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
JM

I could do a review of the Region 2 (around Nov 20th)

oh my gosh! that would be amazing! please do!!