I for one am EXCITED and THANKFUL that Disney got the aspect ratio RIGHT this time at 1.33:1
Now I don't have to track down the older editions to see more of the animation frame, like I did with Jungle Book and Robin Hood (which was difficult but not impossible, since I travel frequently and look for FYE's when on the road)
I am not for pan and scan of true widescreen films, and to me matting true fullscreen films like this is just as bad, but seems to be more tolerated in the home theatre community.
YES, I know the DAC's from 101 to RH were often matted in theatres, but they were also shown fullscreen on some releases in theatres equiped to show them that way, and I read somewhere that 101 was once reissued to theatres pillarboxed!
Bottom line is, you will see more information this way, more of what the animators illustrated, AND THAT IS A GOOD THING.
Yes, consistency would be nice, but the problem there should be blamed on the botched matted JB and RH, NOT on 101 for getting it RIGHT.
Bottom line is, let's not kid ourselves, JB and RH were matted on DVD to conform to the growing number of Joe Sixpacks and Jane Soccermom's who now have widescreen TVs. The fact that the films were released in SOME theatres on SOME releases matted merely "legitimized" this. But rest assured, if there was no such thing as widescreen TVs, they would have been released fullscreen. Why have black bars where picture should be, wthout gaining any on the sides???
These aforementioned Joe Sixpacks don't give a bat's guano about what dimension a movie was DRAWN in. They just want to "fill their screen" at ALL COSTS.
These are the same people who whined about black bars on TRUE wide films like Sleeping Beauty, and now that they own 16:9 TVs, they complain to Disney about "why wasn't Bambi released in widescreen?"
When will some people learn that films should NOT be altered to conform to your equipment; the equipment should be subservient to seeing the ENTIRE FRAME.
I've heard of people inviting friends to there house and MATTING TRUE UNDISPUTED 1:33 films like Wizzard of Oz and Snow White to show off their new widescreen toys. Sad, sad, sad!
And I personally have SEEN a Wal Mart showing the Peter Pan DVD MATTED to showcase widescreen displays. Sad, sad, sad!
I believe THIS is the mentality Disney pandered to with the widescreen JB and RH. Those of us who want to see the entire frame, or who have fullscreen TVs, were forgotten.
But not this time. Artistic integrity TRIUMPHS with the fullscreen presentation of 101 Dalmatians!
And for that I would like to send BVHE my SINCEREST gratitude and thanks!
Looking forward to the release!!!