DVDizzy Forum

Bambi: Platinum Edition
Presentation: A
Film: A
Video: A+
Audio: A+
Extras: A

-Presentation (Cover art, menu designs, disc art): A+

Comments
* Case / cover art is excellent on the front, functional on the back. I rated the cover a 10 here

* Menus are set to original music from the movie, I can't tell you how important that is (and how much I'm gonna DOCK the Cinderella Platinum Edition when we get to it for deciding to do new instrumental versions) and look beautiful and classy for being understated (thankfully, they don't try to make the movie look more upbeat than it is). Everything looks perfect.


-Film Value: D

Comments
"Love is a Song" is such a great song. Some of the score pieces are epic. The backgrounds are often breath-taking. The film's villain is the ultimate example of how something can be so sinister and yet, we never see it. One of Disney's often overlooked characters (I don't think "Man"s ever made it into one of Disney's Halloween specials- have they?). And on one of the bonus features, a critic / film historian mentions that there is very little dialogue. That instead, the characters are mostly reacting to what's happening. That's a very good technique. Bambi is full of many good techniques. And yet... I couldn't care less about anything that is going on. It's a lot like there's no story whatsoever. And I don't like any of the characters (not that that is all that essential... but I've heard enough raving about Walt's commitment to heart and, I'm not feeling it on this movie at all). I don't care if Bambi dies. I don't feel sad when the mother dies. I felt nothing when Faline was in danger. I did feel a little for the animals in the forest when they're running from the villain (you remember). But that doesn't last nearly as long as all the supposedly cute scenes of Bambi learning to do things, taking first steps and saying first words. Was it cute? It had no affect on me. There was a short bit with a duck that sticks his webbed toe into the water that I thought was adorable. And when Thumper does that little "...I think I'd better go home now," I got a serious feeling of dread. But nothing happened. It rained. Cue for another song. And not a good one. But that moment had so much potential. That's what family films these days should try to be. Use quiet to try and do something. Elevate the story. Not just go into another song. Bambi is a very annoying character. Maybe he should have been killed and the mother could have lived. Now, that would have been really sad. Because she was so mothery. Not because she's a great character either (not like Mrs. Jumbo, who came first for a reason), she's just less annoying than her son. Thumper's cute and Owl's okay (though nothing compared to Owl in Winnie the Pooh or Archimedes from Sword in the Stone). But then the characters go through puberty (and through another awful season song) and get even less interesting. Flower and Thumper lose their cute voices and Bambi gets dull. Is that really better than his irritating younger self? Now we have to spend almost a half-hour with these losers as our heroes. That's when Owl (his "twitterpated" speech is actually pretty good, and almost creepy) and the movie's killer are the only saving graces. Ouch!


-Video: B+

It's obviously more than serviceable, but I was not impressed. There are a lot of darker shades of brown and gray in this movie and none of them look great on my copy. The brighter colors (especially the blues, greens, purples, and the lighter champagne and cinnamin tans) look a lot better. Then there are the blends (the scene where Faline chases Bambi over the stump-roots of a big tree- that tree looks terrible).


-Audio: B

Again, better than good. But to me, not particularly outstanding. Clarity is perfect, but it's not as dynamic as it could have been (Lady and the Tramp had more boom to it than this track did, and to me that was a bit surprising). It's age, naturally.


-Extras: B

Comments
Although I think we all wish Disney would do 2-disc sets like this again, and the stuff of substance here is really good, there is also a high level of bonuses that mean little or are completely worthless. To start with, this set devotes way too much time to games and activities. They may be more complex and challenging (I still can't get Bambi's Race & Slide) (correction: I just freaking got it about 3 minutes after I typed that up!) than all the future DVD's. But with all the game-related stuff on this DVD, maybe Disney should just do Game themed DVD's separately from the movies. Whether they're here to pad the length of bonuses or not, I can't give Disney DVD any credit for the work they did on them. The Nature Knowledge identification games are hard to navigate, the Owl and Thumper voices are terrible recreations, the music on the Thumper story isn't very good, and neither is the story.

But... I loved the "Virtual Forest" feature, and (even though the narrator's voice is a little annoying) the DisneyPedia thing is kind of cool (I want a skunk!!). Oh... and the Personality quiz was awesome. At least you can really choose anything you want to (not like the damn city game on Oliver & Company, where they force you to pick the dog they want you to have - what kind of a choice is that?). However, I have to dock serious points for quite a few things. One is the commentary that re-creates voices of people who used to work at the studio. That was bad enough on the Cinderella and Peter Pan DVD's. It's like a nightmare here. Also, their b.s. promo feature on the sequel. Even though Bambi is one of Disney's top 5 most overrated movies ever, this DVD isn't the place to sell or hype a new film. The legend continues? I don't think so. Then, you have the really lame Time Capsule bonus feature. Gee golly wow, everything just looks so nice and uncomplicated back then. Can we go back to the way that was? Golly- can we? Snow White's Platinum did this so much better with "Disney Through the Decades."

Then, the "Tricks of the Trade" special was already on the Snow White DVD. It should be something we fault the Snow White DVD for instead of Bambi, especially since that set decided to include the short "The Goddess of Spring" instead of "The Old Mill." So, how much of the multiplane camera action do we see in The Goddess of Spring? They should have just waited until this set came out to give us this show excerpt. But I'm sad that there aren't more bonus cartoons on this release- every disc / set for the DAC special editions should have at least 3.

Now that that's all been said... I have to say this is without a doubt one of the best Disney discs I've got. The 50+ minute documentary, tonally, is a little too sweet. But the segments that discuss the animation are really impressive and important. A lot of great details are discussed at length. Even though I still don't like this movie, I've grown to really love the backgrounds (just like always, there's an almost unsung hero to thank for it all: here it's Tyrus Wong). This is probably the best of their documentaries for DVD (though I've yet to see the Sleeping Beauty one). Then, the art galleries are stunning. So much content, it drove me a little crazy when I first went through it last year. It took me hours. Then, since this was my first time with "Tricks of the Trade," I was really riveted. And since that's the set-up for the glorious "The Old Mill" short, these bonuses fully compliment each other. Then... well, after so many times we're robbed of archival promotional materials, it's like a revelation that we get the original trailer. Which is fantastic. Then the pair of technical behind-the-scenes featurettes are also fascinating: Into the Disney Archives (which left me speechless the first time I saw it, that's when I had "the" transformative / transportive Disney DVD experience and fell in love with the bonuses the same way I know so many of you guys were for several years) and Restoring Bambi.

In the end, the good is very weighty and definitely overpowers the bad. Too bad the same can't be said for the movie.

Bambi 2-disc special edition (Platinum Edition)

Presentation: A

The Dutch edition uses a very different cover. See how you like it (the British one, but it's the same):
http://www.lovefilm.com/lovefilm/images ... -large.jpg

Film: C+

This is a film I hold in high regard mainly because of its artistic merits. The animation (especially backgrounds), colors, use of the multiplane camera, music and effects are all spectacular. It's just, like Lazario said, the lack of appealing characters that does the film in. Whatever sympathy I may have had for them during the first half of the movie, diappeared quickly during the awful "twitterpated" scene. But they weren't all that appealing to begin with. Not all films need to have a (lineair) story to be engaging, but it has to offer more than just 'pretty pictures' to keep me interested.

Video and audio: both A.

I'm not experiencing any of the problems Lazario has pointed out with the image or the colors, and I'm failry easily satisfied when it comes to audio.

Bonus features: A

Disney doesn't do bonus features like these anymore. Some people may say they don't compare to those of the Snow White and Beauty and the Beast Platinum dvd's, but then again: some people are never happy. Really, if *this* is not good enough for you, you're way too demanding. I don't complain about the games. They're there because not only animation buffs watch these dvd's; kids do, too. If they annoy you, ignore them, like I do. I liked the elaborate 'making-of' and I did like the recreation of Walt's story meetings. Lazario is right about the 'time capsule' thingy, though.

Finally, one I actually own...

Bambi

Presentation: B
The cover and disc art is just alright, not bad enough to complain about, but I actually really like the disc menu's use of the gorgeous water-colored backgrounds set to original music from the film. Came off very classy.

Film: B
I like it enough, it has some emotional resonance, but like Dumbo, it's a little uneven. I understand the importance of Walt's idea that 'for every laugh there should be a tear' but sometimes they feel jammed right next to each other in these two. Still, a solid enough effort with some great animation and beautiful watercolor backgrounds.

Video: A-
Not quite up to Lowry's usual standards but still really good. I can't wait to see this beautiful artwork in HD next year.

Audio: A
Sounded good to me. I don't know exactly what the original source was like but I can't imagine it sounding much better then it does here.

Extra's: B+
It has a good amount of extras that should please fans but it also contains a lot of useless junk. It's not jammed pack with production material, like the Fantasia and Snow White DVDs were, but the documentary has me content. Hopefully, the Diamond Edition will contain some new material.

I feel a little screwed that you did Dumbo before my copy arrived, so... like I did with Snow White at the start of this, I'm bringin' it back. After the fact:



-Presentation (Cover art, menu designs, disc art): B+

Comments
* Case / cover art is completely underwhelming. I rated the cover a 4 here. I love the sparkling pinkish-red at the top, but... you simply can't have this cover without Mrs. Jumbo. The Stork would have been a good touch as well. Or a crowd of people amazed at what Dumbo is doing.

* Menus are really cool. I like the CGI animation that takes us the bonus features menu a lot. Almost feels like a ride (and the beautiful green grass and the yellow and blue swirls of the tents and those neon balloons). Really amazing. Could have used some animation inside too, though (like a moving, rousing crowd of some sort). But the music is original and I like the use of different little themes throughout the menu. They stay basically just a couple of different kinds (where I believe Robin Hood: Most Wanted had the largest number of different cues) but they're good.


-Film Value: A+

Comments
For more than a year now, I have considered this Disney's finest film. That they have ever made. Basically... it's almost like I had to go from Bambi to this film (early '09 or late '08) to finally see how one film so praised has always left me cold and still does, and how the other actually does warm my (very icy) heart. My VHS viewing prior to getting this DVD was the first time I had ever found Dumbo to be cute. And the first time I knew why I felt bad for his mother. And the first time I wasn't bored and the film felt mature. The entire film worked and I didn't find a flaw. Well, I watched it last week after the DVD came in the mail and... My appreciation for the film has reached a new high. It's a sophisticated, seriously witty film. With impressive artistic ambitions. For example, if the crows are seen by any as stereotypical... look closer. They're not bullies. They're not mean-spirited either. Nor are they given a free pass to say anything they want without consequence. They're well-animated, smart, supportive (when they realize they've been insensitive- though they didn't mean to be), perceptive, and very open-minded. There's something to be said for the way they really look at everything. We only really get to see the leader. And what he does with his eyes (or what the animators do) is a great example of how smart the movie is too. It's funny and says he's clued-in and suggests a thinking pattern more complex than most Disney supporting characters.

It's also a very adult film. Because it celebrates artistic anarchy. Not just in the obvious "Pink Elephants on Parade" scene- though that is the best example. The clowns are another chief example. This is Disney's maddest film. Not angry- we're talking insane. And I loved every crazy minute of the craziest things that you see taking place. When the clowns perform their big number- the amount of good gags that come out in just a minute and a half is worthy of like some of the best physical comedy I've ever seen. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It worked a nerve, in a way I appreciated like I'd never seen it before. And the pacing here is probably important as well. I've heard the whole thing about Disney's like "$5.00 for a Gag" thing (I think that's what it cost) and they did a lot of this in Snow White and Pinocchio and I think it either dragged the films down a little or dragged them out and made them feel long in the tooth (of course, Snow White is long- 20 minutes more than Dumbo). The pacing here fully compliments the scene. It's supposed to be like hectic and rapid-fire. And you're not really given time to recover enough to notice all the other things going on in the frame of some of these scenes. Did you notice the Peanut Vendor ducks from Dumbo after sucking up peanuts into his trunk, as though he would attack the poor guy? And the actor voicing Timothy the mouse really seems to commit to how unusual the animation of the bubble sequence is.

It's also a cruel film. It pulls no punches. Dumbo, the completely innocent and completely beautiful creature is humiliated (and after the film actually uses the old hag elephants to basically explain to us how that works in the animal world) and physically beaten (you don't have to take that as literally as I do- but he was smacked hard with a wooden board and dropped hard off a considerable height with no regard to his personal safety) to the point of tears. People say it's simple? Some people may look at it and its' production as a form of damage control, so perhaps they're inclined to view it with less respect. But that's criminal, if anyone feels strongly enough to hold on to that view now. It truly isn't that simple at all. It may be rushed technically, but all that shows is that they didn't have time to second-think the function of the movie. Unlike Pinocchio with its' strange subtext that seems to abuse the character (give him unfair advantages one minute and then portray him as hopelessly wayward the next) or any number of bizarrely unreal fairy-tale Princes who nearly appear out of nowhere to whisk the Princess to a happiness, Dumbo is about a character who earns his happy ending and our feeling of hope at the end (in spite of the lack of a traditional villain). It's a guilt-free weeper with no overbearing undercurrent about it. And man- is it funny. For the first time watching this movie, I almost shed a tear thinking about how I was laughing at just how straight-forward the "Pink Elephants on Parade" sequence. It just keeps getting more insane.

It's perfect art. Every square inch. And so many real surprises the whole way through. The hag elephants are harpies and Timothy doesn't get sexist or anything, he just mentions it flat-out. "All they do is gab." The songs are so intelligent. I always hated the "Roustabouts" number before last week. And I saw the lyrics onscreen and my brain was shocked at how smart the song is. And the singing (the physical lengths they go to to add a kind of realism to the "HIKE! HUH!"s and the honest harmonious barroom tone to the chorus). You never expect a Disney movie to challenge your expectations, you expect it to conform. This film refuses to do that. And Dumbo's big emotional eyes doing different things with them, like in the parade sequence when he's confused and almost intimidated by crowd reaction (where his mother can't intervene). Or the eyes of the Pink Elephants. And those smiles when we first see them materializing. Sinister... In a movie with no supernatural story elements. At the same time, they seem to be glamorizing being drunk and making it look like a nightmare. Or a trip. And the elephants have so many different personalities too. One of them, in bed, is scared to see the others surrounding him overhead. The amount of attention to detail in every scene is so astounding. The choice to show shadows (like of all the humans at night through the tent) to communicate exposition. The story gives us a real reason to want to see Dumbo triumph. And it's not all sap either. We get just the right amount of heart and it doesn't insult our intellect in the meantime.


-Video: B+

Colors really are the most important thing. And they're just vibrant enough altogether. The backgrounds in some shots need some work. The brighter the colors, the more they pop (and they do- especially the various shades of blue, green, and yellow). But some darker shots (with the tent in the background) look stunning. For some reason-especially the one where the Ring Leader gets dunked into the water barrel and stands up. And the "Pink Elephants" sequence looks great as well.


-Audio: A-

All dialogue on Disney DVD's is almost always perfectly, uniformly clear (except for a problem I had on the Three Caballeros: Gold Classic Collection disc during the surreal bullfight at the end - the audio completely shorted out - and a strange distortion on the Robin Hood: Most Wanted disc during Prince John's first conversation with Sir Hiss). But, the music scenes here are incredibly dynamic in sound- unlike Snow White and Bambi. The dialogue is sometimes almost scratchy, but the sound effects are good too (the opening lightning strikes). Only the "Roustabouts" scene feels really underwhelming. I don't know why, but the second they go to the parade scene, the audio gets a huge jolt up and becomes incredibly lively.


-Extras: D+

Comments
I'm positive this movie has never been given the Platinum Edition treatment it's and we've always deserved. Maybe even more insulting is that Fantasia got such a large documentary, even more than Snow White. Which that film deserved, but Dumbo gets 14 minutes. That's it. It's not impossible to give this film more attention and examination. It's only an okay featurette at best. The photo gallery also feels skinny and malnourished. There's got to be more than this in the vaults. I do however appreciate the bonus shorts (Elmer is excellent! The Flying Mouse is average) and the much short-er Walt TV Introduction. Again, another audio commentary I've avoided (the only one I've sat through is Sleeping Beauty- a good one too). The Music & More section is a total waste. The DisneyPedia game is really insulting... but the clips they show us are very cool. And the animation actually reminds me of real amusement parks / carnivals I've been to (if that makes any sense, since it's actually a circus- which I don't think I've ever been to). One last thing to mention... Dumbo's Big Discovery. It's stupid on almost every single level. But... I really love how freaky that music is. It is- anyone else notice?? Especially the 55 second piece that plays at the end. Sounds like a tight-rope walking tune from some heady mid-80's thing from some European country. I love it!! But, overall- a highly disappointing batch. There just has to be more in the Vault than this.

Bump?

SmartAleck25 wrote:Bump?

Yeah, what's Bambi's final report card? And what dvd is next? (Doesn't have to be chronological.)

I want to be part of this tread do i have to give letters or can i give numbers, here in holland we give numbers

For Bambi
Presentation: A-(or 8 ) nice cover and priint on dvd, but unfortunately no slipcover
http://www.magiadisney.it/cover/Cover-BambiES.jpg we have different cover then the regio 1
Film: A(9)
Video: A-(8 the pictures look nice and cleen)
Audio: A-(8 audio sounds fine, not great but fine)
Extras: A(9, one of the earlier platinas wich contained much more extras as the ones release these days)

btw isnt the diamond edition dumbo dvd released yet in the states? in holland it is, not sure if the blu-ray is as well but the dvd looks great, but has not much extras though.

I haven't posted in this thread (it started at a point when I was pretty busy with other things, and I've since just glanced over it), but I'm going to now. I'll review a few of the releases that others have already covered, as well as Bambi (which has yet to receive a final grade).

Bambi
Obviously, this is the Platinum Edition. Again, two years have passed since I last put this in.

Cover Art: A- (UK/international version), B- (US version)
The UK/international cover art was different (link here), and though it has floating head syndrome, I really like it. Maybe that's because green is my favourite colour? Possibly. But I also think that it shows the forest as a warm, loving place, and doesn't make the film seem too brash. The US cover (I have the UK copy, FYI) is okay, but it seems a bit Lion-Kingish (rising sun over the horizon, Bambi standing extremely proudly over the forest etc).

Film: B+
A real beauty. It doesn't use a strict narrative, in fact, aside from the scarier/darker moments, it's an all round quiet film. The art and animation is stunning in its impressionistic beauty. It may have some overly cute little animals jumping around in it, but it makes up for it by having the gut to confront the fact that every so often, these cute little animals are essentially cyphers against dangerous external forces. Sure, it's easy to be cynical about the film overall, but it's a real winner.

Video: A
Juicy and fresh, like a real forest (or perhaps a venison supper? ). Though there still are a few artefacts and grain here and there, it's nothing major (it may actually be welcome as it proves the movie was actually shot on film stock, and grain can have a slight beauty of its own).

Audio: B+
I listened to the original mono mix (as it was originally recorded). Very good.

Extras: A-
The extras are really given a backbone by the Walt's story meetings section. Part audio commentary, part re-enactment, either way, it really shows how the film was fashioned. The other segments are fine. The Making Of is fairly standard, but informative, and the restoration clip was interesting. It's a shame that only the original trailer appears (the laserdisc reputably had a 1988 reissue trailer), but that's no big deal.



And now for some that have already been ranked and rated, which I'll do for fun...



Dumbo
This is based on the 60th Anniversary Edition, which I'll admit to last watching two years ago. I could easily get the upcoming 70th Anniversary Edition as well, as it's already available in Europe.

Film: A-
Most certainly one of the true Disney classics. Apt proof that story can really make a film. The animation may be crude in places, and the art direction may not be as breathtaking as its contemporaries (Pinocchio, Bambi, Fantasia etc), but it really is one of the most engaging and heartwarming of the Disney films, and features some of the best Disney songs ("When I See An Elephant Fly", "Baby Mine" and "Casey Junior"). My only gripe would possibly be the Pink Elephants segment. Yes, it's fun, but it detracts from the plot quite a bit.

Cover Art: B+
Cute yet simple; it shows the stars of the film in all their glory without resorting to using a shot of Dumbo flying like a lot of other posters and covers of the film have. I like the silhouette of Casey Jr running along the top, too.

Video: C+
Not too bad, just a bit blah compared to the transfers of other old Disney films. Compared to them, it's a bit grainy and washed out, and looks a bit zoomed in. Having said that, I believe that the newest edition (70th Anniversary, only available so far in Europe) is up to the levels of the other restorations (Pinocchio, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty etc).

Audio: B
Can't really comment as I last watched it two years ago and can't really think of anything to say about it.

Extras: B+
Though obviously somewhat light compared to the newest edition or the two-disc Platinum/Masterpiece/Anniversary editions of other films, there's still much on offer. The best here is the audio commentary by John Canemaker, who gives enough information on the making of the actual film. The "Celebrating Dumbo" feature is essentially just praise for the film, but the trailers, art galleries, TV introduction and clip from The Reluctant Dragon are all welcome.

Peter Pan
Platinum. Again, two years have passed since I last put it in.

Cover Art: B+
Again, floating head syndrome, but it shows Neverland and the world of Peter Pan in its entirety as opposed to showing just pockets of it like a lot of covers have tended to do.

Film: A+
One of my real favourites. In fact, I don't want to review it as I think that I'd just sound like an obsessive fanboy.

Video: A-
I liked it, though I can understand why some may not (then again, saying "I prefer the 1990 VHS" is not really valid criticism). The colour palette is truly different to what a lot of people were expecting, but I think it gives the film an organic feel overall, especially as it involves a lot of lush greens. Plus, the Lost Boys don't have green faces during the "You're Mother and Mine" section like in the 2002 DVD.

Audio: B+
Can't really remember, but good enough.

Extras: C-
You can tell that they really pushed this forward to tie it in to the Tinker Bell films (and ironically, the first Tinker Bell film got pushed back a year due to it having story problems, making this rushed release semi-redundant ). Though the new documentaries are really appreciated ("The Peter Pan That Never Was" and "Why I Made Peter Pan"), the release seems more than lazy. In fact, worse than any other Platinum Edition, which is tragic. Moreover, what was the "Read Along" thing all about? Had it been a read along similar to the old book and tapes, then I'd be accepting, but it's basically just the whole film with subtitles; couldn't they just add the "read along track" as optional subtitles on Disc 1? I think that the only reason for them adding it to Disc 2 was to pad it out, which is just depressing. The "Virtual Flight to Neverland" was annoying, and I was horrified at the fact that they could make new games but add no trailers, which surely are lying around somewhere (even re-release trailers would be welcome). They didn't even bother making a new Making Of, though the fact that the old one was still there (along with the commentary) is tolerable. Overall, a real waste. But hey, I'll forgive, as every Disney fan must do when they boob up every so often.

Bambi Report Card:

Presentation: A-
Film: B
Video: A
Audio: A-
Extras: A-

Overall Grade: A- (83.6%)

Scoreboard:

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: A (93.4%)
2. Beauty and the Beast: A-(88%)
3. Pocahontas A- (84.3%)
4. Bambi A- (83.6%)
5. Dumbo B+ (82.4%)
6. Princess and the Frog B+ (81.8%)
7. Peter Pan: B+ (78.4%)

Next: Mulan: Special Edition

Mulan

Film: A-
Out of the films from the latter half of the 90s, I'd say that this is the best, and probably up there with the films from the first half of the decade. Mulan is a character with whom one can really empathise. The animation and art direction is gorgeous (it's recognisably Disney but with an Oriental twang to it), and the songs are pleasing. What perhaps makes it just slip the grade ever so slightly is the fact that Eddie Murphy's Mushu character is a bit annoying. Not nearly as much as the gargoyles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, granted, but he is still used a bit too much in excess, especially in the more serious scenes.

Cover art: C
Meh...I preferred the original VHS cover (which was used for the Limited Issue and Gold Collection), as it really gave a sense of power and majesty. This one is essentially just a cut n' paste job. Needless to say, let's not judge a DVD by its cover.

Video: A
Good. I understand that the second half of the film has really problematic compression issues in Region 1, though (in the PAL regions, though, hardly).

Audio: A
Fine.

Extras: B+
Overall good, even if broken up into bits and lacking a real "play all" option. One thing that is annoying is the lack of trailers, though. Even the one would be fine, Disney.

Mulan

Film: A
I often overlook it when I try to think of my favorite Disney films (past my top 10) and that generally allows me to be pleasantly surprised whenever I decide to watch it and realize just how great it really is. It's got a terrific score by Jerry Goldsmith, some fairly decent but unbalanced songs (I always find it funny that halfway through the film, "A Girl Worth Fighting For" stops abruptly, as does any lyrical songs until the credits), and superb animation. Some of the characters fall into the formula Disney got itself into, but at least they're still interesting. Mushu is still growing on me, I don't think I'll ever really like him. Overall, it's a movie that always surprises me whenever I watch it.

Cover art: -
I don't care about the cover.

Video: A
Can't go wrong with a digital transfer of CAPS. I've never really noticed any compression problems that Wondy talked about, though I haven't seen the movie in over a year.

Audio: A
Can't complain.

Extras: B-
The commentary is excellent, and the featurettes likely would have been too. However, they were too segmented and lacking any input from the voice cast. It felt more like 13 pieces of pie, but from different pans. It felt slightly lighter than other two-disc sets of 2004 (including the excellent Aladdin that came out a few weeks previous). There were no trailers, which is disappointing as I remember the teaser trailer had pencil animation (and I think it's on the Gold Collection disc). Haven't seen the deleted scenes in awhile, so I can't comment.

albert

MULAN

Film: B

One of the best Disney films of the 1990's. It's a lot higher on my list than the much praised, but overhyped Lion King. The film tends to be overlooked, and that's undeserved, because there's not a single bad element in it. The animation is even much better than it was in such movies like Little Mermaid or Aladdin. The reason I don't give it an A, is because the movie, overall, is too much a product of the 'Disney formula' of the 1990's. It lacks the originality and freshness of the so-called Fab Four. It feels like: "got the strong heroine? Check. Got the animal sidekick? Check. Got the Broadway-styled music score? Check. Got the celebrity voice? Check." Don't get me wrong: it's a very good film. But not A-list material.

Cover art, Audio and Video: all A.

Bonus features: C+

I completely agree with what Escapay has written, especially the part about the pieces of pie. Couldn't have said it better myself. Left me with an unsatisfied feeling. The dvd badly needed a coherent 'making of'.

Mulan: Special Edition
Film: A+
Cover: B
Video: A+
Audio: A+
Extras: A-

Ok, so I have been away for a while....but I just took a little time to look at what other people have posted, and eventhough I'm late, I would like to post my grades for some of the dvds that have been graded already. So here we go.

Beauty and the Beast Report Card:

Presentation: C

The layout isn't bad, but this is just a very poor tracing of the art from the original VHS cover. Whoever traced this, didn't fully understand the image he/she was tracing. And where is Cogsworth? I will tell you where he is: in the original cover, he was partially blocked by Lumiere, and apparently, they were too lady to redraw him by himself for this cover. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Film: A-

From a film standpoint, this is as good as Disney gets. I'm not giving it an A+ for 3 reasons. 1) the animation at times could be improved. 2) How dare they go back and add a song which was completely pointless to begin with and destroy the rhythm of this film? (the original Human Again included the library scenes, as well as Something There scenes, so the original version wasn't as pointless). 3) The fact that the original UN-TAMPERED cut of the film isnt included.

Video: D

Compression artifact plague this film. On top of that, the colors have been severely modified. But what bothers me the most is the cropping of the image to be 1.78:1. Looking at comparisons on posts on here, we are losing LOTS of the image. And to the directors: I saw the movie twice in theaters when it was originally released. And no, it wasn't cropped like this.

Audio: A

No issues here.

Extras: A-

Really a great collection is extras. Having the Work in Progress version is worthy of great praise. There is plenty to be learned, and plenty to see and hear. Only problem is some of the navigation...same chunks of the documentary can be accessed from the mrs.potts section and from the Lumiere+cogsworth section. A bit hard to make sure you;ve seen it all.

Princess and the Frog Report Card:

Presentation: B

Characters are fairly on-model, but the layout is very peculiar. Why is she laying down on the floor? And why do they keep pushing her in that COSTUME??? Lets not forget that that dress belongs to Charlotte, and goes with CHARLOTTE's fantasies of becoming a princess. Tiana doesn't have such fantasies.

Film: B-

Not a bad try, but not close to Disney's best, mainly because of story issues. The whole section in the middle in the swamp seems forced and Tiana and Naveen's relationship seems rushed. Also, Tiana's quest is too mundane: she needs MONEY for her restaurant? Other main character's quests are usually about broadening their horizons or finding a loved one...this one is about...money. Fullfilling her father's wish as well...but mainly money it seems. Also, the contemporary setting makes me less likely to believe all this magic can happen... The animation is sometimes weak as well... Songs range from Ok to terrible...and some of them even fall into "unnecessary" (ahem...Going Down the Bayou???)

Video: A

No issues there.

Audio: A

No issues there either.

Extras: C+

Here is the problem. The DvD extras are pathetic. Again, Disney is desperately trying for people to buy blu rays. Had Disney given me the option of a two disc dvd set with all the extras, I would have been happy to pay more!
The blu ray has some good extras, PARTICULARLY the pencil test version of the entire film. That alone is worth extra money to me!

Bambi: I don;t have it. Frankly, I;ve never cared for it.

Dumbo: Waiting for the 70th anniversary edition

Mulan Report Card:

Presentation: A-

I don't love it, but I don't mind it. Which is a lot for a cover created in the past several years. The original dvd cover was a bit more clever (with the sword reflecting her as a boy)...but oh well. Why couldn't they just use the original release poster? That was gorgeous.

Film: B

Very good movie, but not great. It like having feminism shoved down one's throat. A little subtlety would have been nice. I also hate that the movie ends with a pop tune...and that Eddie Murphy exists. In this movie or otherwise. The villain here is also not the best...he has a issue with China in general, not with Mulan in particular, which makes that a fairly weak relationship.

Video: A

Looks great

Audio: A+

Great sound, plenty of languages, and kudos for including the chinese dub.

Extras: A-
Very good for a non-platinum dvd. Doesn't get a full A from me cause the pencil tests are not very abundant and they look a bit washed out.

Presentation: B--
Mulan looks a bit off model, and I don't really think the cover captures the spirit of the film. I agree with Wondy that the VHS cover is so much better.

Film: A+
This was one of my childhood favorites growing up, and it's still one of my favorites (but not quite a Lion King for me). I just love the breathtaking scenery, engaging characters, AMAZING songs, and some of the most memorable scenes in Disney history. I love the calligraphy painted title sequence, the chilling Hun attack, all of the song scenes, "Pour the tea"
, and the great ending. I actually love Eddie Murphy as Mushu, I find him humorous, and Cri-kee's just plain awesome. This is one of the funniest Disney movies to me. Mulan is a very strong heroine, the best Disney princess in my opinion. I love all the little Chinese allusions here and there. I've never really liked the pop song ending, it kind of took away from the majesty of the film. I personally think that Mulan 2 is the most disgraceful thing with Disney on it ever. All of the characters become shallow and teen gossipy, there's never any real drama, and the whole romance "listen to your heart" thing seemed like a rip-off from Pocahontas (whose sequel was almost even worse, but not quite). Overall, an amazing film, and one of my favorites.

Video: A
Can't complain. Not perfect, though.

Audio: A+
Love the soundtrack, everything is nice and clear.

Can't comment on the extras, since I don't have it, I only borrowed it like 5 months ago and I didn't look at them.

Presentation: B
The cover works, but it definitely isn't a favourite of mine. And Mulan looks a bit off model.

Film: A
I love, love, love this film. The music is wonderful, the characters are like-able, and the plot-line is interesting. The only downside if that there seems to be an overflow of Mushu- he was used too much. And like SmartAleck said, the calligraphy opening is lovely.

Video: A
I can't complain.

Audio: A
Again, can't complain.

I can't really judge the extras, because I've never really had the chance to watch them all very thoroughly.

Mulan

Presentation: B
The cover and disc art is just alright, and the brushstroke menu works well enough. Nothing to complain about.

Film: A-
This movie is very under-appreciated. Coming from the smaller-then untested Disney Animation Studios Florida and being produced on a shoe string budget (when compared to what features at the sister studio were costing), some were surprised when it ended up being a major sleeper hit. To bad it doesn't garner nearly as much attention as some of the other (inferior) Renaissance productions have. Great animation, pretty decent story, strong/likable female protagonist, the villain is actually threatening, Mushu isn't nearly as annoying as some other sidekicks have been, the score is fantastic (RIP Jerry Goldsmith) and the songs range from great to meh. It's really a crime that this gets overshadowed by movies like Pocahontas.

Video: A
Direct digital transfer from the original CAPS source in the original aspect ratio. Any fault with the picture (e.g. compression artifacts, color banding, etc.) is most likely a weakness of the format.

Audio: A
Sounded good to me. I don't know exactly what the original source was like but I can't imagine it sounding much better then it does here.

Extra's: B
Copy and paste what Escapay has already said, with the additional note that I've seen the deleted scenes and I'm glad they were excised from the final film. I'd love to see a storyboard version of this film included as I can't get enough of Chris Sanders' boards.