DVD Review HTF REVIEW: The Lion King (TOTALLY RECOMMENDED!!!) (1 Viewer)

[Sean Frost]

David, that was a great review. I also heard there was an audio glitch. Did you notice anything like that besides the pause where it branches?

 

[ChrisKe]

Has anyone received the gift set yet? If so, can they please let us know what is in the book included and how many pages etc?

CK

 

[Bill Burns]

Great review, Dave. I had a nice laugh from the sly Dune reference, by the way.

While my set-up is such that A/Bing the CAV laserdisc and the new DVD would be a royal pain, I do recall something interesting from the CAV commentary others might look for on the DVD. During one sequence in the film (I've forgotten just where), a red bit of cloth is dangling on-screen (I believe from a ledge or perhaps a character on a ledge). I think this involves Simba's journey into hyena territory, but don't quote me on that. At any rate, on the old CAV laserdisc, the red "popped" to a different shade during the scene, and the animators commented on that on their track, explaining that it was an error in the original cell animation which they did not have the time and money to fix prior to the film's release to theatres.

If the commentary on the DVD is new, and if the new IMAX animation fixed this (as I'd expect it would), no such comment would appear. If the track is old, the comments might have been edited from it if the animation has been fixed, in which case there should be no screen-specific comment during this section. If the track is old and unedited, the related comments would make no sense if the animation has been fixed. Many possibilities, but that may be a point worthy of note as anyone attempts a comparison between the tracks, and once I've watched the DVD with commentary I can of course comment on whether they comment.

Once again, Dave -- great job.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Bill,

Thanks for getting my Dune reference...I was hoping someone would notice. You will have sanctuary in my tribe

We had a Lion-King movie night last night and Rapheal (another HTF member) brought over the CAV LD set and one of our objectives was to verify conclusively if the commentary was the same on the DVD or different. Well...wouldn't you know it...when I had set the laserdisc player up at my friend's house and we had configured the Lexicon processor...*naturally* we only configured the digital input coming from the LD player...after all...why bother with the analog outputs from the LD machine...right?

I had completely fogotten that those analog tracks were where the audio commentaries usually live on LD but remembered rather quickly last night when trying to switch audio soundtracks on the LD player to no avail. :frowning:

Raphael is barrowing the DVD and will do an in-depth comparison of the SE material as well as confirm the nature of the commentary. The scene you mention should be an excellent point to compare. I'm very curious about that too now that you bring it up.

David, that was a great review. I also heard there was an audio glitch. Did you notice anything like that besides the pause where it branches?

The layer-like break (anyone know if it *is* a layer break or not?) right after the morning report scene where the two versions "branch back together" looks/feels like a normal layer break...which means that it would cause the audio to mute for a fraction of a second or two (it did on my panny rp91). I think that's some folks may have reported as an "audio glitch"...they're really just noticing the auido pause momentarily during the "layer break". Depending on your player, it's no different that the normal audio pause/glitch you experience during a normal layer break on any other DVD.

My assumption is that maybe the two versions start on layer one each with their own video stream (not multi-angle, but rather two separate branches) and then they hit the layer break and share the same video stream for the rest of the movie on layer two. This places the layer break oddly close the to beginning of the movie...my suspician is that most of the extra SE stuff on disc one is actually contained on layer one and that layer two is dedicated to the bulk of the film. Again, this is all an assumption of mine based on the very real "layer change" pause I'm seeing right after the morning report. I think BB&TB also used a layer-change to mark the beginning/end of a branching stream.

-dave

 

[Jeff Adams]

Thanks for the great review again. I can't wait till next Tuesday. I was talking to my wife about this dvd and she told me to calm down, it is only a dvd. But from your review, this will be THE DVD!

 

[Bill Williams]

Well done, David! I've definitely got this DVD on my want list for October!

For me the power of the film comes in that first sequence with the birth of Simba. That's worth the price of admission right there for me!

 

[Tim Glover]

Great review David! Wow!

That review has warped my fragile little mind!

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Jeff,

have you gotten the "if only you cared about me as much as you do your DVDs" lecture?

 

[Tommy G]

Great review David. This will be a pickup for me on release date.

 

[Brendon]

A splendid review and no mistake - forgot to drink my coffee I was so wrapped up in reading! My mother always gets me to spin the Circle of Life section from the laserdisc, as she adores the song as it sounds on my system. She's never watched the full film for some reason....

Given the quality of the PCM LD soundtrack (I don't have an AC3 capable player) and the extras on the LD boxset, I'll keep it as a "compliment" to the DVD version.

Can't wait!!!!!!!!!

Bren

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Geez, David, are you going to review any discs you hate??

 

[Lyle_JP]

"6 out of 5"... is it me or is that destined to be a classic line?

"Yes, but, this one goes to 11."

-Lyle J.P.

 

[Gui A]

So I take it Zazu's menu navigation tips are not voiced by Rowan Atkinson?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

So I take it Zazu's menu navigation tips are not voiced by Rowan Atkinson?

You take it correctly! Either that or his voice changed a lot over the last decade...

 

[RAF]

David,

C'mon, seriously. Tell us what you really think. Stop waffling!

 

[Roogs Benoit]

Great review David!
I pre-ordered two copies and now I have to get the gift set too. I hope the dvd is as good as your review. Can't wait and I think my kids might even get to watch it with me.

Roogs

 

[Dan Brecher]

anyone know if it *is* a layer break or not?

It is, yes, and your assumption is spot on. For both cuts of the film, everything up to and including that scene is on Layer 1 (or Layer 0 as my Sony deems it) of the DVD. Then, again for both cuts, it switches to the next layer thereafter.

This layout would also indicate then that the second layer contains two alternate titles for the different end credits both cuts of the film carry. Whilst both on the first layer, the alternate opening titles are set to title 35 for the special edition, and 36 for the theatrical. The same title designations remain for the film's end credits.

Dan

 

[Jeffrey_K]

Great review. My wife pre-ordered "The Lion King" and "Finding Nemo" for our kids a few weeks ago and that's beginning to look like a great move! I can't wait to try the EFHT track. Thanks for the great review.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Wonder if we'll get a EFHT track for Nemo???

In any case...I *WANT* DTS!!

Thanks Dan for confirming about the layer-break issue!!

BTW, once you fellas get this DVD in hand, PLEASE post your impressions back here...and disclose your video/auido system components/setup with the group. One thing I'd love to know is if anyone else is seeing the "noisy red/brown" in the lion's mane that I noticed on my direct-view. I've got my fingers crossed that it's my TV...or at least mostly my TV...

 

[Dan Brecher]

I'm still very much on the fence with the whole Enhanced for Home Theatre mix. I like it up front, I don't overly like it in the surrounds.

I don't know where you side on this, David, but whilst Disney tries to sell it as a mix designed to make the best of one's home theatre set up, I can't help but feel the reality is that it's little more than a "this is how we would have done the 5.1 had the movie been released today" kind of approach, fueled by the desires of the ever more demanding customer.

With this feeling in mind, I would be curious to see if Brother Bear carries an enhanced mix next year on DVD, because there is no real reason in my opinion to offer such an option on more contemporary movies that carry more active mixes upon their initial release. Again I just feel all this hyperbole surrounding the 'enhanced mix' serves only to satisfy those who crave that little bit more from a 5.1 presentation in this day in age. I therefore can't picture any of their post mid-90s features ever getting such a treatment.

It goes without saying a lot of people love an active 5.1 presentation. We’re living at a time where people are mad enough to still buy DVDs on the basis of their AV quality alone in their want to show off their set ups. An awful lot of people love constant activity in a 5.1 mix, and Lion King's 'home theatre' mix does a good job of that, but I just find it lacks a lot of subtlety which I find more endearing in a discrete mix than I do constant directionality across all channels and overblown LFE.

The Enhanced Home Theatre track vs the original Dolby reminds me somewhat of the age old Dolby vs DTS debate in so much as, if someone hears a comparison and is unaware of the technicalities involved, like for example a DTS track can come from an alternate six track master, then they hear different, and they immediately (and rather naively) interpret different to equal superior. In that respect I suppose I don’t find the enhanced mix on The Lion King at all superior, only different. Therein lies the beauty of choice I suppose, and I do applaud Disney for including the original 5.1 in there. I believe a number of people will be quite divided in their audio preference with this disc.

Dan (UK)