- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,424
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
I'm covering Disney's new Blu-ray releases of Hercules (1997) and Tarzan (1999) together, for the dual purpose of saving time, and getting word out as quickly as possible as to the quality of these new Blu-rays.
The Disney organization has stepped to the fore in the archival world for constantly returning, not to dupes or even to original printing negatives, where production was digital, but back to their film's foundations. Last one that amazed me was Mary Poppins.
For this alone they should be supported for their efforts, and those efforts known by the Blu-ray buying public.
Hercules and Tarzan are each currently available via Amazon for $18, which based alone on the effort and cost of creating these releases, also demands to be recognized.
CAPS, which was Disney's proprietary digital ink and paint system, first used for a feature for a sequence in The Little Mermaid (1989). It was used through around 2003-4, with a final count of less than twenty feature films, but representing some of the best of the era.
Both Hercules and Tarzan were CAPS productions, yielding 2k resolution.
Here's where things get interesting.
I'm not a believer in the sustainability of digital elements, unless they are handled very carefully. Most everyone has had problems as digital files age.
Many IP owners would go back to a recorded negative for a Blu-ray release, but that's not the case with Disney. As they had for some of their 3D and IMAX work, their archival staff has returned to the original CAPS files, which means that these Blu-rays are a perfect representation of the original digital artwork.
No intervening film elements, and zero loss -- of anything.
As such, the imagery on these discs is close to miraculous. Detail, resolution, color, shadow detail and black levels are all at absolute levels.
Full use of multi-plane animation throughout the films, yields an almost other-worldly amount of precision and detail, as their are no cells involved in the capture.
Bottom line.
Terrific films. Tarzan may not be fully appropriate for very small children. However, DVDs packaged along with the Blu-rays allows multiple screenings for children of a certain age, away from a family's main Blu-ray home theater setup.
These are releases that could not possibly be any better produced. It is my presumption that what we are seeing is precisely what the animators viewed on their computer screens during final QC.
Image - 5*
Audio - 5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
Very Highly Recommended.
An extra note, I'll request something once again from the folks at Disney. People should know, without having to research, precisely where these films fit into the history of production at Disney.
I'd love to see information as to the actual date of production or release offered on packaging.
RAH