Disney's Hercules (1 Viewer)

[Craig Beam]

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the omnibus titles, partially because of the historical context from which they sprang. I particularly love Melody Time and Make Mine Music (probably because I connect them to Fantasia)... definite purchase for me. Hopefully your prediction comes true, Dick.....

 

[mattCR]

And here, we all can pick up Hercules and Atlantis + Lilo and Stitch today

 

[Mike Frezon]

And here, we all can pick up Hercules and Atlantis + Lilo and Stitch today

Kansas got its own blu release of Hercules, Matt?

 

[Ejanss]

Kansas got its own blu release of Hercules, Matt?

As a Hercules fan who can't stand Hunchback (a 90-minute Disney Theatrical commercial for the next year's stage musical), please don't tell me he got them a wee bit confused...

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Yup. It's Atlantis, Lilo & Stitch and Emperor's New Groove. No Hunkules as yet.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I received my Blu-ray of Hercules I ordered from Amazon.uk in today's mail.

Am watching it right now. It is absolutely gorgeous. The colors are beautiful. The image is crystal clear.

And the DTS HD-MA 5.1 is fabulous. It doesn't seem embellished at all (like any of the controversial Disney home theater mixes)...but the sound effects go flying around the room depending upon their position on screen. Directional dialogue. The music sounds great. The 5.1 is VERY active! and there's even a fair amount of LFE in play.

What a total improvement over that old DVD.

If you have been wanting this as long as I have...order it today.

I have recently picked up a number of UK Disney titles...including Aladdin, 101 Dalmatians and Tarzan. They are slim on features...but all I really need are the films. For example, Hercules only has two special features: Go the Distance music video with Ricky Martin and The Making of Hercules.

Hercules was just released in the UK this week and they got it into my hands today. Nice.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Hah! I just watched the Ricky Martin music video.

It was like I was transported to the early 90s and watching a VHS tape. The bleeding colors, the jagged edges, the fuzziness--all in 4:3. Sigh.

The same is true of the "making of" feature.

But what a contrast to the beautiful transfer of the film in HD. WHAT a contrast!

 

[Matt Hough]

Since Disney released so many of their second-tier animation titles this year, I feel sure that Hercules and Tarzan (neither of which I consider second-tier) will come out in 2014 along with titles Disney considers A-list: 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book.

I'd order the UK versions right now if I wasn't sure Disney would release them for review next year.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I understand that, Matt.

And I even understand those folks who will just wait until these titles are released in the US.

But, honestly, its such a good value and without even an announcement that any of these titles are coming anytime soon... This is just to let people know that if they CAN'T wait, there's no need to. Tarzan is another one of these titles I have watched and especially enjoyed.

I don't order a LOT of titles from the UK (I can think of a few off the top of my head: Sweeney Todd, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) but the ones I have have all been quite a treat.

And, keep in mind, I DON'T have a multi-region player. These are all region-free titles.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the omnibus titles, partially because of the historical context from which they sprang. I particularly love Melody Time and Make Mine Music (probably because I connect them to Fantasia)... definite purchase for me. Hopefully your prediction comes true, Dick.....

If they're going to release Melody Time and Make Mine Music (which I think would make a great 2 Movie Collection release), they should release them uncensored, restoring the cigarette gags for Pecos Bill in Melody Time and restoring the Martins and the Coys segment to Make Mine Music. If they want to do disclaimers a la Pinocchio before the menu loads, I'm totally cool with that, but the uncensored versions are the ones that should be released.

 

[Matt Hough]

If they're going to release Melody Time and Make Mine Music (which I think would make a great 2 Movie Collection release), they should release them uncensored, restoring the cigarette gags for Pecos Bill in Melody Time and restoring the Martins and the Coys segment to Make Mine Music. If they want to do disclaimers a la Pinocchio before the menu loads, I'm totally cool with that, but the uncensored versions are the ones that should be released.

I certainly agree with that. They've used that smoking PSA in many of their releases over the past few years, so there's no reason they couldn't use it with those two fine films restored in their entirety.

 

[Mark-W]

I also purchased several Disney animated titles (e.g. 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin) from the UK that are not region locked. I passed on Tarzan because of report of image issues (I think it was reported as flickering.). I would be curious what it looks like to you, MIke, when you get around to watching it.

I received my Blu-ray of Hercules I ordered from Amazon.uk in today's mail.

Am watching it right now. It is absolutely gorgeous. The colors are beautiful. The image is crystal clear.

And the DTS HD-MA 5.1 is fabulous. It doesn't seem embellished at all (like any of the controversial Disney home theater mixes)...but the sound effects go flying around the room depending upon their position on screen. Directional dialogue. The music sounds great. The 5.1 is VERY active! and there's even a fair amount of LFE in play.

What a total improvement over that old DVD.

If you have been wanting this as long as I have...order it today.

I have recently picked up a number of UK Disney titles...including Aladdin, 101 Dalmatians and Tarzan. They are slim on features...but all I really need are the films. For example, Hercules only has two special features: Go the Distance music video with Ricky Martin and The Making of Hercules.

Hercules was just released in the UK this week and they got it into my hands today. Nice.

 

[battlebeast]

There are a handful of movies Disney seems to have either forgotten about or relegates to the corner for some reason: Hercules, Hunchback and Treasure Planet comes to mind. A lot of other releases from the era recieved two disc Collector's Edition releases alongside the original DVD (Dinosaur, Emperor's New Groove, Tarzan, Atlantis) or got a 2 disc edition for an anniversary (Mulan, Pocahontas). Perhaps Disney sees Hercules as a "lesser" title because it didn't catch fire at the box office like most of their other movies?(I'd love to see Atlantis on Blu-ray. That would look awesome!)

This is EXACTLY what they think. Treasure Planet, Hercules, Atlantis, all didn't make waves like, say, Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin, or, to a lesser extent, Lilo and Stitch.

Atlantis and Groove got 2-discers because that was Disney's policy at the time, but that policy was cancelled before they got to Lilo and Stitch (one of, if not my favorite), Although it did eventaully get a 2-disc set.

I too am waiting patiently for a Hercules upgrade; I loved the picture and especially the songs. Alan Menken does it again!

 

[Jason_V]

I know absolutely nothing, but I have to think Disney will have all of its animated theatrical fare out on BD within the next two years or so. They drop "waves" of release a few times a year. They have to know Hercules is high on a lot of people's lists...heck, higher than things they've already released. They may keep Hercules locked up til the 20th anniversary in 2017. It's the next "big" one (15th was last year).

Hercules, Black Cauldron and Tarzan, for starters, need R1 BD releases at this point.

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm surprised Tarzan hasn't surfaced yet over here. It was a much bigger hit than many of the animated titles released on Blu-ray since its inception.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I also purchased several Disney animated titles (e.g. 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin) from the UK that are not region locked. I passed on Tarzan because of report of image issues (I think it was reported as flickering.). I would be curious what it looks like to you, MIke, when you get around to watching it.

Mark: I have already watched Tarzan. I was quite excited to get it.

First off--this disclaimer: I am not the most critical of viewers. I am much more discerning in terms of audio in terms of knowing when things are done well or screwed up. I just don't understand all the issues that can arise in a video transfer. I sometimes watch a Blu-ray release and later read pages of criticism here on the HTF about DNR and other issues of which I am totally ignorant (maybe blissfully so) and wonder "what did I miss?"

But I thoroughly enjoyed the Blu-ray of Tarzan. You know how rich and deep those jungle images are. Well, they really popped out on my home set-up. I'm viewing on a signal passed from a Pioneer Elite 62-FD through a Denon AVR-790 to a Panasonic 55ST50 Plasma.

I had pretty much the same reaction to Tarzan as I did to Hercules. The colors were vivid, the picture was crystal clear and the animation really looked terrific.

In fact, the opening sequence "Two Worlds, One Family" is one of my favorite opening sequences. So much plot conveyed within the confines of one song and inspired animation. It could be compared to the fabled opening of Up. The animation really stands out as top notch. The rays of sunlight dancing in and out of the thick, dense jungle foliage...the ship's burning...all so vivid and beautifully rendered.

Anyway, to me it all looks great. I see nothing that looks like flickering or problems of any kind.

I'll be keeping my 2-disc CE DVD for all the bonus features. But I think the film on Blu-ray can't be beat. And although not an expert on these things either, I doubt the US transfer would differ from the UK version much--if at all.

 

[Jason_V]

I'll be keeping my 2-disc CE DVD for all the bonus features. But I think the film on Blu-ray can't be beat. And although not an expert on these things either, I doubt the US transfer would differ from the UK version much--if at all.

No matter what happens, I'm keeping the 2 disc CE's of Dinosaur, Tarzan, Emperor's New Groove and Atlantis. It was a nightmare trying to find them initially and I'm not parting with them. Others, like Mulan, Pocahontas, etc. I've ended up selling. They were in every store and very easy to find. The others? Not so much.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Emperor's New Groove is one where you have to keep the 2-disc CE, because of its exhaustive record of its tortuous production history. The only thing missing from that set (and only because it postdates the DVD's release) is Trudi Styler's documentary The Sweatbox, Maybe with all the changes at Disney animation these days, that film might get released now, but I'm not holding my breath.