DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Cinderella - 2 disc Platinum Edition - ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECOMMENDED!!! (1 Viewer)

[Al (alweho)]

They have removed the hand-crafted look, I agree with you on that Paul. But after having seen it on the big screen digitally projected I have to agree with Lowery on this - we are really getting an unencumbered look at the artwork. No cell dust, no inking errors, no loss of color due to a less than optimal print, just the art pure and simple.

I have to agree with Robert Harris taking into account Walt Disney's embrace of new technology during his lifetime that this is something that would have been embraced had it been available to him. Besides, as Harris also pointed out, the original negative is now cleaned and preserved, the new version does not replace it in the vault.

I kept my LD set so I can always look back upon the previous video version should I desire to - but having seen the layers of cell dust and errors corrected up on a big screen I cannot say I miss them. I also don't miss the old faded beat-up prints that used to be recycled theatrically every seven years too.

YMMV, of course.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

What type of display do you have? Is it properly calibrated for grayscale and contrast?

Reason I ask is that I was particularly impressed with how NOT over-blown the colors were. If anything...they tended to be less saturated than other modern cartoons (pocahontas, Aladin etc.) and most scenes tended to subtle shades with lots of fine gradation and pastel-hues. Some scenes were very vivid...when the artwork was vivid...but in my system there was quite a range...from sober and pastel to vivid...scene by scene...and it all felt "correct" to the original artwork to my eye.

Let us know more about your system and calibration...I'd like to understand better.

P.S. Don't judge the colors by the (obviously incorrect) VHS and release prints you've seen before. Only audiences who saw an original print of this film projected in its initial run really know what the print was supposed to look like...I've seen many Disney "re-release" prints (like for Snow White) and back in the 70's and 80's they often seemed to lack for quite a bit...so unless a print was struck under strict direction for preservation purposes, trusting a secondary or tertiary (or later) release of this film theatrically isn't necessarily the litmus test of artistic accuracy.

 

[Reagan]

Watched this last night. The whole family enjoyed it - it was the first time for most of us. The picture looked great and appeared to be on the money (colors, grayscale, etc.). Of course, I no reference point. But I have seen oversaturated colors and washed out brightness on other DVDs and I didn't see it here.

About the only thing that's missing is a restoration documentary. I love those things.

Comparing this DVD and the Bambi DVD (both of which were created in the same manner), I'd say Bambi has more picture detail, but that is probably because the backgrounds are more detailed in Bambi. That is, the discs are both just reproducing what's there, but due to stylistic decisions, Bambi lives in a more detailed world than Cinderella.

Finally, I was impressed with just how much information was conveyed by the face of Lady Tremaine. In a way, she's the star of the picture.

A couple of questions:

Does anyone know when Disney stopped shooting their animated features in three strip sequential exposure technicolor? I ask because I'm wondering if (and hoping that) Lady and the Tramp will get a DVD treatment similar to Bambi and Cinderella.

David, I failed to mention how much I enjoyed the personal story you shared about Cinderlla. Is there an Aladdin story? I think you alluded to one in the review.

-Reagan

 

[Cees Alons]

Bright, brilliant, rich and colourful. Note the many "pastels" they used, BTW.


Cees

 

[Reagan]

Cees,

Are you saying the original prints did not use a pastel color pallete (I haven't seen them myself)? I noticed that both the Bambi and Cinderella DVDs both used many pastel colors (a departure from Snow White and Pinocchio).

-Reagan

 

[Paul McElligott]

Cees said "note the pastel colors"

Didn't say: "Not the pastel colors."

 

[Cees Alons]

I even said the many pastels.

I wanted to add some depth to the "brilliant", "vivid" etc. adjectives I used to describe the film. It was a beautiful film, and the colours seemed so much richer than we were used to in cartoons and the like before.

As I said earlier, it was the first Disney film I saw in the cinema (must have been 1950 or 1951), although I was familiar with (printed) images from Snow White.
Cartoons we used to see in colour on film were shorts, mostly programmed before a feature film.


Cees

 

[Jefferson]

I don't like the pastels.

I admit, this opinion is shaped by having seen the film in "juiced color" for many years.
I'm used to it.
If this is what it is supposed to look like, fine,
but it looks faded and very "light" to me (forgive my lack of a better term.)

Am i disappointed in the extras?
Do i miss the galleries from the laser disc?
Do i miss the type of presentation that was given
SNOW WHITE on dvd, and the first four Vault Disney releases?
Do i miss a commentary?
Do i miss a music only track?
Do i dislike music videos and ESPN documentaries?

(SCREAMING)
YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do i have a choice?
nope

Does anyone agree with me?
not many, it seems.

Each of these Disney presentations steps down
one notch for me, each time.
Excuse me while i go watch my extra
on how to make a princess room.
:frowning:

 

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I'm definitely buying this AND I'm definitely keeping my laserdisc box set. That's my choice.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Firstly,

Let's assure everyone that they are fully entitled (encouraged) to keep their laserdsic box sets. Consider the new DVD a companion to the laserdisc...the LD has some more extras and the DVD has the best movie transfer. Put your DVD inside your laserdisc box if you need to in order to feel you've got a single "complete" edition that satifies on all counts...




If by "stepping down" you mean in bonus features... I think it will feel that way for many laserdisc box set owners. Who could argue. But despite the inclusion of a few silly (ESPN, music videos, and Princess room) items, most folks who never shelled out for the LD box set will really enjoy the content on disc 2.

 

[Daryl L]

I don't care for the watered down look of colors (pastels?) that Disney uses nowadays. I much prefer the bold vivid standard 8 pack crayola colors used on their shorts back when I was a young pre-teen/early teen kid (I'm 44 now). Like colors used on the shorts in "Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color" or "Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald Vol 1". These preferences probably derive from colors we are use to from our childhood.

You can see the change of color pallettes used in "Peter Pan" compared to the colors used in "Return to Neverland". Most of the colors are bolder in "Peter Pan" compared to "Return to Neverland" like the pirates colored shirts. I got my Cinderella today so ain't watched it yet but I'll love it anyhow.

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

DaViD Boulet wrote:


Sorry for the delay and slow response David. Some personal and business priorities had to be attended to and I couldn't devote the needed time until now to answer your questions and explain what I experienced.

The good news is that after viewing Cinderella on my front projector system, I have to agree with your assessment of the results of the restoration by "Lowry Digital Images" as nothing less than being true to the artistic intent.

The lesson that I learned, is that before I make such an extreme statement of opinion, I need to view the disk on a properly setup system.:b

The Apple 1st generation 23" Cinema HD Display gave me my first impressions of the movie. Bright, comic book like colors of reds, oranges, greens, blues, yellows and on and on with the color pallet. Excessive color, displayed digitally in a way - you don't describe as - "over saturated", but as - solid, and well within the bounds of the outlines of the drawing; brilliant colors, looking like printed images of a "comic book".

As you well can imagine, being so disappointed, I couldn't continue watching the movie.

I've been told in the past that I shouldn't use the Cinema display to critic live action movies, because of its characteristic of adding various artifacts to the picture that one might erroneously construe as coming from the DVD source, but I never dreamed digitally restored animation would also have such a dramatic effect as with "digital coloring"! (Bambi did not have this phenomena.)

Thank you David, for giving me the benefit of a doubt, by giving me the chance to explain where I was coming from.

Best regards,

Paul

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Thank YOU Paul for not taking offense at my suggestion that the calibration of the viewing chain might have played a part in your impressions...I'm thrilled to hear that upon viewing this masterpiece on your front projection system (details...do give!) you concur that the integrity of the orignal artwork is maintained.

 

[Cees Alons]

Thanks Paul, for clearing that up.
You had me very puzzled - and a bit worried, for mine is in the trains and boats and planes, still....


Cees

 

[Jefferson]

Thanks for your response, David.
Yes, i meant that in extras and presentation,
these have been steps backward for me each time...
What extras there are are indeed, wonderful, but each release has fewer of them.
The 5 "gold standard" releases on dvd for me were SNOW WHITE/POLLYANNA/SWISS FAMILY/OLD YELLER/PARENT TRAP.....and some of the LD features on different sets (a music only track on MARY POPPINS..the hours and hours of recording sessions spread over the MGM Judy Garland LDs)were glorious.

Once you've enjoyed these
music tracks/commentaries/galleries...including memorabilia, book covers, comic books, album covers, etc etc)
it is harder to do without them,
and still harder to accept so much time taken up by these (forgive me but) cheesy and kooky games and music vids.

Yes, i enjoy the improved picture,
But i'll still be hearing Raven ringing in my ears.
LOL

 

[DaViD Boulet]

NOTE:

I've received confirmation from a trusted and respected Disney Historian that no human figures in Cinderella were "traced" -- the mention of this in the bonus material must be in error. I've removed the incorrect remarks from the review content...and I hope that every rests easier with the assurance that no rotoscoping was used at any time for this feature.

Jeff:

When we get these titles on Blu-ray watch out...with all that spare bandwidth it will be easy for content providers to give many soundtrack options (in high-res or at least better than DVD 2.0-DD quality) without any fear of impacting picture quality. Hopefully we'll see a return of many of the music-only tracks that graced many laserdisc sets.

 

[Jefferson]

That is good news
That was such an enjoyable part of the LD experience.

OK, i want to leave this on a positive note:
I really enjoy the menu screen on this...with the Duke riding from house to house with the slipper.
When he gets to the palace,
he gets out but does not take the slipper...was
it a "run in and pee" stop?

 

[Daryl L]

Dang! Ya'll had me sooooo worried talking all about pastels. I'm watching it now and the bold vivid colors I grew up familiar with on Disney animation is still there. I don't care for the faded/watered down out looking colors used a lot in current Disney animations.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Jefferson: I had landed on the menu and when it started "animating" I also sat it out and watched the Duke go to all those different locations via the "coach cam". Hysterical!

 

[Patrick.C]

Ask Ernest if he'll come back! Why did he leave?