Here’s a selection of top gift ideas for the Blu-ray-loving, animation fans in the family.
Beauty and the Beast, 25th Anniversary Edition (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Rated G, $39.99) — Disney’s beloved animated musical once again returns to Blu-ray offering an impeccable digital transfer and treasure trove of extras.
Under the moniker of a “Signature Collection” release, owners get three versions of the film — the original theatrical cut (1:24:54), an extended cut (1:31:44) and a sing-along version of the theatrical edition.
All deliver the fairytale of a maiden named Belle looking to rescue her father from a cursed prince who has been turned into a beast. She convinces the prince to take her prisoner instead of her father, and love as well as redemption is in the air for the hairy prince.
An Academy Award-winning song selection from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman cements this enchanting and romantic classic.
A small collection of extras found on the disc includes an optional commentary track of directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, composer Alan Menken and producer Don Hahn, along with 45 minutes of featurettes.
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Unfortunately, a much larger set of bonus content can only be accessed via a digital code in the package to view online (computers and apps) through the Disney Movies Anywhere streaming initiative. They include over three hours of featurettes, deleted scenes and a “work-in-progress” cut of the film.
By the way, that’s a disturbing industry trend that makes it very difficult to easily appreciate purchased content forever without worrying about problems with some third-party service. If a consumer spends the money to buy the Blu-ray package, he should get all of the benefits of that package on the discs bought and without any extra work.
The Transformers: The Movie, 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory, Rated PG, $14.97) — A vintage animated film chronicling the ongoing battle between Decepticons and Autobots debuts on Blu-ray and is sure to please fans of Hasbro’s famed toy line.
With a new 4K digital restoration, the 1986 movie now really shines while offering not only a controversial battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron but also plenty of familiar characters such as Starscream, Bumblebee and Soundwave and the introduction of the all-powerful, planet-consuming Unicron.
Better yet, a star-studded, voice-over cast added to the gravitas of the effort with performances by Judd Nelson (Hot Rod), Leonard Nimoy (Galvatron), Robert Stack (Ultra Magnus) and even the mighty Orson Welles joined in as the voice of Unicron.
Lucky owners get two versions of the film (1.85:1 widescreen and more square, full frame 1.33:1) on a Blu-ray disc packaged in a steelbook case as well as the satisfying extras.
They include an optional commentary track with director Nelson Shin, actress Susan Blu and story consultant Flint Dille, a retrospective on the making of the epic cartoon (with plenty of cast and crew interviews) and a quick look at the movie’s restoration process.
The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Rated PG, $29.93) — Animation director extraordinaire Brad Bird’s 1999 critically acclaimed box office flop gets redemption with its release to a new generation of young home-theater viewers though an impeccable digital transfer highlighting a colorful sci-fi adventure.
Mixing hand-drawn and computer-animation styles, this light-hearted and emotional story stars a young boy named Hogarth Hughes and a multistory robot that has crash-landed on a 1950s Earth.
The evolving relationship that develops between the child and mechanical behemoth will tug at the heartstrings and visually dazzle.
Owners get two cuts of the film, the theatrical and Signature version, and a satisfying collection of new and archival extras.
The highlights are a near hour-long documentary (serving as both a biography of Mr. Bird and deeper look at the making of the film); an optional commentary track with the director and key crew members; and deleted scenes (with commentary).
It’s worth noting that artisans did a fantastic job with the transfer. Under the supervision of Mr. Bird, they digitally rescanned and color-corrected the original, 35mm film elements to bring this animated masterpiece back to eye-popping life.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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