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The
folk at Disney aren't stupid, they know how to space out their
Re-Releases... in fact, you kind of get the feeling they are the
inventors of the "Re-Release". The lastest (in the last 12 months we
have seen new versions of The Jungle Book and Robin Hood) is the pop-culture icon 101 Dalmations.
What
makes this story stick out from the hundreds of other childrens epics
which have been spread across the various generations is simple : heart.
Moreso,
this classic tale is also somewhat of a benchmark in the world of
animation. The first Disney film (or any long featured animation) to
bypass the traditional "hand drawn & painted" cartoons in favour of
a rougher looking "photocopy" of frames. It essentially put hundreds of
"inkers" (those who trace the images onto a cell from the original
copies as drawn by the artist) out of jobs - so if for no other reason, 101 Dalmations stands as a pivitol point in animation history. 101 Dalmatians
has charmed
audiences for generations with its irresistible tail-wagging stars,
memorable story and wonderful blend of humour and adventure. It follows
the fur-coat-loving Cruella De Vil, Disney's most infamous
villain, who dognaps all
of the Dalmatian puppies in London (including 15 from Pongo and
Perdita's family) in order to make the most divine of all coats.
Through the power of the "Twilight Bark," Pongo leads
a heroic cast of animal characters on a dramatic quest to rescue them
all.
While this may not have the modernistic appeal and charm of Dumbo or Jungle Book, there is still something so utterly undescribably enjoyable about sitting down to watch it. There is certainly a Marty Poppins vibe going on with the artistic design, which again, adds yet a further sense of nostalgia to proceedings.
The
transfer to DVD looks superb, the story just as strong as it was all
those years ago - and most importantly - the characters are as
engrossing as they ever were.
Simply Classic.
EXTRAS
As
always, Disney have compiled a simply ridiculous amount of Special
Features - going well above and beyond the call of duty. They continue
to set new benchmarks of value when it comes to DVDs lately, and
hopefully it will encourage other distributors to follow in their
footsteps and offer more than simply the odd fluffy featurette.
Over
two discs there are a bounty of extra features which are as plentiful
and welcome as one of those huge hampers you win at Christmas time.
It's that damn good.
For Disney nuts there are a whole swag of
behind-the-scenes featurettes which go in depth into the creative
process (including the fact that Walt Disney was somewhat displeased
with the artistic direction of the film), as well of "101 Pop-Up Fact
Trivia" settings, and more of the like. The real appeal is the new stuff, with the interactive game the highlight.
Great package and well worth adding to your collection of classics.
Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: 90%
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