The Fox and the Hound – 30th Anniversary
Edition/The Fox and the Hound II
(Disney 2 Movie Collection Blu-ray + DVD)
Picture:
B+ (Blu-ray)/B- (DVD) Sound: B+
(Blu-ray)/B- (DVD) Extras: C Films: C+/C-
Next to
making classics and direct to home video sequels, the next thing Disney is best
at is double dips. Whereas this is the
first time we have seen The Fox and the
Hound and The Fox and the Hound II on
Blu-ray, it wasn’t too long ago we saw them both on DVD. The first Fox and the Hound was only a mild hit for the studio and created
right before the Disney Renaissance; the sequel was a direct to video film that
wasn’t as interesting as it was a cash grab, one based on a film that didn’t do
too hot to begin with.
Below you
will find the links for my full insight into both films; including storylines
and DVD specs; the DVDs are included with this set, catering to those who
haven’t quite upgraded yet.
One
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4457/The+Fox+&+The+Hound:+25th+Anniv
Two
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4818/Fox+&+The+Hound+2
Here I
will exclusively discuss the merits of the films’ conversion over to
Blu-ray. The films a without a doubt a
huge upgrade from DVD. Surprisingly I
will rate the picture and sound quality of these as about the same. The picture on both films (though not
pristine) is quite nice, even as both films are squeezed on one Blu-ray
disc. I was shocked how great the first
film’s colors, clarity and background art popped on this disc. The first film was always a bit grainy and
does not detract from the film experience here on Blu-ray; the sequel however
is crisp, clean, and clear though the backdrops are not nearly as nice. There is some amount of digital noise that
pops up here and there though nothing too distracting.
What is
distracting, however, is the thin vertical line that flickers at the right of
the screen. Many may miss this, but me
being OCD it was unbearably distracting as the line flickered and got thicker
and thinner throughout; like some kind of VHS tracking line. As I said many may miss this but I was going
nuts. There is some dirt and debris in
the first film (something the second does not have) solidifying that this is in
no way a platinum release. The sound is
like the picture, good but nothing overwhelmingly stunning. The sound on both films is a 5.1 DTS-HD
Master Audio that gets the job done with adequate directionality and little
distortion. The full speaker range is
hardly used (rears are absent) with the sequel doing better than the original,
but as I said it gets the job done.
The
extras are not very entertaining as they are ported over from the DVDs and some
are missing from the original DVDs at that.
The extras include:
“Unlikely
Friends” is an dreadful featurette about cartoon animals that seems misplaced
and poorly conceived (HD)
Trailers
(HD)
Passing
the Baton: Making of The Fox and Hound Featurette
“Best of
Friends” Sing-A-Long
The
Making of the Music – Behind the Scenes of Fox and the Hound II
“You Know
I Will” Music Video for Fox and the Hound II by Lucas Grabeel
I am not
quite sure to make of this release. Is
it the fact that both films weren’t that great to begin with that makes this
release subpar, or is it lack of trying on Disney’s part? I am not quite sure. Regardless I was less than thrilled and with
releases like this it makes me wonder if certain Disney titles will ever get
the ‘Platinum Treatment.’
- Michael P. Dougherty II
