101 DALMATIANS DIAMOND EDITION
ROG'S VIEWPOINT
\
(4
CAMS)
RATED G
Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita
race to save their puppies from the clutches of Cruella De Vil, a villainess
who desires a fur coat made from the adorable pups. A gruesome concept
that's wildly entertaining in the hands of Walt Disney. Restored and
presented on Blu-ray (DVD and Digital HD versions included) for the
first time, "101 Dalmatians" has never looked better. While the video
may not be a huge improvement over the past DVD releases to warrant
upgrading, there is at least one new bonus feature that is worth seeing:
"The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt". This delightful, but brief,
animated black-and-white short follows the puppies' favorite television
dog as he faces danger. There's also a conversation with a Disney animation
team in a segment called "Lucky Dogs" and a fun facts piece titled "Dalmatians
101". An episode of Walt's television series, "The Best Doggoned Dog
in the World" is also included. Trailers, featurettes, deleted and abandoned
songs and a music video are among the extras retained from past DVD
releases of the film. One note of concern: this restoration is presented
in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The original 1961 exhibitor press book
suggests that this is the proper ratio for projection of this movie.
If the theatrical aspect ratio of 1.75:1 (widescreen) is used, the top
and bottom of the picture will be lost. While your flat-screen tv might
not be filled, less is better. If the black bars are worrisome, DisneyView
(which replaces those bars with artwork) is included in this edition.
Once again, Disney delivers a fantastic Blu-ray of an animated classic.
It's spot-on perfect.