Coming right off the incredibly successful 3D re-release of The Lion King in theatres, Disney has just released the Diamond Edition of the film on Blu-Ray. I wrote extensively about how successful the Diamond Edition of Beauty and the Beast was, and it was with this in mind that I eagerly tore into my copy of the Lion King. Much like that release, there are several discs and multiple options as to how to view the film. First and foremost is the 3D Blu-Ray, followed by the standard Blu-Ray, a DVD and a Digital Copy.

It is amazing to me just how successful Disney is at these conversions to 3D. The animation was already stunning in two dimensions, but adding that extra layer elevates the film to a whole other level. We all know the iconic moments such as the Circle of Life opening number, the stampede, and the final battle. It’s a whole different experience to feel as if you are in the film as these events occur. Disney is single-handedly justifying the existance of 3D televisions.

As for the bonus content, it’s not quite as comprehensive as the Beauty and the Beast set, but there’s still a significant amount of fascinating footage to be found. One feature that I found particularly interesting is something they call “Disney Second Screen.” To watch the film in this mode, you sync up the film with your laptop or iPad and watch the film on your television while simultaneously watching bonus material related to the sequence on whichever device you sync with. It’s a very clever way of avoiding picture-in-picture but still providing the audience with insight into the individual scenes as they play.

There’s also a terrific commentary track with co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff along with producer Don Hahn. It’s an extremely informative track, providing all sorts of anecdotes, history and insight into the production. Other features include a silly blooper and outtake reel running just under four minutes. They took outtakes from the original audio recordings and animated a series of “bloopers” to the tracks. In theory, this should have been really funny. As is, it doesn’t feel like they had enough material to warrant the effort it took to put something like this together. Overall, this felt redundant to features that Pixar has done before, and done better.

The real meat of the set can be found in two fascinating documentaries, “Pride of the Lion King” and “Lion King: A Memoir-Don Hahn.” The first is an overall analysis of the film’s place in society and what it took to get it there. They discuss the entire history of the project, from Jeffrey Katzenberg’s initial germ of an idea to opening weekend, and even on to the Broadway play. It’s relatively comprehensive and while there wasn’t a lot of material that wasn’t already public knowledge, it’s still a treat to hear this material presented by those who lived it. The second feature is a little more personal, and is basically Don Hahn’s footage during the time the film was being created. He documents the crew in production, their field trip to Africa for research, the presence of African wildlife at the studio for study, etc. Far less “produced,” this feature creates a fly-on-the-wall mentality that I really enjoyed.

Other extras include five deleted scenes, with introductions from the filmmakers as to why they were cut, a fully animated new musical number taken from the Broadway play, and a terrific interactive gallery of character designs, visual development, storyboards and layouts & backgrounds. While it’s always interesting to see deleted scenes from a classic film, none of these sequences are missed, and I support their decision to remove all of them. Particularly awkward is a musical number for Mufasa called “King of the Wild” that just feels out-of place and out-of-character. It’s a lighthearted moment that doesn’t flow with the sequences that would have bookended it, and frankly, the song just isn’t very good.

Overall, this was a really terrific set for a phenomenal film. However, I just can’t get as excited about it as I was with the Beauty and the Beast release. I feel like to much time was devoted to the Broadway play, and there wasn’t enough new material to get excited about. I’m sure if I hadn’t watched Beauty first, I would probably be more enthusiastic about this set. As is, I still can’t recommend purchasing this enough. The film itself is the best it’s ever looked and sounded. When it comes to home entertainment, I can’t wait to find out where Disney goes from here.

Setting the bar once again in home entertainment, Disney has outdone themselves with the Diamond Edition release of Beauty and the Beast on Blu-Ray. This 5-Disc set is an amazingly comprehensive look at everything that went into the production of the film itself, as well as an exhaustive history of the studio itself and the pivotal moments that led to the renaissance of Disney animation in the late 80’s and early 90’s. In addition, this set contains one of the best looking animated transfers to date, along with a stunning 3D presentation of the film. I haven’t yet seen any other entries in the Diamond Edition collection, but if they are anything like this, Disney is about to corner the Blu-Ray market.

While there is an extraordinary amount of extras in this set, I have to begin by talking about the film itself. If you’re reading this, it’s a pretty fair assumption that you’ve seen the movie and are already aware of just how brilliant it is. However, it’s a whole new experience to see the film in 3D. There’s a lot of talk right now about the longevity of 3D, and whether or not it’s a dying fad. While there are a lot of movies unneccesarily trying to capitalize on the phenomenon, in this case the presentation truly does enhance the filmic experience. Right from the start, as Belle is walking down her “small provincial town,” I was astounded as the city streets seemed to sweep around me, not just creating a depth of field, but literally enveloping me in this world. If I didn’t know better, I would assume that the film was actually made in 3D, rather than converted after the fact. It’s flawless.

However, if you don’t have a 3D television, you’re still in for a treat. The film itself looks amazing, presented in 1080p High Definition and in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. There are three ways of watching. You can choose the original theatrical version that we all know so well, a “special extended edition,” featuring an extra musical number called “Human Again,” or the original theatrical version with a picture-in-picture rough cut playing at the same time. Honestly, I prefer the original version to the extended cut. While I love “Human Again” as a stand-alone sequence, it disrupts the flow of the film while feeling tacked on.

As for the extras, I literally just spent my entire evening completely engrossed in everything this set has to offer. Rather than comprise a list of every extra on the set, I’m going to simply discuss a few highlights and lowlights, leaving everything else to be discovered. To start with the low points, I was relatively disappointed with the feature entitled “Broadway Beginnings.” Having seen the Broadway production of the film multiple times, I was really looking forward to a detailed look behind-the-curtain of this extraordinary production. Instead, I got talking-head interviews with several cast members including Donny Osmond and Joe Jonas. Not exactly the insight I was hoping for. There is a more interesting look at the Broadway production mixed in with another extra later, but this particular feature fell flat. There are also a couple of games geared towards the very young, and a music video of the Beauty and the Beast theme as performed by Jordin Sparks. Considering the amount of material on this set, I can deal with these more trivial features.

As for the highlights of the set (beyond the film itself), I particularly enjoyed the feature entitled “Composing a Classic,” with composer Alan Menken, producer Don Hahn and Menken’s agent, Richard Kraft. This segment runs just over 20 minutes and is simply a conversation around a piano with these three personalities discussing the production. They share anecdotes, discuss some of the hardships, and just reminisce about their time on the film. While a simple idea, what made this feature so amazing was setting the conversation around a piano. While talking, Menken punctuates his stories with musical examples, presenting alternate versions of songs and evolutions of ideas. Menken’s partner, Howard Ashman, unfortunately died before the release of the film, and I was pleased that moments of this feature felt like a tribute the legacy of his work.

Other standouts include two deleted scenes, including an alternate opening that runs over 18 minutes. I was completely surprised as I watched this to realize how little I knew about the evolution of the story. This segment is presented in colored storyboards, presenting a scenario in which Belle comes from a family of wealth that loses everything after their fleet of ships sink in a storm. Eventually, her father ends up at the beast’s castle and we witness his introduction to the enchantments in the castle. There are also several very funny sight gags of his horse encountering the enchanted objects in the stable. In watching this segment, I couldn’t help but wonder what could have been if they had kept the story going in this direction. The story might have ended up following a similar path, but the tone of the film would have been completely different. This was a world in which all the men still wore white wigs, and Gaston came across more aristocratic than buffoonish. The other deleted sequence wasn’t as compelling, featuring storyboards of Belle meeting four enchanted objects in the library. There was no great loss in cutting this sequence.

By far, the best feature on the set is “Beyond Beauty: The Untold Stories Behind the Making of Beauty and the Beast.” This is an incredibly detailed look at the entire history of the production, featuring very candid interviews with those involved. The film is now considered a classic, making it even more interesting to hear some of the frustrations that went into creating the film first-hand. Not only is this an honest and detailed look at the film, but this documentary has an interactive feature allowing you to branch off into sub-documentaries within the main one, seamlessly branching back and forth. There is so much material to be found that it’s easy to get lost within all the features. Luckily, they include an index in which you can monitor which segments you’ve already watched, and which ones are still unviewed. These sub-features include closer looks at aspects of the production, along with several historical features and other pieces of animation that bear some relation to the film itself. This is the segment where a lot of the concept and background art can be found as well.

As I mentioned above, this is just a taste of the immense amount of material found in this set. If you don’t have a Blu-Ray, there is also a DVD of the film along with a Digital Copy. All in all, this is a must-own set that belongs in every film collection. It is also an argument in favor of 3D televisions. I wasn’t entirely sold on the concept before, but this is the one that helped push me over the edge. This is a perfect set for a perfect movie, and an absolute joy to watch.

All six discs, plus a set of 4 exclusive art cards featuring some of the most stunning images from the series are housed in a sturdy, weighted globe, numbered for greater collectability. Available with both the DVD and Blu-ray. Planet Earth took the world by storm when it originally aired. It garnered uniformly glowing reviews, won four Emmy Awards, including Best Nonfiction Series and Best Cinematography, and its longevity on the best-seller list is legend. Now, with the addition of all new commentary and new bonus programs, and this totally unique collectible package, you can relive this incredible experience all over again! In this truly special, limited collector’s edition, prepare to be overwhelmed again by the beauty and majesty of Planet Earth.

Nature and travel documentaries have proven to be dependable releases in the Blu-Ray format, as evidenced by the massive sales of BBC’s PLANET EARTH, the multi-part production offering some of the most miraculous footage ever glimpsed of the natural world around us.

Among the additions are four bonus programs (“Great Planet Earth Moments,” “Snow Leopard: Beyond the Myth,” “Secrets of the Maya Underworld” and “Elephant Nomads of the Namib Desert”) plus a producer commentary, video diaries, a sneak peek at Discovery’s “Frozen Planet” and the option to view the respective episodes strictly with George Fenton’s fine scores.

Another beneficiary of high-definition video has been the travel genre. From episodes of Rudy Maxa’s terrific “Smart Travels” series to several compilations from the Discovery Channel’s “Sunrise Earth,” consumers seeking gorgeous landscapes and travelogues for their Blu-Ray players have had an abundance to choose from during the format’s relatively short lifespan.

When it comes to the audio however, there is no debate as the previous release was only given a lossy Dolby Digital track.  The good news is that this new Special Edition comes with a lossy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix which sounds a lot better.

There’s a reason this series won just about every award possible and if you haven’t seen it yet, then this is the perfect time to rectify that!  While the video quality change is negligible, both the audio and the new special features make this worth upgrading to this new Special Edition.  If you don’t own the previous version already, then this is a must own title for you. This is highly recommended!

Desperate to mirror a true-life documentary with a Lion King style narrative, African Cats suffers from an identity crisis that weakens the film as a whole. Directors Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill have crafted a visually stunning spectacle that ranks amongst the best-looking documentaries I’ve ever seen. However, the entire thing is hampered by their attempts to shoehorn in a story that never feels as if it wasn’t created in the editing bay.

Right off the bat, as Samuel L. Jackson’s voiceover introduced us to “the cast” of the film, I realized I wasn’t on the same page as the filmmakers. The film primarily follows three families of wildlife and the ways their worlds intersect. Throughout the course of the film, we follow the rivalry between a lion leader appropriately named Fang and his rival they have named Kali, a cheetah the film calls Sita along with her five cubs, and a lioness named Layla and her cub, Mara. These stories could have been fascinating if left for the audience to observe and formulate their own opinions, but instead, a story is spelled out for us, and as Jackson was explaining what these animals were thinking and feeling, I found myself trying to seperate the manufactured story from the reality of what I was seeing. By assigning names and personalities, it negated the reality of the two years they were filmed in the African savannah.

Now, I get that this is supposed to be a kid’s film, and I suppose assigning names to all the animals could help children to identify with what they were seeing. However, Jackson’s constant explanations as to the thoughts and feelings of these amazing creatures just rang false. Not helping matters is Jackson’s lackluster reading of the narration. I usually love Jackson’s work, but here, he sounds completely bored with the material. Not that I blame him.

Having said all that, African Cats is a visual triumph. This is the sort of film Blu-Ray was made for. The subtle nuances of the animals themselves as well as the world they live in leap off the screen. The picture captures every strand of hair, blade of grass, etc. with a vibrant clarity rarely seen. Particularly fascinating is the footage of the animals in motion. There are moments slowed just enough for the audience to marvel at the breathtaking power and grace of these animals. I am completely stunned at some of the footage they were able to capture, with moments ranging from a standoff between a lion and a crocodile or a cheetah willing to sacrifice her life to create a diversion for her kids to escape a lion.

It is moments such as those that made me so disappointed they were in service of a story so phony. I’m sure the basic constructs of the stories are legit, but what bothered me the most were the individual moments and contexts that were assigned rather than earned. As for the Blu-Ray itself, it comes in a 2-Disc Combo pack featuring both a Blu-Ray, and a DVD. The Blu-Ray contains all the same extras as the DVD, plus a few more.

For the most part, the extras are pretty sparse on this set. The best feature is a way of watching the film called “Filmmaker Annotations.” With this feature, you can watch the film with a picture-in-picture track featuring the filmmakers and various experts. They provide running commentary while also featuring behind-the-scenes tidbits and information that enhance what is happening in the film itself. It’s a great way of gaining some more insight into this world.

The only other features are a commercial for Disney and their conservation efforts, a brief fund-raising segment called “Save the Savanna,” and a music video from Jordin Sparks. For such a technically superior film, I would have expected more features isolated from the picture-in-picture feature. However, that’s such a great way of viewing the film, I don’t know that any other extras are really needed.

Despite any problems I had with the narrative, I can’t help but recommend this film based on the merits of it’s stunning visuals. These really are fascinating creatures and no matter what sort of creative editing may have been employed, it’s still a treat to spend time in this world we know so little about.

In 1941, Dumbo flew into the hearts of families around the world without ever saying a word. Now, 70 years later, the film comes to Blu-Ray in what can what only be described as a celebration of this timeless classic. A celebration of not only the film itself, but it’s place in the pantheon of the Disney greats. Believe it or not, when Dumbo was released, Disney Animation was in financial trouble. Fantasia and Bambi hadn’t been the successes that were expected, and a lot was riding on this little elephant. Luckily, the stunningly emotional story and beautifully simplistic animation brought people to the theatre in droves, and Dumbo secured it’s place in history.

Odds are, you’re already familiar with the story of the elephant with the large ears. Running a mere 64 minutes, the story is streamlined to a point where there isn’t a wasted moment to be found. This economy of storytelling gives the film a power rarely seen in modern film. As Walt has famously said, for every laugh, there needs to be a tear. This concept of emotional opposites is brilliantly encapsulated in Dumbo with moments of exhilaration balanced with moments of pure devestation.

With sequences ranging from Dumbo’s mother’s circus rampage to the moment he tearfully smiles after being swept up in her trunk through the bars of her cage, or even the exhiliration of his first (intentional) flight, the animators did a brilliant job of capturing the power of the story through their art. It’s hard to believe that Dumbo is a silent character, considering how emotionally attached the audience gets to the character. And yet, with every smile and every tear, I found myself invested in everything that was happening.

After rewatching the film for the first time in several years, I was blown away by just how amazing this movie really is. It was with this in mind that I began pouring through the extensive extras found on this new release. To begin with, I rewatched the entire film in an option called “Cine-Explore.” This is really a fascinating way to watch the film, with picture in picture analysis of the film from various historians, animators, etc. I came out of this at the end with an even greater appreciation of what was accomplished 70 years ago.

I followed this up with a look at a fascinating deleted scene. Originally, the film was going to contain a story from Timothy the Mouse about the troubled history between mice and elephants. Flashing back to prehistoric times, in his version the mice were the size of dinosaurs and the elephants were pathetically small in comparison. The sequence was never animated, but several pieces of art were created. These have been strung together while the original story notes are read over them. It’s a fascinating look at what might have been, and while it would have felt out-of-place, there are still some hilarious and genuiney epic conceptual ideas that I loved getting to see. There is also a less compelling deleted musical number called “Are You a Man or a Mouse?” It’s a fun sequence, but not nearly as interesting as the flashback.

The next item in the menu is called “Backstage Disney,” and contains several great features. There’s a 28 minute documentary called “Taking Flight: The Magic of Dumbo” that discusses the history of the film along with it’s legacy. There’s also a look at the Dumbo ride at Disneyland and the impact it has on families across generations. Honestly, I enjoy the ride, but I’ve never found it to be a standout in the park. While I can appreciate that this was one of the original rides, and I did enjoy the analysis of the update the ride got in the 80’s, I found this feature to be more of a commercial than anything.

After this is a truly fascinating look at the foley work that went into creating the world of Casey Jr. This feature has been on DVD before, but I had personally never seen it. The sequence used to demonstrate the sound techniques is not from Dumbo. Casey Jr. must have been in another animated project, and while I’m not sure what the clip was from, the sounds were identical. From the opening whistle call of “all aboard, let’s go,” to the thunderous crash when he comes to a stop, this is a terrific peek behind-the-curtain at an aspect of animation that doesn’t get enough credit.

I also enjoyed the remaining documentary called “Celebrating Dumbo” that is carried over from a prior DVD release. Featuring interviews with film critic/Disney historian Leonard Maltin, among others, this is a closer look at the film from a historical perspective. Finally, this release has the original 1941 trailer, the trailer from teh 1949 re-release, and an extensive art gallery that is a must-see for any aspiring animator. They also include in this gallery the original book upon which the film is based.

The set comes with two discs, the Blu-Ray and a DVD. The DVD has less features than the Bu-Ray, and every feature on the disc is also on the Blu-Ray. The release itself has never looked better, with an impeccable picture and sound. Overall, this is about as perfect a release as this classic film could get. The extras are justifiably like a love letter to the movie. I’ve always admired the film, but after going through this collection of features, I feel like I have a greater understanding of what makes Dumbo so successfull. It’s what was put in, what was kept out, the music, the animation, the voice-over work, and on and on. This is a success on every level.