Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray Movie Review

Yet another well-conceived Blu-ray edition of the classic animated tale...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown October 7, 2009

The Collector's Book Set of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is unique in that it includes a hardbound book with original Disney drawings, a history of the film, and other production details. While it isn't as attractive, extensive, or large as the 160-page "Making of a Masterpiece" monster tome bundled in the Limited Edition Collector Set, it's nevertheless an impressive, high-quality pack-in that makes the set worth it's somewhat high price point. It all comes packaged in a hard cardboard box that holds the book and 3-disc case snuggly in place.

The studio's passion for Snow White is just as evident in the 3-Disc Blu-ray edition's primary supplemental package. It not only offers fans a wealth of exclusive features, including a captivating interactive tour of the production, it presents the majority of its content in gorgeous high definition. The only downside? A variety of notable features from the 2001 2-Disc Special Edition DVD are missing. Namely, more abandoned sequences, storyboard to screen comparisons, a 40-minute documentary hosted by Angela Lansbury, and other video and audio extras. Yes, packing the additional content into this set would have probably required a fourth disc, and yes, it would have injected some repetition into the package, but retaining the 2001 DVD's features would have eliminated any need to hang onto previous releases of the film.

Disney's painstaking restoration is breathtaking...

Even so, Disney continues to prove it's one of the studios to beat when it comes to the overall quality, value, and replayability of a classic catalog release. Not only does the set feature an excellent AV presentation, it also provides animation enthusiasts with a wealth of content:

• Audio Commentary (Disc 1): Film historian John Canemaker helms a fascinating commentary culled from interviews with Walt Disney himself. While Disney's reflections run the technical gamut -- detailing the hows and whys of the production and the hard work that went into every frame of the film -- it's Canemaker who glues it all together with insightful observations and engrossing dissections of Snow White's influence on animation, its impact on cinema, and its enduring legacy. He makes a compelling case that the film, even removed from its age and historical significance, is a treasure in its own right; a masterclass in animation and filmmaking that will continue to teach any willing student who approaches.
• DisneyView (Disc 1): Don't like the black bars on either side of your screen? Engage this option to fill the black spaces with alternating paintings from artist Toby Bluth.
• Hyperion Studios (HD, Disc 2): Disney calls forth the might of Blu-ray's supplemental power with "Hyperion Studios," an interactive... erm... production overview? Studio tour? Extensive glimpse into the craftsmanship and effort that went into the film? "Hyperion Studios" is all of these things, offering animation fans a buffet of art and photo galleries, archive interviews, featurettes, classic cartoons (instrumental to the development of Snow White), and other rare bonus materials. Granted, shuffling around the studio's thirteen rooms and departments (meticulously reconstructed using black and white photographs) is a bit daunting at first, but a handy index (which conveniently adds a check mark next to any feature that's already been viewed) and an easily accessible on-screen menu make it quite easy to get around. At least once you get your bearings. Moreover, additional audio interviews play as the "camera" moves from one department to the next, transforming what could have been simple transitions into an engaging part of the experience. So what wonders await those who venture inside?
  
  
  Hyperion Exterior: "Where it All Began" (HD, 12 minutes) offers an introduction to the studio, its history, the atmosphere surrounding Snow White's production, and the chemistry between Walt and his staff. "The One that Started It All" (HD, 17 minutes) focuses specifically on Snow White, explaining its significance in cinematic history, its influence, and its impact on the Disney empire and moviegoers at large. "Family Business" (HD, 2 minutes) briefly covers Walt's filmmaking philosophy and the laid-back nature of the studio.
  
  Story Room: "Stories from the Story Room" (HD, 1 minute) includes interviews with the story writers. "Five Bucks a Gag" (HD, 2 minutes) looks at Walt's early attempts to infuse the film with humor by paying writers, you guessed it, five bucks a gag. "In Walt's Words: The Huntsman" (HD, 3 minutes) is another pre-production featurette; one in which voice actors, reading from transcripts, reenact a discussion between Walt and his writers. "Walt's Night Prowls" (HD, 1 minute) touches on the fact that Walt would dig through his animators trashcans at night, scouring for abandoned ideas that he felt were worth saving. "Gabby, Blabby, and Flabby" (HD, 1 minute) looks at the team's struggles to name the Dwarfs. "Babes in the Woods" (HD, 8 minutes) is an early Disney cartoon, presented in its entirety, based on the story of Hansel and Gretel. A massive "Storyboard Art Gallery" (135 images) and an "Abandoned Concepts Gallery" (63 images) round out the room.
  
  Music Room: "Music Room Host" (HD, 1 minute) is an introduction to the Music Room and its workers' responsibilities. "David Hand's Dirty Trick" (HD, 1 minute) includes an archive interview with Hand about a trick he played in the midst of a deadline. "The Music of Snow White" (HD, 6 minutes) is a self-explanatory look at the film's songs and score. "The Skeleton Dance" HD, 6 minutes) is another early Disney cartoon, the first, now-classic Silly Symphony Walt produced.
  
  Art Department: "Creating the World of Snow White" (HD, 7 minutes) covers the visual style, European design roots, and storybook nature of the film's forests and castles. "The Idea Man" (HD, 2 minutes) includes interview outtakes about artist Albert Hurter and his endearing designs. "Music Land" (HD, 10 minutes) is a Hurter-infused Silly Symphony about a forbidden love that develops between two instruments, one from the Land of Symphony and one from the Isle of Jazz. "In Walt's Words: Cleaning the Cottage" (HD, 7 minutes) is another audio reenactment of a discussion between Walt and his team; this one about the cottage cleaning scene with Snow White and her woodland friends. A "Visual Development Gallery" 146 images) and a "Gustav Tenggren Art Gallery" (16 images) are available as well.
  
  Character Design: "In Walt's Words: The Dwarfs" (HD, 6 minutes) is a reenactment of several story meeting transcripts, specifically those concerning the dwarfs. A "Character Design Gallery" (5 images) and a "Color Tests Gallery" (12 images) provide the only other content in this all-too-short section.
  
  Background and Layout: "Setting the Stage" (HD, 4 minutes) touches upon layouts, animation fields, staging, overlays and underlays, pans and, ultimately, the completion of a shot. A "Backgrounds Gallery" (25 images) and a "Layout Gallery" (115 images) close out this portion of the feature.
  
  Animation Department: "Bringing Snow White to Life" (HD, 12 minutes) recalls key animators' influences and inspirations, as well as their individual contributions to the film. "The Animators' Favorite Animators" (HD, 2 minutes) reveals several Snow White animators' favorite cohorts and colleagues. "Blowing Off Steam" (2 minutes) looks at the animators' quaint inner-office pranks and downtime shenanigans. "Goddess of Spring" (HD, 10 minutes) is another Silly Symphony that showcases Disney's efforts to animate believable human characters. "Playful Pluto" (HD, 8 minutes) is an animated short that displays early strides in imbuing characters with personalities. An "Animation Art Gallery" (39 images) wraps up the Animation Department.
  
  Live Action Reference: "Live Action Host" (HD, 1 minute) is an introduction to live action reference with John Huster. "Drawing on Real Life" (2 minutes) explains how Walt came to use actors as a basis for Snow White's animated performances. "Giving Voice to Snow White" (HD, 3 minutes) explores the process behind creating a voice for an animated character, as well as the casting of voice actress Andriana Caselotti. A "Live Action Reference Gallery" (26 images) tops off the department.
  
  Sweatbox: "Sweatbox Host" (HD, 1 minute) gives Eric Goldberg the opportunity to discuss Disney's screening of each stage of animation, as well as the room in which he watched each scene, the Sweatbox. "Sweating it Out" (HD, 1 minute) features archive interviews about Walt's perfectionism. "Deleted Bedroom Fight Scene" (HD, 2 minutes) presents a sequence that was cut from the film.
  
  Ink and Paint: "The Challenges of Ink and Paint" (HD, 2 minutes) introduces the women who put the finishing touches on the film's animation cells. "Life in the Nunnery" (HD, 2 minutes) explores the separation between the animators and the painters and inkers. "Flowers and Trees" (HD, 9 minutes), another Silly Symphony short, was the first Technicolor cartoon and the first animated film to receive an Academy Award. A "Painted Cells Gallery" (14 images) is also included.
  
  Camera Department: "Decoding the Exposure Sheet" (HD, 7 minutes) digs into the balance between Disney's technological innovations and his animation, specifically the use of exposure sheets to organize animated shots. "Stories from the Camera Department" (HD, 2 minutes) serves up more archive interview outtakes about the camerawork and technologies utilized in the film. "The Old Mill" (HD, 9 minutes) is a Silly Symphony Disney used to field-test the multiplane camera.
  
  Sound Stage: "Walt's Early Masters of Sound" (HD, 2 minutes) covers the creation and implementation of the film's sound effects. "Steamboat Willie" (HD, 8 minutes) is the first Disney cartoon that featured synchronized sound, a key element used in the production of Snow White.
  
  Walt's Office: "Working with Walt" (HD, 2 minutes) features comments from Disney's Snow White team members about the man himself. A "Publicity Gallery" (34 images) and a "Production Photos Gallery" (21 images) draws the "Hyperion Studios" tour to a close.


• The One that Started It All (HD, Disc 2, 17 minutes): This newly produced retrospective focuses on Snow White's significance in cinematic history, its influence on feature-length animation, and its impact on the Disney empire and moviegoers at large, as well as the various challenges and heated criticism Walt Disney faced during its production.
• Classic DVD Bonus Content (Disc 2): "Disney Through the Decades" (SD, 36 minutes) is a rather promotional documentary about the studio's rise over the decades, "Animation Voice Talent" (SD, 6 minutes) focuses on Snow White voice actress Adriana Caselotti, "Dopey's Wild Mine Ride" is an interactive game, and "Heigh Ho" is a karaoke feature.
• Snow White Returns (HD, Disc 1, 9 minutes): Ever wonder why Disney didn't make a sequel to Snow White? Find out why.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, Disc 1, 11 minutes): Two sequences that were cut from the film, one involving soup and the other involving the construction of a bed.
• Family Play (HD, Disc 1): A collection of interactive games and activities that includes a personality quiz called "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall," a kid-friendly guessing game called "What Do You See," a "Bejeweled" knock-off called "Jewel Jumble," and a BD-Live activity called "Scene Stealer."
• Music Video (HD, Disc 1, 4 minutes): A music video for Tiffany Thorton's rendition of "Some Day My Prince Will Come."
• The Princess and the Frog Sneak Peek (HD, Disc 1, 8 minutes): An extended preview of Disney's upcoming animated feature, The Princess and the Frog.
• Standard DVD Copy of the Film (SD, Disc 3)
• BD-Live Functionality

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a near-definitive release of the animated film that started it all. Its gorgeous restoration is simply the beginning. What follows is a glorious video transfer, a fit and faithful DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, and a mammoth collection of special features (as well as a bonus collector's book). Sure, some supplemental content was left behind on the 2001 Special Edition DVD, but that shouldn't prevent any animation enthusiast, Disney fan, or classic cinephile from nabbing this release post haste. I can't imagine anyone -- aside from the dark-hearted stepmothers among you -- will be disappointed or underwhelmed by this fantastic, top-notch release.