The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound II Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound II Blu-ray Movie Review

Disney's hit-or-miss Double Feature fails to impress...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 5, 2011

The Fox and the Hound was both a passing of the animators' torch and a changing of the Disney guard, neither of which occurred smoothly, gracefully or to the benefit of the film or the previously untouchable, suddenly vulnerable animation studio. Although the two surviving members of Disney's legendary "Nine Old Men" began work on the project in 1977, they soon stepped aside, handing the keys to the kingdom they helped build to the next kings of animation, among them Don Bluth. Two years later, though, an angry, disheartened Bluth would make a dramatic exit of his own, taking with him a third of heaven and leaving the studio and, once again, The Fox and the Hound in dire straits. Further creative differences, delays and conflicts arose in the months following the shakeup, and Disney almost abandoned the as-yet-unfinished film in development hell several times. Of course, The Fox and the Hound finally saw the light of day in 1981 and, while it wasn't as well-received as its predecessors, it has become a beloved (but lesser) classic in its own right. I still beam when Tod meets Copper; I still fight back tears when the two rekindle their friendship, at least in part, in the bittersweet end.

The Fox and the Hound II wasn't born from hardship, though. (Or much inspiration, for that matter.) Quite the opposite. Disney's 2006 direct-to-video "midquel" takes the simple, sweet and ultimately tragic tale of The Fox and the Hound and, with little regard for how unnecessary a sequel of any sort would be, tarnishes the 1981 original with a lightweight story that, even today, amounts to little more than a cutesy cash-grab. It's no wonder the pair are being released as a two-movie collection, and it's no surprise both are housed on one disc. Who would skip The Fox and the Hound but pick up its subpar midquel? Why would Disney ever release the two separately when a twofer guarantees the sale of both films to everyone with affection for the first? Truth be told, I'm almost tempted to treat the 2006 followup as a glorified special feature. But young children will enjoy it for what it is (a weightless romp), meaning it's less of an irritation and more of a good-sport parent's easily shouldered 70-minute burden.

Copper and Tod

The Fox and the Hound tells the tale of Tod and Copper (voiced by Keith Mitchell and Corey Feldman), an orphaned red fox and a coonhound pup who strike up an unlikely friendship, all the while being warned that the two are natural born enemies. Months later, it all comes undone. Tod (Mickey Rooney) is excited to welcome his old friend home from a hunting trip, but Copper (Kurt Russell) returns a different dog; one who understands a relationship with a fox can't last. Unfortunately, while Copper is explaining things to Tod, his fellow hunting dog, Chief (Pat Buttram), catches the two talking and gives chase to the startled fox. When an accident leaves Chief injured, Copper and his master, Amos Slade (Jack Albertson), blame Tod and devise a plan to bag Copper's former friend. Surprised? Anyone familiar with pre-Mermaid Disney animation shouldn't be. The Fox and the Hound takes a dark turn midway through its second act and is all the better for it. Tod and Copper's minimalistic fable all at once has something to say and, rather than merely explore the whimsical fringes of an unlikely friendship, does so with moving thoughtfulness.

I'll admit the animation and storytelling aren't exactly Disney's finest hour, and the split seams of the patchwork production certainly show. There are moments of tone-tainting levity that curse the film with an uneven gait, even though each one will no doubt delight kids (perhaps of all ages) just the same. Then there's the supporting cast of humans and talking animals, very few of which are as well realized as Tod and Copper. (Chief being the biggest exception.) Still, Tod and Copper exhibit such soulfulness and character that it more than makes up for it, while Rooney and Russell invest such spirit and sadness in their vocal performances that Disney's instantly endearing fox and hound spring to life on screen. The adversity that develops between them becomes that much more potent, that much more palpable, and their inevitable reconciliation, painful and imperfect, is that much more meaningful. The end result isn't as poignant or heart-wrenching as Bambi -- or as sophisticatedly simple -- but it isn't easily forgotten either.

The Fox and the Hound II is a different breed altogether and shares little in common with the first film, despite delving into the past to weave a story of Tod and Copper (now voiced by Jonah Bobo and Harrison Fahn, respectively) when they were still young, naive and the best of friends. Alas, the sequel (ahem, midquel) isn't really about Tod or Copper at all, or their early relationship. No, it's The Singin' Strays who tend to take center stage; a band of country music-beltin' pooches -- Cash (Patrick Swayze), Dixie (Reba McEntire), Granny (Vicki Lawrence) and twins Floyd and Waylon (Jim Cummings) -- hoping to impress a talent scout at the local fair. The dogs are on their way to fame and fortune... until Dixie leaves the band at the last minute. But when Copper discovers a hidden talent, he takes her place and finds himself dreaming of a bigger, better life touring with the Strays. Meanwhile, Tod, hurt and jealous, concocts a plan to keep Copper from joining the band. Cue unforeseen consequences, misunderstanding and eventual reconciliation. Can Tod and Copper reunite the Singin' Strays, though? More importantly, can they teach Cash and Dixie the value of true friendship?

With Tod and Copper's future already set in stone, director Jim Kammerud and screenwriter Roger S.H. Schulman are left with no other choice but to mine drama from other characters, and Dixie and Cash aren't the most interesting canines to sniff around a talking-dogs flick. Far from it. McEntire and Swayze are fine, but they're given very little to work with. Convention and cliche are the first and only order of business, and nothing comes as a treat or a surprise (including Tod and Copper's contrived but temporary split, the chatty animal hijinks, the lack of creativity and short runtime, or the fact that it turns into a country-music musical). Worse, none of it fits within the fabric of The Fox and the Hound, making its link to the past as superficial as it is inconsequential. Cute and precocious as they might be, this isn't the Tod and Copper many grew up with. It's a chirpy, hurriedly conceived, paper-thin imitation that relies on pre-school slapstick and sugary sentiment. It's harmless, yes, and younger children will eat it up, no doubt. But it's direct-to-video high fructose corn syrup, and even kids will be left hungry for something more filling.

The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Disney hasn't awarded The Fox and the Hound Diamond Edition status, and a decent but dubious 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer is the apparent result. While the film has certainly earned a remaster of some sort, a full-fledged (and much needed) restoration wasn't in the cards. Several issues hinder the presentation, among them color and contrast inconsistencies, overbearing black levels, prevailing print damage and, most notably, an at-times imperceptible, at-times glaring vertical line (perhaps an abrasion) that resides at the far right-hand side of the image and stretches from top to bottom. It comes and goes as it pleases, changes form more often than I care to detail, and stands as a debilitating distraction. Even when the on-again, off-again line -- Mark? Perforation? Fissure? Crease? -- would fade from view, my eyes would continually drift to the right, waiting and watching for its return. All that being said, the Blu-ray still bests the film's previous DVD releases, even if some shots are so soft that they bear more than a passing resemblance to their standard definition counterpart. Colors may be a touch unreliable, but they've never been more vibrant and pure; contrast may be a bit gloomy, but the image is never dull or drained of life; and softness may abound, but it traces back to the original elements, not the quality of the transfer. In fact, grain is intact, the animators' lineart is well-resolved, several scenes are quite striking, and every little hand-drawn imperfection has been preserved. There also isn't any significant macroblocking, banding or aliasing worth mentioning, nor are there any compression issues as far as I can see. Ultimately, though, The Fox and the Hound doesn't look nearly as good as many -- if not all -- of the Disney classics available on Blu-ray. What a shame; what a missed opportunity.

The Fox and the Hound II fares much better. Its 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer only slips every now and again -- a sliver of banding here, a sprinkle of artifacts there -- and rarely, if ever, showcases its flaws. Color and contrast are spot on, with plenty of peppy greens, oranges and blues, gorgeous blacks, and rich, summery fur-tones. Detail is near-perfect as well, as the film's clean lineart and thin pen strokes will attest. (The film's occasional use of CG is both a distraction and an eyesore, but that's no fault of the technical presentation.) Moreover, the encode itself is capable of withstanding the harshest high definition scrutiny. Compression mishpas are few and far between, ringing and aliasing aren't factors and, for once, the midquel outclasses the original in every way. Of course, The Fox and the Hound is celebrating its 30th anniversary, so age makes a fine excuse, but considering how outstanding other Disney classics look (many of them much older than Fox), the disparity between the two Fox and the Hounds is even more noticeable. Regardless, the midquel's video transfer doesn't disappoint and stands as the high point of the two films' AV presentations.

The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both The Fox and the Hound and The Fox and the Hound II feature an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, even though both offer a completely different sonic experience. The 1981 original is extremely front-heavy, but its remix is also extremely faithful, delivering clear, intelligible voices, neatly prioritized effects, and sparing but satisfying rear speaker support. It isn't immersive per se, yet it's engaging all the same. And while it doesn't sound as if it were recorded yesterday, it maintains the personality of its thirty-year-old stereo mix and eliminates any hiss or noise that sometimes haunts catalog audio tracks. The Fox and the Hound II, meanwhile, takes complete advantage of the rear speakers. Lively country music fills the soundstage, directionality is convincing (albeit exaggerated), and Tod and Copper dart playfully from channel to channel. Dialogue is bright, crystal clear and pleasantly centered too and, despite some direct-to-video superficiality, doesn't suffer from any technical issues that might chip away at the quality of the mix. All in all, each lossless track impresses in its own way, and each one will please fans of the films.

The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Rather than grant each film its own Blu-ray disc, Disney has joined The Fox and the Hound and The Fox and the Hound II at the hip, placing both movies on a single BD-50 disc. Considering the short runtime of each film, though, as well as the lack of BD-Java extras and other supplemental content, I seriously doubt any of the AV issues noted earlier would have been resolved if the studio had utilized two discs. (Even if Disney had devoted a BD-25 disc to each film, the results would have essentially been the same. The only difference? Fewer people would be complaining.) But it's a second, even stranger decision that takes the confounding cake. The bulk of the duo's extras have been relegated to the two standard DVDs included in Disney's 3-disc set. It amounts to just ten minutes of material for The Fox and the Hound and fourteen-minutes for The Fox and the Hound II, yet these twenty-four minutes of standard definition content are nowhere to be found on the Blu-ray disc. Happy disc-hopping, all. None of that comes close to being a deal breaker, though. (Had a commentary or other more substantial feature been relegated to either DVD, I'd be much more irritated.) No, the real deal breaker here is that, unlike other animated Disney classics, much of The Fox and the Hound's production is left to the imagination. In this day and age, a seven-minute featurette simply doesn't cut it. Not even close.

• Unlikely Friends (Disc 1, HD, 7 minutes): A nearly unbearable featurette aimed squarely at the kiddies. Not that there's anything wrong with extras designed for children, but this one offers little more than a look at various rivalries and unlikely friendships in the animal kingdom.
• Sneak Peeks (Disc 1, HD, 9 minutes): Trailers and previews are available for The Lion King, Spooky Buddies, Dumbo, Tinker Bell and the Pixie Hollow Games, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Mars Needs Moms, Tinker Bell and the Mysterious Winter Woods and Bambi II.
• "Passing the Baton" (Disc 2, SD, 7 minutes): This much-too-short Fox and the Hound mini-doc doesn't hold a candle to the lengthy production features Disney has included on the Blu-ray releases of other animated classics. It's still worth watching; just be prepared to come away disappointed.
• "The Best of Friends" Sing-along (Disc 2, SD, 3 minutes): "The Best of Friends," karaoke style.
• Backstage Disney: The Making of the Music (Disc 3, SD, 10 minutes): Go behind-the-scenes of The Fox and the Hound II and learn how the music in the film -- Gordon Kennedy's "Blue Beyond" (with Trisha Yearwood), Marcus Hummon's "Friends for Life," Hummon's "Good Doggie" (with Reba McEntire), Will Robinson's "Hound Dude" (with Josh Gracin), Hummon's "We Go Together" (with Karen Fairchild and Little Big Town) and Joel McNeely's score -- came to be.
• Music Video (Disc 3, SD, 4 minutes): Lucas Grabeel's "You Know I Will."

The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As a two-movie collection, The Fox and the Hound and The Fox and the Hound II is about as uneven as they come. The 1981 original, flawed as it may be, is still a Disney classic to some degree (and for several good reasons), while the 2006 midquel is a mediocre direct-to-video followup without much to offer anyone over the age of seven. Likewise, the first film's video presentation is riddled with issues (including moderate to severe print damage), while the second film's transfer is as striking as it should be. And the 3-disc set's supplemental package? Short, shallow and housed mainly on two standard DVDs. Thankfully, the duo's terrific DTS-HD Master Audio tracks helps, even when forces seem to conspire against both films. Disney rarely slips up when it comes to its animated classics, but The Fox and the Hound two-pack is a disappointment. Not enough of one to skip the collection altogether -- this is the best The Fox and the Hound has ever looked or sounded, after all -- just enough to sully what could have been a more definitive, more remarkable release.