The Puppetoon Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Puppetoon Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 31, 2026

Arnold Leibovit has made it something of a personal mission to keep the legacy of George Pal in general and Pal's Puppetoon productions in particular alive and kicking, and this new Director's Cut of The Puppetoon Movie is the latest example. Leibovit's first 1080 release of The Puppetoon Movie came out back in 2013 (see below for a review link), and was subsequently followed by The Puppetoon Movie: Volume 2 and The Puppetoon Movie: Volume 3, perhaps further cementing the focus Leibovit has put into reminding contemporary generations about these charming shorts and George Pal's incredible contributions to motion pictures. This release is currently exclusive to Leibovit's site (above), but will be more widely available at retailers like Amazon in the coming months.

For my thoughts on the film, please visit my The Puppetoon Movie Blu-ray review, which also provides a list of supplements accompanying that release and my reaction to the technical presentation.

The Puppetoon Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Puppetoon Movie is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Puppetoon Productions with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.32:1. The nicely appointed insert booklet does not have a ton of technical information about this new transfer, but Arnold Leibovit provided this information:

[This is] restored from the original 35mm color negative, resulting in vastly improved color, clarity, and image quality. The prior version came from the interpositive which was inherently grainy and dark. Key improvements include: a full frame by frame restoration and grading, original Puppetoon opening/closing titles removed from the prior release have been reinstated, all opticals and transitions were rebuilt, an additional Puppetoon added, an updated stereo mix, over 2 hours of new extras, a 50-minute doc on the making of the film, [and a] a 28-page color booklet.

This new presentation does markedly improve the palette (which was rather nicely suffused on the old release), as well as boosting clarity, perhaps not quite as much as the increased energy of the Technicolor. What may ruffle some videophile feathers is the reduction in visible grain on this presentation, which may in fact be due at least in part to the use of a negative rather than an interpositive, but which still shows signs of "management" if not outright "reduction". For those nervous about this, there is grain visible, especially in the shorts themselves (as opposed to the framing material). Very small signs of age related wear and tear have survived the restoration gauntlet. I've tried to reproduce some of the screenshots from my original review so that those interested can do side by side comparisons at full resolution. My score is 4.25.

The Puppetoon Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This new edition features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 options, though as noted in my original review, the shorts themselves were (not to state the obvious, but to state the obvious) released in mono, which means both codecs here don't really have a ton to "play with", so to speak. There are unavoidable vestiges of the recording technologies of the day, and many of the shorts can feature somewhat boxy and thin audio, with some slight hiss evident. That said, fidelity is intact and there are no real issues with any audio defects. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Puppetoon Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Puppetoon Movie: A Legacy Revisited (HD; 49:36) is a sweet reminiscence by Leibovit of his history with the Pals.


• Peter Lord on George Pal (HD; 9:58) offers thoughts from one of the creatives at Aardman Animation.


• What Ho She Bumps (HD; 7:32) is a fun Puppetoon featuring pirates.


• Speedy Goes to Hollywood (HD*; 4:47) is a Miles Laboratories documentary (!) about Alka Seltzer's famous spokespuppet. This has a little tracking distortion at the very bottom of the frame.


• The People's Choice (HD; 1:08) is a black and white ad hawking Mounds candy bars.


• The Lady Said No (HD; 7:44) is from 1945 and from United Artists rather than Paramount.


• Opta Receiver (HD; 2:28) is another quasi-ad, apparently German. This has an odd opening that seems to be a data card about the transfer (i.e., it lists pixels and frame rate, among other specs).


• Four Aces (HD; 3:51) is another apparent German production (with the same opening data card) with both a deck of cards and various international musical moments.


• How Much Is Your Health Worth to You? (HD; 2:32) continues with the German productions (and data cards). This black and white short features both (traditional) animation and live action. Optional subtitles are available.


• Winner (HD; 6:01) hails from Czechoslovakia (as it was known) and is another traditionally animated black and white short. Optional English subtitles are available.


• Refining Oil for Energy (HD; 18:53) is a Shell Oil piece from 1948.


• The Puppetoon Movie Trailer (Restored) (HD; 1:57)

*720

As mentioned above, the release also includes a really nicely appointed insert booklet with a ton of photos and additional information.

The Puppetoon Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Arnold Leibovit is obviously devoted to preserving this fascinating little corner of film history, and this new edition of The Puppetoon Movie should be appreciated by fans of stop motion animation. As with the first release, it may be some of the supplements that attract the most attention, and the new documentary giving some history of Leibovit with the Pals is especially enjoyable. Recommended.