6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Based on the classic "Swan Lake" follows the travails of Prince Derek and his pals, a frog, a turtle and a puffin, as they try to save Princess Odette from the evil wizard Rothbart.
Starring: Jack Palance, Howard McGillin, Michelle Nicastro, Liz Callaway, John CleeseFamily | 100% |
Animation | 78% |
Comedy | 54% |
Musical | 47% |
Fantasy | 40% |
Romance | 35% |
Adventure | 15% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A cursed princesses, a handsome prince, a royal marriage ball, an evil sorcerer: The Swan Princess puts together bits and pieces of familiar fairy tale (and musical) refrains but to its credit puts them together in a fairly unique way. The film's story is loosely based on the Tchaikovsky ballet Swan Lake though plenty of liberties are taken with the characters and story lines to not necessarily redefine the material but rather to make it fit into a colorful, mostly cheerful animated realm. While not entirely Disney caliber, though clearly influenced by Director Richard Rich's time with the studio, The Swan Princess offers cohesive, coherent storytelling in a pretty package that is altogether one of the more enjoyably complete animated films of its era.
For The Swan Princess Sony has once again done a great job with a MOD (Manufactured on Demand) Blu-ray release. The transfer maintains a natural grain structure from the film transfer. It's even and pleasing to the eye, marred only by the occasional splotch or speckle, some of which appear to be baked onto the source. The image offers an engaging textural quality and a great feel for cinema character. The 1080p resolution is more than enough to bring out the finest details in the animation. From resplendent castle locales to crude villainous lairs, from natural outdoor settings to exquisite ballrooms, the image's high detail level and first-class clarity breathe life into every shot. There is a tremendous feel for depth even on the flat presentation. Colors are resplendent. The movie is made of an endless array of hues that splash onto the screen with wonderful pop and depth. Natural greens, bright blue skies, and a myriad of clothing tones delight while larger color splashes in spectacle shots and scenes -- particularly colorful magical conjures -- dazzle. The picture is full of life and exists on Blu-ray in nearly pristine condition. The occasional speckle (and a few dense examples, such as around the 1:30:40 mark) is the only drawback to one of the nicest looking traditionally animated titles on the market.
Just as wonderful as the 1080p video presentation is Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is expansive and clarity is wonderful. It's very well balanced in presentation, boasting supremely engaging front end width and perfectly balanced back channel support, taking full advantage of the added two speakers for both discrete elements and larger general immersion. Clarity is striking with every musical number. Notes are warm and rich and lifelike; listeners will feel like they're sitting in the middle of the orchestra. But the track's excellence does not end with music. Action and heavy support effects bear much audible fruit. Thunder cracks at the 12-minute mark, and again about a minute later, with sharp depth and stage fulfillment. Rainfall is naturally saturating, up front and aggressive around the stage but falling back underneath a key dialogue scene at the 15-minute mark. This whole stretch is of near reference quality, particularly for something like this existing in the classic animation realm. The end sequence is dazzling for detail, depth, and movement. Lighter ambient effects -- croaking frogs and buzzing insects, light winds, reverberating dialogue -- draw the listener into the movie's magical world. Dialogue is true and clear, well prioritized, and presents from a natural front-center position.
The Swan Princess' supplemental features include featurettes and sing-alongs. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not
ship with a slipcover.
The Swan Princess is one of the great non-Disney traditionally animated films from the past several decades. The movie holds up well for its timeless story, excellent animation, quality voice work, and memorable songs. Sony's Blu-ray is even better. The video quality is resplendent, the 7.1 lossless audio track is to die for, and a few quality extras are included. Very highly recommended.
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2013
2016
The Signature Collection | Ultimate Collector's Edition
1992
Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1989
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2010
Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1959
30th Anniversary Edition
1992
1997
Diamond Edition
1950
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2019
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2016
25th Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1991
20th Anniversary Edition
2001
DVD Packaging
2011
2002
2008
1997
2014
50th Anniversary Edition | DVD Packaging
1963
2015