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DVD Cinderella (Disney Special Platinum Edition Collector's Gift Set)
Worry not, Disney fans--this special edition DVD of the beloved Cinderella won't turn into a pumpkin at the strike of midnight. One of the most enduring animated films of all time, the Disney-fied adaptation of the gory Brothers Grimm fairy tale became a classic in its own right, thanks to some memorable tunes (including "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," and the title song) and some endearingly cute comic relief.
The famous slipper (click for larger image)
We all know the story--the wicked stepmother and stepsisters simply won't have it, this uppity Cinderella thinking she's going to a ball designed to find the handsome prince an appropriate sweetheart, but perseverance, animal buddies, and a well-timed entrance by a fairy godmother make sure things turn out all right. There are a few striking sequences of pure animation--for example, Cinderella is reflected in bubbles drifting through the air--and the design is rich and evocative throughout. It's a simple story padded here agreeably with comic business, particularly Cinderella's rodent pals (dressed up conspicuously like the dwarf sidekicks of another famous Disney heroine) and their misadventures with a wretched cat named Lucifer. There's also much harrumphing and exposition spouting by the King and the Grand Duke. It's a much simpler and more graceful work than the more frenetically paced animated films of today, which makes it simultaneously quaint and highly gratifying. --David Kronke
DVD Features
For another of its classic films, Disney delivers another dazzling DVD with a gorgeous, razor-sharp picture and 5.1 sound. (Note: the 1949 film is properly presented in full-screen format, 1.33 aspect ratio, because widescreen films weren't made until the '50s.) The best part of the supplemental features is the archival material, the absolute highlight of which is two unused songs, "Cinderella's Work Song" (in which Cinderella imagines multiplying herself à la the Sorcerer's Apprentice) and "Dancing on a Cloud."
Bippity-boppity-boo! (click for larger image)
Because these numbers were never animated, they're accompanied by stylish illustrations from the Disney artists, and they're simply marvelous to look at. The artist of much of that material, Mary Blair, gets her due in a 15-minute featurette, while the better known "Nine Old Men" are the subject of a round-table discussion among some of today's top animators. In addition, a 38-minute documentary covers their contributions to specific characters of Cinderella as well as the film in general and the vocal cast. Also on the historical side is "The Cinderella That Almost Was," tracking the development of the project through decades of original Disney concepts, characters, and songs, including the 1922 silent "Laugh-o-Gram," which is also included in its entirety.
The pumpkin transformed (click for larger image)
Additional musical material includes three radio programs and a short promo of the movie by Perry Como, in which he summarizes the plot amid some songs by the Fontaine Sisters, star Ilene Woods, and the host himself. Seven other unused songs (17 minutes total) are available in audio-only. The material for kids is on the sparse side, consisting of two music videos, Disney Channel personality Sally (from "Mike's Super Short Show") learning how to become a princess with the help of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew and others, a minor dancing-princess feature, and a DVD-ROM design studio. Oddest extra: ESPN's "top Cinderella stories," including the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team and Joe Namath's New York Jets, although stories on Mia Hamm and tennis's Williams sisters should appeal to the film's primary target audience of young girls. --David Horiuchi
Cinderella Throughout the Years
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1957 Television Production)
Review(s): DVD Cinderella (Disney Special Platinum Edition Collector's Gift Set)
Doesn't Even Deserve 1 Star!
Has anyone noticed that this has ALREADY BEEN REMASTERED TO DVD?!?!?!?!?!?!?! This is just another way for Disney to suck money out of people. Well, I'm not givin in.
Excellent, an enduring movie which has stood the test of time
This is marvellous - this two disc set has some wonderful extras, but I have to admit I thought I would be more interested in them than I actually was, I looked at a few of them (the deleted songs, the opening sequence, the story of the making) just once, and really all that I ever play for my daughters is the actual movie.
I don't know what the difference with the undigitally remastered version is, but this is a beautiful movie. There is teh 'old fashioned' singing in it - Cinderella has a real 40's feel in her singing style, but they are lovely songs and nicely rendered. It compares much better with modern times than Snow White which has an extraodinarily unusual voice for the lead in that.....but I digress.
This is a great movie, the story is nicely and simply told for children, has great animation and secondary characters in the animal characters. I like the fact that Cinderella is beautiful without some of the 'sexiness' of later heroines (Princess Jasmine et al)
Cinderella is cruelly treated by her step-mother and her two step sisters - she is forced to char and scrub and serve them. However she is good and kind. Her nature and her hope mean that when she really needs help her fairy god-mother appears. She goes to the ball, the prince falls in love with her and it of course all ends happily ever after.
The only annoying thing (I found as an adult) was the chipmunk-style voices of the mice - but my kids didn't mind.
I nice movie to put on for a wet day - entertaining, sweet and with a positive message to it - that goodness and hope will overcome.
all about the critters
This version of the Cinderella story is more about the critters (mice, cat, dog & birds) than it is the story which may have inspired the infamous "cinderella complex" in modern women. Actually, this animated film would have been better served by making it a critters in the household film or a Cinderella-focussed story, so instead it tries to be both and fails. There are now easily discernible anti-feminist statements: Not only the "cinderella complex" - how a prince will be the one to save the girl from any situation - but also how the animals work their assignments: the male rodents are active, adventurous, taking on all the treacherous assignments, while the female rodents are left sewing and Cinderella attires the rodents in clothing suited to little boys or girls, like the "clothes make the man." Don't even get me started on the songbirds. The original fairytale had the royal ball taking place over a series of three nights, rather than the one event usually portrayed in films, however if you really want a good film to watch focussing on the Cinderella story, the one I'd recommend is the Drew Barrymore EVER AFTER. It's minus the cute cuddly animals, so that part of the traditional fairy tale is missing, but otherwise it's superior story-telling.
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