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Sunday, August 4, 2013

Blu-Ray Review: Disney's Robin Hood 40th Anniversary Edition!


Here is my review for Disney's animated film Robin Hood!

The classic story of Robin Hood is told here with animals playing all the roles. The citizens of Nottingham effortlessly translate into the animal kingdom. Robin Hood is of course a fox and the lovely Maid Marion is a Vixen. The evil Prince John is a lion as is his brother the good King Richard.

Video Quality:
As with The Sword In The Stone, this film has been scrubbed to remove the film grain. While this film looks comparable to the quality of The Sword In The Stone, you can easily see that Robin Hood is the better looking of the two movies. The watercolor backgrounds look as close to the original animators palette as can be. Robin Hood has never looked better and as a fan of the movie I was so happy to see how great it looks!

Audio Quality:
There is a DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track that doesn't stray too far from the original mono track. Voices are crystal clear and there is little coming from the rear speakers.

Extras: 
  • Deleted Storyline "Love Letters" (HD, 8 minutes): a look at an abandoned plot line where Prince John would have forged "love letters" between Marion and Robin Hood which would have led Robin Hood into a trap.
  • Alternate Ending (HD, 5 minutes): Made up of paintings and sketches to show how Robin Hood might have ended.
  • Disney Song Selection (HD, 8 minutes): Four musical clips from the film: "Oo-De-Lally," "Love," "The Phony King of England" and "Not in Nottingham."
  • Robin Hood Art Gallery (HD, 9 minutes): A slideshow showcasing early concept art, photos of the animators at work, as well as posters and even some of the merchandise.
  • Robin Hood Storybook (HD, 14 minutes): A read-along for the kids.
  • Disney Sing-Along (HD): Sing along with the movie, similar to the Disney Song Selection.
  • Oo-De-Lally Sing-Along (HD, 2 minutes): A vintage sing-along video.
  • Bonus Short "Ye Olden Days" (HD, 8 minutes): A classic black and white Mickey Mouse short that appears to have been restored.

Another solid restoration effort from Disney with a great surround track that could have used better extra features. But this film still deserves a place on every Disney collector's shelves! 

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