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The first ever animated feature now in high definition with plenty of extras.

Regardless of your feelings on Walt Disney or his company, if you are a fan of animated films, or animation in general, then you have to give him a little credit.  The Disney cartoons were the first to feature synchronized sound.  Those who worked in that first studio building on Hyperion Avenue created the multi-plane camera system which added a lot more depth to animation making it a little more realistic.  Probably the most famous thing Walt and company did was take a gamble that industry people believed foolish and create the first ever animated feature film.  Who would want to watch a cartoon for an hour and a half?  Evidently a lot of people.  The near 1.5 million dollar gamble paid off and now almost 62 years later people still hold Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs near and dear to their hearts. 

It’s probably a little ridiculous to think someone out there old enough to navigate the internet and read this review would not know the story of Snow White, but for those few I’ll explain.  Based on the Brothers Grimm “Snow White” we find a young, beautiful princess is forced to work as a scullery maid by her wicked stepmother so she is thought of as the fairest one of all the land.  The day her magic mirror tells her Snow White is the fairest the Queen is out for blood - literally.  She demands a hunter follow Snow White into the woods, kill her and bring back her heart as proof, but he cannot.  Instead he urges the young princess to run off into the woods and never return and takes a pig’s heart back to the Queen instead. 

While making her way through the forest Snow comes upon a small cottage that is a mess, and with the help of her woodland creature friends she cleans everything.  The homeowners return, and as you well know, they are the seven dwarfs - Doc, Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey - and are not happy about her intrusion.  It’s not long before they warm up to her being there and hold her dearly.  Unfortunately the Queen finds out about the ruse pulled by the hunter and sets out to take care of things herself. 

All of the trades and reporters who laughed at Disney’s idea of a feature length animated film were soon silenced after its premiere in 1937.  Record crowds came out and packed theaters to witness this historic first and fell in love right away.  Before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the cartoon was thought of just for laughs.  When the audience watched these beloved characters they really connected with the the drawings on the screen.  I’m pretty sure there were no cartoons before Snow White to make people cry tears of sadness because of what happened to the characters.  It’s this level of story writing that Disney has managed to keep up ever since to make the movies earn special places in the hearts of movie goers all over the world. 

Music is another important aspect to any Disney flick and the first one was no exception.  Songs like “Heigh-Ho,” “Whistle While You Work” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” immediately struck a chord with audiences.  Still today, even though I had not seen Snow White in years, I find myself whistling or singing “Heigh-Ho” from time to time, mainly whilst doing the dishes. 

This film has been released a number of times, and previously even had a special edition DVD, but with Disney’s new Diamond Series they set out to blow any other version out of the water.  They have succeeded.  With the Blu-Ray updated transfer the clarity of the film is wonderful and colors are much more vibrant than any other version out there, and the audio is top notch as well.  With the high definition disc you get the option to watch it as it was originally created, in full frame, but you can also watch in a mode they refer to as DisneyView.  This is where the black bars on the side of the picture are covered up by new paintings to go along with the settings in the film (like trees in the forest, or copies of the cottage walls).  I’m not 100 percent sold on this idea, which they previously used on Pinocchio, but it is an interesting option to have to fill your screen with color and they are not really distracting. 

Recently the Disney releases have been coming in great packs where you buy the Blu-Ray and get the standard def DVD as well.  This is still the same with Snow White but they even went the other way.  Now when you pick up the DVD of the film it comes with the two disc Blu-Ray as well.  The only difference between the two is one comes in the DVD sized case and the other in the Blu-Ray style, they covers are different too (the edge there goes to the high def). 

If you were worried there would not be enough extra features here for you then do not fret because it is jam packed! An audio commentary, four games for the family to play (more for the kids), a sneak peek at the newest Disney animated feature (The Princess and the Frog), a couple of deleted scenes and a great recreation of some storyboards recently found for a sequel that was in the works.  That is all just on the first disc!  The second disc is where the extras really get into things.  By far the best feature here is Hyperion Studios, and interactive look through the original Walt Disney studio building.  In each room you learn about the process of making the film and see photo and art galleries, hear archival interviews with the animators and writers who worked on the film and there are plenty of documentaries to keep you busy.  One of the docs is called “The One That Started It All” and talks about what making Snow White did for Disney and how it lead to everything else they have accomplished.  Also in the great Hyperion feature are how things that were slowly implemented into the shorts helped to pave the way for the groundbreaking feature and then you get a chance to watch the short in question.  There are about half a dozen cartoons including the famous “Steamboat Willie” and many of the Silly Symphonies (including my favorite, “The Skeleton Dance”).  All in all that one feature will probably eat up another two hours of your time. 

As if that weren’t enough, there are still a few more features.  Another game, a featurette on voice talent and a Karaoke sing-a-long to “Heigh-Ho” pad out the disc a bit more as well as “Disney Through The Ages.”  This feature goes through each decade with Disney and the accomplishments made in that time.  Everything started with Snow White and as you see through the years it continues when the film is re-released in theaters. 

If you have ever seen this animated milestone and loved it then you need this disc.  If you have, or ever plan on having, children then you need this disc.  I don’t see how any version could ever come out better than this one and if for some reason you do not want to buy this, at least rent the two disc Blu-Ray for the Hyperion Studios feature. 

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