ALICE IN WONDERLAND: 60TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (1951, Blu-ray released February 1, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
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Disney has had great success lately, bringing their vast catalogue of animated films to Blu-ray. Watching Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio on Blu has been nothing short of a revelation. This week their trippy 1951 adaptation of Lewis Caroll‘s Alice in Wonderland is available for the first time in high-def and, like its fellow films, it’s a stunner!
- “Join Alice as she chases the White Rabbit and journeys into a topsy-turvy world that gets “curiouser and curiouser” as her fantastical adventures unfold. Meet the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Tweedledee & Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and more unforgettable characters, all set against a backdrop of awe-inspiring splendor.“
The story is a beloved classic and Disney’s take on the material, though brief at a breathless 75 minutes, is like the perfect cover version of the perfect pop song. Every element of the work is timeless, from the now-iconic designs (somewhat inspired by and featuring the work of the incomparable Mary Blair), fluid animation and memorable tunes. Alice in Wonderland is nothing short of perfection.
And that perfection carries over to the high-def transfer, which is pristine, colourful and clean from top to bottom. However, as noted film historian and preservationist Robert A. Harris points out in his comments about Disney’s recent Blu-ray editions of their catalogue films, these versions are not accurate representations of the films as they were created – flaws have been corrected, colours have been altered and grain has been removed. The Alice in Wonderland you see on the Blu-ray is slightly a different animal from the one which appeared on screens back in 1951. But thankfully, that version has been preserved by the studio (vaulted to create future super-definition releases, no doubt) and used to create this new, vivid interpretation of the classic material. And it’s simply gorgeous in every way.
The Alice in Wonderland Blu-ray disc sports a very fine DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that’s bound to impress, considering the films age with bright, clear voices through the center, rousing, dynamic mains, and effective use of LFE. The rear’s are predictably less active than in modern films, just as the lows are less aggressive but effective nonetheless.
The collection of special features on the Blu-ray disc is highlighted by one of the finest Picture-in-Picture tracks I’ve ever seen! Introduced by the voice of Alice, Kathryn Beaumont, “Through the Keyhole: A Companion’s Guide to Wonderland” is extensive and exceptional in content. Interviews with Caroll experts and Disney historians are cut together with archival footage and photographs to form 76-minutes of PIP that feels more like a proper documentary than Blu-ray gimmick. Amazing.
Along with brand new bonus features like the “Alice Shrinks” pencil test (an excerpt of which you can see above) and the interactive “Painting the Roses Red Game” (which was annoyingly pushed on me by way of a pop-up over the screen as closing credits of the film began to roll – a big no-no for serious fans, Disney!), the disc includes all of the extras from the previously available DVD, some of which are now available in HD for the first time (“Thru the Mirror” Mickey Mouse Animated Short and “Operation Wonderland“.) The Blu-ray disc is rounded out with the following features:
- Disney View – Watch the movie in this expanded viewing experience with new Disney art in the wings of the screen
- Walt Disney Color TV Introduction (1959) – A never-before-seen color TV intro by Walt.
- Reference Footage: Alice and the Doorknob – Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of Alice, provides an introduction to this newly discovered reference footage of Alice talking to the doorknob.”I’m Odd” Newly Discovered Cheshire Cat Song + Intro
- Art Gallery (with new design and new images)
- Reflections on Alice
- One Hour in Wonderland
- An Alice Comedy: Alice’s Wonderland
- Original Theatrical Trailers (1951 & 1974)
- Walt Disney TV Introduction (1954 & 1964)
- The Fred Waring Show (Excerpt)
- Deleted Scenes, Concepts and Song Demos
- DVD Copy of the Film
[...] looks and sounds on this new 60th Anniversary Blu-ray disc. I won’t elaborate here (you can read my full review for my thoughts on this extraordinary release) but most everything about this disc is pitch [...]