Snow White and the SevenDwarfs - Review

Snow White and the SevenDwarfs
Ages: General Audience

I remember the story very clearly - what I didn't remember, or didn't appreciate as a child was how incredibly good the animation was. Capes float, skirts swirl, water falls, gems sparkle, not only the dwarves, but the animals have expressions. The screen is filled with animation. Anything and every thing that could be is animated. What a labor of love. The bonus information gives you a good idea of what went into the film and what makes it so exceptional.

The 3 disk release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is so packed with bonus material, that they send along a flow chart to help to find all the goodies. A real treat for animation fans is the footage of the Hyperion Studios - as they say, it was where it all began. The enthusiasm comes across clearly in these 70 year old clips. A young, 24 year old Walt is shown playing baseball at the lunch break. It also shows, if you are quick enough to catch it, the ad for, "trained male artists". Sound, music and voice was an important part of a Disney production. The actual voice actors are all identified and each of the dwarves had a different actor, and you even get to see the young girl who voices Snow White.

A section showing Disney's work from 1930 to 2001 feels like self-promotion but one can only be in awe of the prodigious amount of work the Disney Studio has produced. Not only movies, TV shows, Disneyland, teen stars, games are all part of the empire.

The bonus games are much better than what you get for "bonus fare" - it's what you might expect from Disney: Dopey's Wild Ride has great graphics, Mirror Game - find out which princess you most resemble, What Do You See - identify the out of focus images, Jewel Jumble - stack falling gems to eliminate sets of three and a sing along Karaoke to "Heigh-Ho".

I was anxious to check out the difference between the Blu-ray and the DVD so I watched them side by side. The Blu-ray was sharper - clear cut edges but the DVD was an excellent print - Disney Studios clearly worked on it. The Scene Selection minutely steps through the movie so you can play back your most wanted scenes - all 27 of them - songs and all. What a treat!


Fun Factor: Yes, yes, yes
Female Factor: Snow White is a charmer - not icky sweet.

Reviewed by: Editor - 10/09

  • Snow White and the SevenDwarfs
  • © Walt Disney Studios
  • Platform(s): DVD Movie
  • To Order: DVD http://www.amazon.com/ $24.99