1. Target Digipak
2. Blu-ray (Japan)
3. Blu-ray (Korea)
4. Walmart Exclusive
5. DVD+CD (Mexico)
6. Blufans Exclusive Box Set (China)
7. 4K UHD (Japan)
8. Best Buy Steelbook
9. Special Edition (Japan)
10. 2-Movie Collection (Hong Kong) ~ I like the arrangement and everything, but something about this one feels like the cover for a live-action film. I guess because the whole thing looks drained of color? But I could see a film with the two characters at the top that way on a live-action film’s cover.
11. Blu-ray + OST (Korea)
12. 4K UHD
13. Zavvi Collector's Edition Steelbook (UK)
14. 3-Movie Collection (Korea)
15. 2-Movie Collection (France)
16. 2-Movie Collection
Listening to most often lately:
Taylor Swift ~ ~ "The Fate of Ophelia"
Taylor Swift ~ "Eldest Daughter"
Taylor Swift ~ "CANCELLED!"
^^ Hmm ... Interesting. It is always said that Black Cauldron got its first home video release in the late 90s. Then again the same was said about Melody Time, but I recently found out that the latter had actually gotten a VHS release back in the late 1980s in UK, albeit as a rental tape and not intended for purchase by consumers. This finally explained my foggy memories of watching Melody Time on VHS back in 1992 or so (way before its supposed debut on home video.)
I wonder if this could also be a rental tape exclusive to the UK.
Anybody up for detective work?
Off-topic, but DisneyBluLife I am forever amused by your avatar with young Simba in the middle of a Christmas wreath! The Lion King and Christmas (especially the religious aspects) are at such far ends of the spectrum that I find it terribly funny to imagine Simba and the other inhabitants of the Pride Lands celebrating Christmas with lighted trees and traditional cribs.
No, no way. The first VHS of TBC was in the UK in 1997; this video you posted used a poster, with all the text, included; I've never seen any official TBC cover use that.
1. Blu-ray (Korea): Some poses are a bit unnatural, but I really like the mist and the sense of mystery it conveys. 2. Blu-ray (Japan) 3. Best Buy Steelbook: Really epic and impressive. Yes, Disney Duster, it was the IMAX poster. 4. Zavvi Collector's Edition Steelbook (UK): It's beautiful and quite different from other covers. 5. Target Digipack 6. 4K UHD 7. 4K UHD (Japan) 8. Blufans Exclusive Box Set (China) 9. 3-Movie Collection (Korea) 10. 2-Movie Collection (Hong Kong): I agree with Disney's Divinity that it feels like the cover for a live-action film. It's not bad, but I usually don't like when characters appear on the same cover more than once. 11. 2-Movie Collection (France) 12. DVD + CD (Mexico) 13. Walmart Exclusive: The arrangement and poses are a bit weird, Olaf should be bigger given that he's closer to the "camera" than Anna and Elsa, and Anna doesn't have her lower half. 14. Blu-ray + OST (Korea) 15. Special Edition (Japan) 16. 2-Movie Collection
One curiosity that I think was already mentioned when the cover was first revealed is that they softened the expressions Anna and Elsa have in the poster for the 4K UHD cover:
And I thought it would be interesting to post also the back covers for the Korean Blu-ray + OST and the Japanese Special Edition:
And so... we have come to the end of the line. The final Disney Classic cover review. Sad... and sad to end on such a mediocre movie... pretty good covers though!
I know we might continue with Pixar covers... but sigh, it won't be the same. Melancholy!
Wait: was there no regular blu-ray-dvd combo for this movie?!?!?!
Best Buy Steelbook: I will start out with something unusual: I will not rate this one cover along with the others. It is an absolutely gorgeous piece of artwork, but it does not reflect the movie AT ALL. The tone is totally off, very much in line with the first trailer... a glaring misrepresentation of what the movie actually is. The visual rendering here is GORGEOUS, look at the ice, the lighting, that water-horse... beautiful all around. Looks like a cool movie, doesn't it?
Here we go with the ranking!
1) Target Digipack: the poses are strong, there is a nice display of background, which was one of the film's fortes. Not only that, but seeing the characters in full body gives it more of a feel like they are about to go on an adventure. I really prefer this pose for Olaf, it feels more in line with his character in this film: distracted by the things he observes around him.
2) 4K UHD: a pretty decent cover. Not very original... main cast in the center, nature spirits around them. All well posed and rendered. It's ok.
3) 4K UHD Japan: I like the concept and layout... this is definitely the enchanted forest, and I like the scale of the characters in this background; makes the forest more ominous. But where is the rest of the gang? Im not sure this movie has any moment of just the sisters alone.
4) Blu Ray Japan: I like the layout of the characters, but Elsa's pose feel stiff, specially her right arm. And what background is that??? Do they ever go to mountains in this film???
5) Walmart Exclusive: ODD cover. Strange pose for Elsa. It makes the whole thing look a little like a clipart collage. I wonder if it would have looked better if the sisters were back-to-back, both in profile. And remove the pointless Olaf...
6) 2-movie Collection France: clip art much? They feel very disconnected from... everything. I don't even buy they are really looking at anything.
7) Zaavi Collector's UK: Um.... no. Just no. Not sure what film that is supposed to be, but no.
The others I won't rate, cause it feels like just reused covers or clipart.
Well, this was a bit anticlimactic. The covers here are decent, but nothing amazing; nothing "outside the box". Oh well. They tried. Kinda. Sorta.
Marce82 wrote:
Wait: was there no regular blu-ray-dvd combo for this movie?!?!?!
There was a Blu-ray/DVD combo but it had the same cover as the 4K one so it was pointless to post both.
Marce82 wrote:
Well, this was a bit anticlimactic. The covers here are decent, but nothing amazing; nothing "outside the box". Oh well. They tried. Kinda. Sorta.
^ I agree. The original VHS and the Best Buy steelbook are the best IMO, but the 4K UHD tried, with other characters on the right side, so that's my #3.
Oh, interesting that the 3 basic media releases in the US got the same cover for Frozen2!
And I think calling Frozen 2 "decent" is a little generous. That film is almost incoherent.
True. I have both films on Blu-ray and I find myself return to Frozen sometimes but barely to Frozen II and when I do I just fast forward some parts (mainly I just watch Elsa's scenes).
I know it's a little bit off topic but what are your general thoughts about the Revival films?
Regarding the Frozen II covers, I'm just going to rank the US ones:
1. Target Digipack - it does the best job with the characters and the background.
2. Best Buy Steelbook - gorgeous, but just like Marce82 said it doesn't really represent the film.
3. Standard Slipcover - it looks fine.
4. Walmart Exclusive - awkward positions, doesn't feel like the characters are in the same place.
Revival films... they are a bit of a mixed back. I don't think there is the same overall level of consistent quality like we had in the renaissance (I am talking story/character, not visuals). Not saying all the 90s films were great, but there was a sort of trajectory, with the peak being The Lion King (not necessarily saying that was my favorite film of the period).
Very good-to-excellent: Tangled, Wreck it Ralph, Zootopia
Pretty good: Winnie the pooh, TPATF, Moana (I need to rewatch this one, have only seen it once)
Passable: Frozen, Big Hero 6 (which was good, but kinda forgettable)
Bad-to-terrible: Frozen 2 (bad), Ralph Breaks the Internet (terrible!).
Maybe in time we will look back and think the Revival era ended with Moana... we'll have to see how good/bad the next films are...
Too un-Disney to care: Wreck-it Ralph and Big Hero 6. Kind of make me feel they're in it because they were lucky to be released after TPatF/Tangled, unlike Bolt.
Too Disneytoons: Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen II. Disney should not do sequels.
It's interesting to think that the Revival might have ended with Moana. Who knew that after we got two good films in 2016, there won't be any original output from the studio for more than four years.
Ok, here is one major concept where we disagree: "un-disney". I agree that Disney films should be watchable by people of any age... but beyond that, I think it is unfair to expect a studio to only do a certain genre of film. Do you know any other film studio that is held to that standard? Where they can only make ONE genre (not medium) of film?
I am judging Zootopia and Big Hero 6 as films, no matter who made them. Same as any other animated film.
I think quite a few people feel the way you do... (doesnt make it right, IMO)... which is why other studios have a lot more creative freedom, cause they don't have the same legacy/limitations as Disney does.
You're completely right and I agree with you - Disney should make what they want to make, I don't really expect them to remain in the musical/fantasy genre, though these are the ones I personally prefer.
However, I do think that nowadays, unlike the 90's, there's an oversaturated market of animated films and in order for an animated film to stand out, it needs to do something that would make it more unique. Disney doesn't do musicals every year, which is probably smart because otherwise people might get tired of them like they did in the 90's. It's not just Disney's problem, but all the studios problem. You had Inside Out and Coco from Pixar which were successful but it doesn't seem like they're remembered that much today, same with Zootopia (as much as I like it and consider it among my top 5/6 CGI films).
I guess I shouldn't have used "Un-Disney" and more "forgettable". I don't hate Wreck-it Ralph or Big Hero 6, I just don't really care about them, and I know Ralph is a favorite for some and that's okay, I'm not trying to diss the film or anything, I just don't really have a strong feeling towards it.
And I'll just add that even though they are not in the musical/fantasy genre, I really like these films made by Disney:
The Great Mouse Detective, The Emperor's New Groove, Lilo & Stitch, Treasure Planet and Zootopia.
Also don't know where you count 101 Dalmatians and some others from the vault/Signature line, but those ones as well.
I guess because the whole thing looks drained of color? But I could see a film with the two characters at the top that way on a live-action film’s cover.
