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Peter Pan : Diamond Edition – The Blu Review – We Are Movie Geeks

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Peter Pan : Diamond Edition – The Blu Review

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On February 5, 2013, The Walt Disney Studios released the 60th Anniversary release of Walt Disney’s classic, PETER PAN, with a new digital restoration and high definition picture and sound, for the first time on Blu-ray. The classic tale that taught us all “to believe” and first introduced us to the Darling children – Wendy, John and Michael – as they flew with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell past the second star to the right and straight on ‘till morning to the enchanted world of Never Land. Rediscover the magical adventure and relive childhood memories of this great bedtime story.

PETER PAN is a timeless classic from Disney’s Golden Age of animation.  The film is one of three to boast all nine of Walt’s famous “Nine Old Men” as Directing Animators, and is a revered audience favorite. This is one Blu-ray that you want to add to your collection. I mean… it shows you 101 uses for your pirate hook. How cool is that?!

THE BLU-REVIEW

VIDEO: The 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer is seamless to look at. They took out the grain, and punched up the color in a few places which may leave some purists upset, but overall the film looks stunning and crisp. To be fair, Disney used the original cell art, rather than the 1953 theatrical version as reference for the colors and contrasts in the film. The result is in the details, which pop out like never before.

AUDIO: The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track is quite impressive. They play with direction well with the surround sound, and Neverland wraps around the listener without being too overwhelming. There are a few areas where the audio shows it’s age, but overall Disney’s 7.1 presentation is a delight. For the purists, they do also include a 192kbps Dolby Digital mono track.

BONUS FEATURES: 

Introduction by Diane Disney-Miller: Diane DIsney-Miller discusses her fathers interest in the tale of PETER PAN in a short opening introduction.

Audio Commentary: If you are looking for audio commentary that differs from the previous DVD release, then you will be slightly disappointed. Having said that, the commentary is quite extensive. Roy Disney hosts, and although dry, he leaves room for clips from animators, the filmmakers, and even some of the voice actors to speak about the film. If you are a PETER PAN fan you will find this fascinating.

Growing Up with Nine Old Men: This feature concentrates on Walt Disney’s 9 lead animators, which were dubbed the Nine Old Men. They became Disney legends, and helped make Disney what it is today.  My favorite feature on the disc, Growing Up with Nine Old Men talks to their children to give us an inside look at the men behind the animation.

Peter Pan Sing-Along: There’s nothing really special about this. The words appear in subtitle form rather than the karaoke style that you would expect.

Deleted Songs and Scenes: As a bonus from the vault, there are two bonus scenes (THE JOURNEY HOME and ALTERNATE ARRIVAL) and two bonus songs (NEVER SMILE AT A CROCODILE) and THE BOATSWAIN SONG) that are presented through concept art and audio.You can clearly see why they were omitted, but it’s still fun to see.

Classic DVD Bonus Features – Backstage Disney: Five features that were included on the DVD, so nothing new here… “YOU CAN FLY: THE MAKING OF PETER PAN”, “IN WALT’S WORDS: WHY I MADE PETER PAN”, “TINKER BELL: A FAIRY’S TALE”, “THE PETER PAN THAT ALMOST WAS”, and “THE PETER PAN STORY”.

Disney Intermission: This is a feature that is activated whenever the movie is paused. It gives viewers tips on how to be come a pirate, as well as some video clips.

DisneyView Side Bars: This feature allows you to fill the side bars with artwork from background painter Cristy Maltese.

Sneak Peeks: Promos for THE LITTLE MERMAID 3D, MULAN, MULAN II, PETER PAN IN RETURN TO NEVER LAND,WRECK-IT RALPH, THE ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH, THE MUPPET MOVIE, the new TINKER BELL movie, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, MONSTERS INC. 3D, and PLANE.

PETER PAN is a classic that has withstood the test of time, and for good reason. It’s timeless sense of adventure and imagination has only been amplified by its restoration. PETER PAN : DIAMOND EDITION is a must have for any home collection. The restoration is impeccable, and the hours of added bonus features make for a well rounded Blu-Ray experience.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
PETER PAN : DIAMOND EDITION is in stores now

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Nerdy, snarky horror lover with a campy undertone. Goonies never say die.