The Parent Trap (Original 1961) Vault Disney Collection
BOX-ART
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With the golden-orange sunset as the backdrop, we have renders of the twins in the foreground. They're giving each other glaring looks, as the parents in the background look as if they're about to kiss. The film's logo is at the bottom, with a red banner at the top referring to this DVD as part of the, "Vault Disney Collection."
The back of the box continues with the red and gold color scheme. There are two images from the film, along with a description. Off to the side is a golden panel with special features and technical aspects. Various other logos & texts are at the very bottom.
MENUS
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Options are laid out via an arts & crafts style animated menu that plays, "Lets get together,' followed by an instrumental version after. Various images and stop motion style renders of the twins are present throughout the menus. Each sub menu has a transition animation that plays, usually related to the arts & crafts theme.
By default, when you press play the short will play immediately followed by the film afterwards.
Disc two has animated CGI Disney vault style menus. It takes a while to navigate, with a lot waiting during the menu transitions. It's kind of annoying. Various image galleries are present, some are just videos while others require you to push left or right on your controls.
AUDIO
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Rather than the original mono, all that's present here is a 448 KB/s 5.1 Dolby surround sound remix. Luckily, it's basically an enhancement of the original theatrical track. You could delete every channel but the center and get the original mono. Some music segments get discrete instrumentals in the rear surrounds, as well as some general echo-y bits. There's also some enhanced bass in the low frequency channel. It's an Okay mix, a little dated sounding at times but, I suspect it's just the way it was recorded.
The short is a dual mono mix at 192 KB/s. It sounds okay, a bit shrill and flat, but fine.
VIDEO
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The film is presented in a 16x9 enhanced theatrical 1.75:1 ratio, as most Disney films of the era were. I wish they had opened the image up just bit to fit modern widescreen displays, but it's such a small pillar-boxing it's hardy noticeable. There are no notable compression artifacts, likely due to the film itself having it's own dual-layer disc. Grain is present, but the transfer is a tad soft looking. Pops & splotches do pop up rather often. The colors quite undersaturated, which is my only real complaint. I'm assuming the film wasn't remastered recently enough for it to look great on DVD.
The bonus Donald Duck short looks mediocre, sort of like a LaserDisc transfer. Dark murky colors, dot-crawling, loads of film artifacts. It's nice that it's included, as it was presented before the film during it's original theatrical screenings.
EXTRAS
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Disc two has a wealth of special features. Various cast & crew interviews, behind the scenes, featurettes about the special effects, promo images, trailers etc. Disc one has an audio commentary, as well as the bonus short.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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N/A
TECH. SPECS.
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ASPECT RATIO: 1.75:1 (Original Widescreen)
NUMBER OF DISCS: 2
DISC SIZE: Dual-Layer
REGION CODE: 1 / NTSC
AUDIO: English 5.1 (448 KB/s)
SUBTITLES: English & Spanish
RUN-TIME: 2 Hour 9 Minutes
The Parent Trap (Remake/ 1998) Special Edition
BOX-ART
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On the cover is three panels, two of which are renders of the twins. The panel in center is plain white with various texts, such as cast, the Disney logo, the film logo, and, "Special Double Trouble Edition," text at the bottom. The back has images & renders of the twins and the parents. The vineyard and Big Ben are also in the background alluding to the locations of the girls residence. The bottom has various technical aspects, along with a special features list.
MENUS
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Like the box art, the menu is an animated panel style, with video clips from the film in a panel off to the right. Some sub menus are also animated, while others are a static image.
AUDIO
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The English audio is full bit-rate 448 KB/s 5.1 Dolby track, with a 5.1 French dub at 384 KB/s.
VIDEO
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With the average bitrate at the tail end of four megabits per second there's no major compression noise. I did note a scene or two that looked splotchy, but it looks perfectly fine for the most part. It definitely has that blurred DVD look, with a hint of edge enhancement. Grain is present, but the transfer is rather soft looking. Pops and splotches seem frequent from time to time, but aren't super distracting. Colors and contrast seem fine, some of the outdoor scenes in the bright sun might be a bit overblown though.
EXTRAS
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Some behind the scenes extras, an audio commentary, a deleted scene with & without commentary, Etc. A little side note I'd like to make is that the footage shown in the extras seems to be from an open matte version of the film. I've made a few small comparison shots in the image gallery. I assume this open matte version is what was used on VHS and old TV broadcasts of the film, but no fullscreen version is available on DVD in the U.S.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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N/A
TECH. SPECS.
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ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 (Original Widescreen)
NUMBER OF DISCS: 1
DISC SIZE: Dual-Layer (6.94 Gb)
REGION CODE: 1 / NTSC
AUDIO: English (448 KB/s) & French 5.1 (384 KB/s)
SUBTITLES: English & French
RUN-TIME: 2 Hours 8 Minutes
Freaky Friday (1976 Version)
BOX-ART
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N/A
MENUS
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N/A
AUDIO
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For the most part, the audio is just the center channel. They have expanded it with the remixed 5.1, but it's not a massive upgrade. The left & right channels sound like they've just altered the mono, and used them for more directionality, with the rear surrounds being use sparingly. Most notably, the title theme gets an isolated instrumental using the rear surrounds. The bass channel is also used, but rarely. Basically, if you deleted every track but the center you'd have the theatrical original mono. It's similar to other Disney films from the mid-ish twenty century, The Parent Trap also has a remix like this.
The English track is full bitrate, with the French dub being dual mono 2.0 at 192 KB/s.
VIDEO
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The video here looks quite good. It seems to be from a remastered source, and has none of the awful edge enhancement many Disney DVDs from this era do. The transfer has a nice layer of film grain, with no signs of noise reduction or other digital manipulation. Colors and contrast are great, with loads of vibrant colors! The image is a touch soft, yet also shows signs of very light aliasing; the kind you get from downscaling for DVD. With the bitrate at close to seven megabits per second, most scenes look great. Some, however, show the DVD formats flaws with even an almost super-bit quality encode looking splotchy. Scenes with lots of detail & motion, such as at the beginning when they kids are walking to the bus or playing sports tend to have a bit of MPEG-2 compression noise.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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I would love the film on Blu-Ray, but like several other Disney films, it's locked behind the Disney Movie Club paywall. From what I've seen on Blu-Ray.com & iTunes, they seems to be re-using the same master as the DVD. Luckily the DVD's quality isn't too far off from other sources out there. It's also interesting to note that the Blu-Ray excludes the featurette, and only uses a lossy dual mono mix rather than the 5.1 on DVD.
TECH. SPECS.
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ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 (Original Widescreen)
DISC SIZE: Dual-Layer
REGION CODE: 1 / NTSC
SUBTITLES: English & Spanish
AUDIO: English 5.1 (448 Kb/s)
French 2.0 Dual Mono (192 Kb/s)
RUN-TIME: 1 Hour 38 Minutes
Freaky Friday (2003 Version)
BOX-ART
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On the cover are both characters looking equally "freaked" out, in front of a green & pink stripped background. Both are also wearing the outfits of the one whom they've swapped with. It's a nice fun cover that fits the tone of the film.
The back continues with the theme of green & pink background. There are some renders of the duo, and two stills from the film. Extras & specifications are listed at the top, with a description underneath.
MENUS
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There are animated swirly pink & green backgrounds that match the cover. Renders of both the characters moving around on the screen.
There are options of play, trailers, set-up, extras, and scenes. When you select play, an addition menu will pop up asking you to choose between fullscreen or widescreen.
AUDIO
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A 5.1 audio mix at 384 KB/s is present on both versions of the film.
VIDEO
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Both the theatrical widescreen and a reformatted fullscreen version are included. Some scenes in the fullscreen version are fully open matte, while most others are a combination of cropped on the sides but opened up on the top. It's always nice when they decide not to completely pan-and-scan a film when doing a full-screen transfer for home video and/or broadcast. While it would be nice if the entire film was fully open matte, the fullscreen version looks decent and you never loose anything important in any of the shots.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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N/A
TECH. SPECS.
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ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 & 1.33:1 (Original Widescreen & Modified Full Screen)
DISC SIZE: Dual-Layer
REGION CODE: 1 / NTSC
SUBTITLES: N/A
AUDIO: English 5.1 (384 KB/s)
RUN-TIME: 1 Hour 37 Minutes
The Princess Diaries Two-Disc Collector's Set
BOX-ART
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The cover has renders of both Mia & Clarisse in front of a beige gradient background. At the top are the film logo & a blue banner that says, "2-Disc Collectors Set." The back keeps in theme with the blue & beige color scheme. Extras & tech specs are listed in the center, with a blue banner background. A description of the film, along with a still from the film are at the top. More tech. aspects and various texts are at the bottom.
MENUS
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Most of the menus are animated, with sparkles and renders of Mia. Some music from the films score plays.
AUDIO
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A full bitrate 5.1 mix is featured, along with a 384 KB/s French dub. The mixes are decent, but with most of the film being dialog, the center channel gets the most use.
Two commentary tacks that are included at a bitrate of 192 KB/s. One is with Anne Hathaway & Julie Andrews, and the other is with director Gary Marshall.
VIDEO
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With an average bitrate of 5.3 MB/s no noticeable compression is visible, the transfer looks fine. Some light edge enhancement is visible. Both the original widescreen as well as a modified open matte full-screen version are presented in this set. Each version of the film is on a separate disc. A remastered DVD version of the film is available, with the Blu-Ray set. (Which I also have a review of in the Blu-Ray reviews section.)
I made some comparisons below to show difference in framing between the two. You loose a bit of information of the sides, but gain some on the top & bottom of the fullscreen version. With the widescreen you get exactly what was intended to be seen.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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I know it's a super girly film series, but I saw it a million times as a kid and I really liked it, and still do. I even have an old VHS recording from the Disney channel that I made back then. As far as the the fullscreen version goes, it's nice they included them together so that no one misses out. I think more films should have been released this way as it's the best of both worlds, for people who like the original and those who just want the film to fit their screen. It's also nice that the fullscreen version isn't just a pan-and-scan where you loose most of the original original composition.
TECH. SPECS.
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ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 & 1.33:1 (Original Widescreen & Modified Fullscreen)
NUMBER OF DISCS: 2
DISC SIZE: Dual-Layer (6.48 & 7.36 Gb)
REGION CODE: 1 / NTSC
AUDIO: English (448 KB/s) & French 5.1 (384 KB/s)
SUBTITLES: English, French, Spanish
RUN-TIME: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
BOX-ART
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The cover here is similar the the first film, with a renders of Mia & Clarisse. This time, they are on the thrown with both of their pets. A similar beige & red color scheme is used here too. The film logo as well as a banner at the top stating that the film is in widescreen are at the top. The back has a description of the film, with some stills, to the left is a box that lists extra and tech. specs to the right.
MENUS
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The menus are animated, with transitions between each sub menu. Some music plays as well. Each menu selection of the main screen is a gemstone, with sparkly animations.
AUDIO
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Three tracks are included, with the main one being a full bitrate 5.1 mix. Also present are a French 5.1 dub at 384 KB/s and a commentary track that is mono at 96 KB/s.
The mixing here is basically the same as the first one. Mostly center channel, with sound effects & music kicking in on the surrounds.
VIDEO
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The average bitrate is 5.3 MB/s, with no noticeable compression. The transfer looks clear and smooth, though a tiny bit soft. Again, there is some edge enhancement. A fullscreen version is sold separately.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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I really like the teen/coming of age sort of story that the first film had mixed with, or course, the regal-ness and a bit of romance but, this film is really just pure romantic comedy. I mean, I still like the film, but not quite as much as the first one.
I remember watching this for the first time and and thinking: with the black bars I can't see anything, I wish it filled the screen! (It was the 2000s, so I only had a PS2 for DVD playback, and a small-ish CRT TV after all.) Funnily enough, people thinking that way is why so many films were butchered back in the day on home video, and films were cropped to fit the screens of the era. Luckily we all seem to, mostly, know better now.
TECH. SPECS.
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ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 (Original Widescreen)
NUMBER OF DISCS: 1
DISC SIZE: Dual-Layer (7.17 Gb)
REGION CODE: 1 / NTSC
AUDIO: English (448 KB/s) & French 5.1 (384 KB/s)
SUBTITLES: English & French
RUN-TIME: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
Holes
BOX-ART
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They did something rather interesting with the back, the artwork is horizontal instead of your typical vertical orientation. It may be annoying to some to have to turn the box every time you want to view the back but I think it's neat, it breaks the mold and is something unique. The front is pretty cool too, our main protagonists and a few other characters look down at us as if we're in a hole!
MENUS
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An animated newspaper clipping about Kart Barlow is presented with options overlaid. Like the cover, this is an interesting little nod the the contents of the film. There are small animations between menus, with sub menus being static renders.
AUDIO
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The main track is full bitrate 5.1 Dolby Digital. The menu doesn't specify what the dubs are, but both the Spanish & French are 5.1 at 384 KB/s.
I guess to make room for the film and it's respective audio tracks & extras, the two commentary tacks that are included are in mono, and at a lower bitrate of 96 KB/s. It's just dialogue so it's no big loss, but your typically don't see audio tacks at a bitrate lower than 192 KB/s on DVD.
VIDEO
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With an average bitrate of 5.3 MB/s, no noticeable compression is present, the transfer looks clear and smooth, a bit soft though. Most Disney DVDs I've seen have some rather unsightly edge enhancement, this film is no exception. The point of edge enhancement is to make an image appear sharper, but only at a distance. Up close you really notice it, but otherwise it's not an issue. The widescreen presentation helps emphasize the vastness of the desert, and all the empty holes across the landscape. It's very effective, and I'd hate to watch it in a copped 4:3 format. (Which is available separately)
EXTRAS:
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While it isn't considered an extra, there is a sub menu for several previews of other Disney films. The bulk of the extras is two behind the scenes featurettes, totaling in about twenty minutes. A music video, several deleted scenes, a gag reel, cast interviews, and two commentaries make up the rest of the extras.
All of the extras are presented in a letterboxed widescreen format with a 192 KB/s stereo track.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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I really liked this film growing up and saw it loads of times on TV, so it's nice to have it DVD. A Blu-Ray would be nice, but the only releases available are exclusively through the Disney Movie Club on for films 15/20th anniversary. (In fact, later also included a copy of the DVD.) As such, it's not easily available to most consumers. You can find it 3rd party through Amazon/eBay, but it's not exactly cheap. You'd be better off buying the film on iTunes for much cheaper, that is, if you can stand iTunes compression.
TECH. SPECS.
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ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 (Original Widescreen)
NUMBER OF DISCS: 1
DISC SIZE: Dual-Layer (7.11 Gb)
REGION CODE: 1 / NTSC
AUDIO: English (448 KB/s) French & Spanish 5.1 (384 KB/s)
SUBTITLES: English, French, Spanish
RUN-TIME: 1 Hour 57 Minutes
