Fox & The Hound: 2 Movie Collection [Blu-ray] [US Import]

Fox and the Hound has always been a favorite of mine. The characters are great, the story is heartwarming to say the least. After buying a slew of the latest Disney Blu Ray releases (Beauty and the Beast, Fantasia, Bambi, etc) I was expecting another state-of-the-art fantastic 1080p transfer. Unfortunately, the Mouse House has not taken this title as seriously as some of the others in its vault. Instead of giving us a glorious, painstakingly perfect restoration, it would seem they opted for tossing in the insulting "sequel" Fox and the Hound II to make up for the slacking effort.

Now I won't say it looks awful. This Blu Ray is clearly a significant upgrade from the DVD, but it is also obviously missing the Disney touch I've come to expect. For example, at the bottom right hand corner of the picture you will see an occasional black line flicker in and out. Ordinarily Disney has gone in and removed these kind of print damages, through intense digital editing or by some other miraculous effort. It is not the case for Fox and the Hound. The black line is hardly noticeable, but once you notice it you can't stop looking at it. It flickers in and out as it pleases, subtle at times, obnoxious at others. A few instances it went all the way from the bottom of the picture to the top. Nothing extreme for casual movie watchers, but for those of us who are really picky about picture presentation it can be unbearable.

Colors weren't really consistent either. At times they were bright and vivid, at others they were dingy and dark. Blacks are overwhelming in the wrong spots, turning shadows and shading into eclipses. Unlike the animated Alice in Wonderland, which is bright and perky, even once the forests of Wonderland get dark, Fox and the Hound looks just a little too dark even in bright sunny scenes.

My overall opinion is that, while I'm glad to have an HD release of Fox and the Hound in my collection, this is not the Blu Ray I had dreamed of. Personally I'm a little annoyed that the nasty sequel wasn't destroyed or forgotten about, much less released right alongside the classic, and I'm really disappointed that Disney didn't spend as much time as they usually do on the transfer. For most Disney fans I doubt it'll be too much of a problem, since, like I said, 1080p certainly beats the DVD, but for those of us who are film geeks and get frustrated by imperfections, I would suggest waiting another 5 years in hopes another re-release will give this great movie the attention it deserves.

I feel short of neutral about the Fox and the Hound movie itself. But that doesn't mean I'm not upset about Disney's HD transfer. It is quite clear that it didn't get the same remastering treatment as the other Disney classics. I guess because it's not as popular, Disney thought that they didn't need to spend as much time into restoring it. Well, that's just silly. If you're a fan of the film, demand that Disney rerelease it as a stand-alone title with a new remaster.

I always held a special place in my heart for this film. Its adorable characters were too much to take, and it was a great tale of friendship. It's sad how Disney chooses not to acknowledge this film much. What does it get? A stuffed animal in the Disney Store? Not even a mug, or pens. Just, recently, plush toys. It isn't like many Disney films. If you are a die hard fan of recent Disney, Disney Renaissance, and the classics, then you may not find it....to your liking. The film has some magic from Classic Disney, but, as it was in the odd years of Disney, it has that feel of a transgression for the studio.

Disney brings this wonderful film to blu ray, and, as i said, Disney doesn't acknowledge the film too much. Maybe that's why is didn't get a pristine conversion, but a good one. The colors are vibrant, lines visibly drawn, but there are problems. One problem that is most easily noticed is the fact that in certain shots, the drawn lines appear blurred. Now, i don't know if this was a mistake in conversion, or if the film itself is plagued with those problems indefinitely, but they are there....and they are noticeable. The most pointed "issue" is a line that appears far, far right on the picture. Trust me, unless you aren't paying attention to the movie, you should barely notice this. it comes, goes, but it's barely seen if you don't look.

Beside these issues, the blu ray conversion is good. Do I feel this is the best this film can look? Probably not. But this is what we have, what Disney gave us...either get it or hope for a better conversion.

Now, I did not bother to watch the cheapquel. I know I won't like it, so I see no point. I wish Disney had given us the choice whether we wanted to buy it, but, alas, they didn't. Hopefully, in a later re-release they will spare us. The fact that it's name is on the cover does bother me, but the happiness that I own the original is stronger than the hate.

If you are a fan, buy it; if not, maybe wait....not sure.