H D - S E N S E I

A view on Hi-def DVDs by Gary W. Tooze

Introduction: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 7500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.

Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. So be it, but film will always be my first love and I list my favorites on the old YMdb site now accessible HERE.

Gary's Home Theatre:

Samsung HPR4272 42" Plasma HDTV
Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player (firmware upgraded)

Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (firmware upgraded)
Sony DVP NS5ODH SD-DVD player (region-free and HDMI)

Marantz SA8001 Super Audio CD Player
Marantz SR7002 THX Select2 Surround Receiver
Tannoy DC6-T (fronts) + Energy (centre, rear, subwoofer) speakers (5.1)

Gary W. Tooze

HD-DVD STORE HIGH DEFINITION DVD STORE

ALL OUR NEW FORMAT DVD REVIEWS

Tinker Bell [Blu-ray]

(Bradley Raymond, 2008)

Review by Gary Tooze

Studio Disney Studios

Video: Walt Disney Video

Discs:

Region 'A'

Feature Runtime: 1:18:04

Chapters: 12

Feature film disc size: 21.9 Gig

One dual-layered Blu-ray

Case: Standard Blu-ray case

Release date: October 28th, 2008

Video:

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Resolution: 1080p

Video codec: MPEG-4 - AVC

Audio:
English: 5.1 Uncompressed (48kHz/24-bit), English Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
Feature: English (SDH) and none

Supplements:

• BD Live (Movie Chat, Movie Mail, Movie Challenge and Movie Rewards)
• Pixie Hollow
1) Magical Guide To Pixie Hollow
2) Tinker Trainer, featuring "Flight And Seek", "Workshop Drop" and "Tinker Time"
3) Ever Wonder
4) "Fly To Your Heart" Music Video by Selena Gomez
• The Mainland
1) Creating Pixie Hollow (10:06)
2) View the Deleted Scenes With optional introductions by director Bradley Raymond and producer Jeannine Roussel
3) Play All Deleted Scenes:
"Queen Clarion's Pixie Dust"
"Fairies Venture to the Mainland"

"Becoming a Garden Fairy"
"Tinker Bell's Tinkering Talents"
"Vidia Tricks Tinker Bell"
"Fairies Express Tinker Bell's Importance"

Product Description: Though Tinker Bell might have played second fiddle to Peter Pan and Captain Hook in Disney's 1953 classic, the beloved fairy gets top billing--and a speaking role--with this animated adventure. In TINKER BELL, young audiences can journey to Pixie Hollow, the home of the fairies in Never Land. The spirited sprite is joined by a number of her magical friends: Iridessa the light fairy, Rosetta the garden fairy, Fawn the animal fairy, Silvermist the water fairy, and Clank and Bobbie the tinker fairies. Fans of the Disney Princess series will find much to like in this offering that introduces characters that children can identify with. Like other Disney films, TINKER BELL boasts beautiful CG animation and a number of celebrity voices...

The Film:

If you’re a fan of Disney movies, then you certainly are familiar with Tinker Bell, a playful, headstrong and ultimately powerful little blonde fairy who’s a major supporting character – despite the fact that she never utters a line – in Disney’s 1953 animated feature, Peter Pan. I’m not sure how many children are fascinated by Tinker Bell, but I suppose Disney’s market research must indicate that a significant number are, as we’ve been treated to this direct-to-DVD release that promises to provide answers to all your questions about little ‘Tink.’

Excerpt from Apollo Guide located HERE

Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were ripped directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Being digital animation - this image is flawless. As we know, it doesn't really even support some of the weaker qualities that we extol about in live-action to digital (DNR, Edge Enhancement, excessive Digital Noise etc.) Tinker Bell is pristinely clean, dimensional, bright and almost visually addictive to watch - I had trouble turning my head away. Contrast and darker scenes look fabulous. What I loved most was the old-style look to the animation. It surely harkens back to the past days of the Disney classics - yet looks as crystal clear and tight as most other modern digital animation flicks. The feature takes up about 22 Gig and the image is bristling with color and life. I suspect the Blu-ray must be far in advance of the SD-DVD and you can judge the quality yourself from the expandable screen captures below.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Audio & Music:
The uncompressed offering is clean and super-crisp. As one might expect - this is certainly not an aggressive soundtrack but the mix tends to separate well enough - quite subtly at times. Magical pixie-dust sounds really establish the fantasy mood. There is an original score by Joel McNeely that can gently float around the room with the fairies. The audio is as adept as the video quality. There are optional subtitles offered in English (only).

Extras:
Where can we begin? Almost anything you could want to know about Tinker Bell and many aspects about the animation process are interestingly covered here with input from the participants. Blu-ray BD-Live features abound, music videos, deleted scenes - more than enough to satisfy. Those who enjoy the film will appreciate all the viable supplements - many are quite interesting. You really get a sense of the enthusiasm and passion the creators share to complete such a huge project as this film.

Bottom line:
So little 'Tink' gets her own film... and Blu-ray too! Sure - she deserves it - taking a feminine backseat to Wendy, and publicly spanked by Peter Pan, seemed highly unfair and not even given a line of dialogue, till now, is totally unjust. As I stated about the image - I loved the nostalgic look to Tinker Bell. The film, itself, will exceed most peoples expectations - sure it's cute and fun - but a whole lot more. As for this Blu-ray - it looks and sounds... perfect - plus there is a healthy dose of supplements. If you're not a fan of Disney and what this obviously represents - then passing is obvious. But for those with an inkling and are old to feel the homage aspects - it can be as good for us grown-ups as it is for young ladies too.

Gary Tooze

October 18th, 2008

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