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The Movie: Arguably one of the finest things Disney has done in recent years, the "Walt Disney Treasures" line has allowed consumers to be able to purchase rare archive live-action and animated material from the studio's early days, most of which has been restored to very pleasing condition. The series has offered everything from classic Mickey and Donald cartoons to the Davy Crockett TV series. In the case of "Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts", the studio offers up some of its most beloved shorts, many of which have not seen the light of day for quite some time. Some of the highlights include: "Alice's Wonderland", part of the early Disney "Alice" series, which featured a young girl (played by Virginia Davis, who is interviewed in a bonus feature on the set) who was inserted into various animated adventures. Also offered here are such classics as "Chicken Little" (of course, remade into a big-budget animated feature by Disney recently and released earlier this year), "Ferdinand the Bull", "Paul Bunyan", the stop-motion "Noah's Ark", and "Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom" which, like "Ferdinand", won an Oscar. Once again, the Disney Treasures sets in this fifth wave are offered in a limited run of 125,000 each - a numbered certificate of authenticity is included inside the set itself. As with the other sets, these make terrific Christmas gifts and are certainly something the whole family can enjoy. Chicken Little Alice's Wonderland Ben and Me Lambert the Sheepish Lion Ferdinand the Bull Goliath II Melody Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom Noah's Ark Pigs Is Pigs The Truth About Mother Goose In the Bag Paul Bunyan Hooked Bear The Saga of Windwagon Smith Morris the Midget Moose The Little House The Brave Engineer A Cowboy Needs a Horse The Story of Anyburg U.S.A. Football Now and Then Alice Gets in Dutch The Pelican and the Snipe Alice's Wild West Show Alice in the Jungle Alice's Egg Plant Jack and Old Mac Social Lion Alice's Mysterious Mystery Alice the Whaler The DVD VIDEO: Most of the shorts are presented by Disney in their original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. Given the differing times and budgets for each of these shorts, some certainly do look better than others. "Alice's Wonderland", for example, is definitely rather worn in appearance at times, with some specks, marks, spots, dirt and other debris. However, the issues present are certainly not enough to make the presentation unwatchable. Some of the more recent shorts looked better, with a few ("Ferdinand", "Chicken Little") that, while not without some minor concerns, looked impressive for their age. Some are a bit dirty, but the majority of them looked quite solid. A few of the shorts, including "Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom" are presented in approximately 2.35:1 widescreen (their original aspect ratio) but unfortunately, they are not presented in anamorphic widescreen. That disappointment aside, the shorts still look quite good for their age. SOUND: The majority of the shorts are presented in mono, although a few are presented with their original stereo soundtracks. Audio quality varies depending on the age of the short, but most sound quite good, with no major concerns. EXTRAS: Extras include intros on each disc of the set from Leonard Maltin, audio commentary for "A Symposium On Popular Songs" by composer Richard Sherman and Maltin, collectable artwork card, "From Kansas City to Hollywood: A Timeline of Disney's Silent Era", interview with Virginia Davis, galleries and "Feather in His Collar" rare short. Final Thoughts: "Rarities: Celebrated Shorts" is another marvelous addition to the "Treasures" series, as it presents some little-seen, but absolutely classic shorts. Recommended. |