Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

My first impression is that Disney has spent much time making this DVD user-friendly. There is an abundance of directions and drawings showing you what is on the disk and how to get there. Since there are two disks and a KINGDOM of information to pour through, these directions are very welcome (even to this seasoned DVD-viewer!)

Disney pulls out some familiar faces to make the experience as warm as possible: Disney himself appears in various footage; Angela Lansbury narrates the documentary and provides a "tour" of the disks; Michael Eisner shows up; and Barbra Streisand sings a specially recorded version of "Some Day My Prince Will Come".

SNOW WHITE, the movie, looks gorgeous and, although old fashioned, is quite wonderful. SNOW WHITE, the double-disk, is a lot of information to wade through. I am amazed at the amount of behind-the-scenes film that exists! Disney must have suspected that he was creating a classic - he filmed every aspect of it! I especially enjoy the HALL OF ART section. There are 3 halls of various story art (i.e. "The cottage"; "The castle"; "the Forest"; etc.) Although initially I found it hard to move from hall to hall, I eventually figured it out. The animated HALLS are extraordinary and the art that "hangs" there is incredible -- various renderings and attempts at bringing the story and locales of SNOW WHITE alive. It's even more incredible that Disney Co. held on to these papers for all these years.

Well, in case you can't tell, I highly recommend the special SNOW WHITE disks. You will spend days looking at everything that is included -- or you can opt to spend an hour and a half viewing the original,gorgeous film that started the Disney empire....



A Masterpiece gets the Treatment it Deserves   February 6, 2003
Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States)
43 out of 52 found this review helpful

The Disney Company has over used the term Masterpiece when referring to its own movies. But this one truly deserves that title. While its animation betray its age, the story and characters are still fun, and its place in history also makes it a must.

The story is simple and familiar. Snow White's wicket stepmother wants her killed because Snow White is "the fairest of them all." She is saved from this fate, and hides out with seven dwarfs. But will the queen find her and try to kill her?

Walt's genius here was in creating the characters. The dwarfs have very distinctive personalities, and some of the best scenes in the movie revolve around them. (The scene where they first come home is a classic.) The animals add some humor as well, especially when cleaning the cottage.

The plot moves along well, and when I first saw it in college, I was drawn into the story even though I knew the ending. I actually felt tears when the dwarfs were mourning Snow White.

By today's standards, the animation is flawed, especially for the prince. However, there are some truly beautiful scenes as well, particularly the sun set when the dwarfs are coming home. Fans of Disney in the 30's will recognize the feel of some of the silly symphony cartoons. The important thing to remember when watching this movie is its place in history. This is the first animated movie ever, produced when everyone thought no one would ever see it. The fact that we're still watching it is a testimony to Walt as a filmmaker and pioneer.

This DVD set is the perfect way to enjoy this movie. The picture and soundtrack have been lovingly restored, and look and sound incredible. The sound is presented in Dolby 5.1 and its original mono. I didn't notice that much difference between the two modes, but it's nice to have the option. The first disc also contains a wonderful audio commentary. Recorded interviews with Walt Disney are interspersed with comments from John Canemaker. I learned quite a bit about the film from this commentary. The second disc contains all you would ever want to know about the history of the film. They've got character design changes, completely abandoned concepts, deleted scenes, and information on the releases over the years to name a few things. I spent hours soaking up the information and enjoying every moment of it.

This is truly a classic movie that belongs in any film fan's library. Hurry and get this wonderful set before it disappears.


Disney's DVD release policy is idiotic!!   November 2, 2004
L. Sheriff (Brentwood, TN USA)
43 out of 56 found this review helpful

My rating applies to Disney's DVD policy rather than this Movie. Because of Disney's stupid limited release policy, generations of children will not be able to purchase certain DVDs. Snow White was released in 2001 and put in the "vault" in 2002. A child born later than 2002 will not see Snow White on DVD in a store for atleast a decade. So much for experiencing Snow White in the magical years. The nimrods who came up with this anti-consumer policy need to be put in a vault. DISNEY wake up! Release ALL the Disney classic movies on DVD and keep them in stores. If you really cared about children experiencing Disney Magic, you would dump this wrong-headed policy!!!


A Timeless Treasure   December 17, 2001
Scott Rivers (Los Angeles, CA USA)
27 out of 28 found this review helpful

Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) remains an enduring landmark in cinema history. Happily, the DVD edition does justice to one of the all-time great films, featuring a pristine transfer and a wealth of archival material. With the exception of "Fantasia" (1940), Disney never surpassed this remarkable achievement in animation.


The Classic Disney film in a DVD Edition for the Ages   October 4, 2001
Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota)
21 out of 22 found this review helpful

It is clear from the DVD edition that Disney has put together for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the beloved film enshrined in cinema history as the first full-length animated film, that this is the standard by which all future Disney releases will be judged. Your kids or grandchildren might find the animation to be somewhat quaint, but they will certainly be impressed by this "Immersive 2-Disc DVD Experience." There is so much to do with the extras that they might even forget to actually watch the movie, which has been digitally restored. However, this would be a big mistake as you are not going to be able to solve the puzzles and win "Dopey's Wild Mine Ride" game if you have not seen the film.

Everything is hosted by either Roy Disney or the Magic Mirror on the Wall (you have to love that that dry sense of humor), and what they have on the first disc along with the movie is enough to thrill any fan of Snow White. You can listen to Barbra Streisand sing "Some Day My Prince Will Come" or you can all sing the Karaoke version of "Heigh-Ho." Then there is "The Making of 'Snow White'" documentary, the aduio commentary and even the Silly Symphony cartoon "Goddess of Spring." And all of this is before you even get to the second disc where you are simply going to find what must be EVERYTHING Disney has relating to this film as we explore "The Legacy of 'Snow White.'" There are not just deleted scenes and a deleted song ("You're Never Too Old To Be Young"), there are abandoned concepts for several scenes, such as a "fantasy version" of "Some Day My Prince Will Come." Just look at the Edition Details for this DVD: have you ever seen a list that long? It took me the entire weekend just to get through MOST of what is on this DVD.

Yes, you bought the Disney animated films on videotape and then you went out and got them on DVD. But the extras alone are worth the price of this first "Platinum Edition." Most importantly, Disney has clearly made a covenant with its audience that this is indeed the level of excellence they will do with their entire collection of classic films and I only hope they do this not just for "Pinocchio" but also for "Mary Poppins" as well. This is what happens when a studio cherishes its classic films as much as we do.