Studio: Disney
Release Date: October 10, 2023
Rating: G
Film: 3.5/5
PlotThis is the time-honored story of a princess (voiced by Adriana Caselotti) whose blossoming beauty disturbs her insecure stepmother, the Queen (Lucille La Verne). Each day, the Queen asks a mysterious magic mirror (Moroni Olsen) the question: "Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" For years, the mirror answers the Queen's name, but when it suddenly says Snow White, the evil woman begins her quest to kill the young girl so she may once again be the fairest of them all.
My ThoughtsThis has the distinction of being the first full-length animated feature in movie history, which was a major milestone in 1937, and its success allowed Walt Disney to build an empire. Regrettably, I think it’s a bore. I admire the technical prowess of the film and I can see from a historical perspective of why it was so popular, but I prefer to call it “Snore White,” since I can rarely get through it without taking a little nap.
I requested this more out of curiosity of how good it would look in 4K versus the excellent looking Blu-ray, and it more than passed that test. Disney went back to the drawing board and did new 4K scans of the original negatives and it looks amazing. Blacks are deep and inky, and the primary colors certainly pop. The depth is also pretty striking considering the age of the film. Sadly, the 7.1 track from the 2016 Blu-ray is absent in lieu of the DTS-HD MA 5.1 included in this set. While the rear channels were sparingly used in that former release, I hate to see the studio skimp when they had the added channel mix in the vault. Regardless, the audio presentation is somewhat pedestrian compared to modern titles, but it does an adequate job of conveying the story even though it is very front-loaded.
Video 9/10
Audio 8/10 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
Special Features: - In Walt’s Words: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Iconography
- @DisneyAnimation: Designing Disney’s First Princess
- The Fairest Facts of Them All: 7 Things You May Not Know About Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Snow White In Seventy Seconds
- Alternate Sequence: The Prince Meets Snow White
- Disney’s First Feature: The Making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Hyperion Studios Tour
- Decoding the Exposure Sheet
- Snow White Returns
- Story Meetings: The Dwarfs
- Story Meetings: The Huntsman
- Deleted Scene: Soup Eating Sequence
- Deleted Scene: Bed Building Sequence
- Animation Voice Talent
- Audio Commentary
- 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Copy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fzZFQBXSLM&ab_channel=RottenTomatoesClassicTrailersConclusionWhile I don’t think the movie is “all that,” I do appreciate its historical significance of American cinema and the technical marvel that it was when it was made back in the 1930s. The presentation in 4K is outstanding and the fans won’t be disappointed one bit in this regard. Recommended.
Reference Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Kaleidescape Strato + Server
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
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