SYNOPSIS:
Get ready to go a little bit country with Disney's all-new
motion picture THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2. The music of today's
hottest stars is center stage in this classic tale of friendship
and loyalty. Tod and Copper still go together like an itch
and a scratch but when Copper gets a shot at the big time
with a nutty group of hound dog howlers, their purebred friendship
is put to the test.
MOVIE
REVIEW
As
much as this reviewer loves all things Disney, he has never
thought much about the company’s straight-to-video releases.
But this “mid-quel” to the original 1981 classic
really isn’t that bad. Do not be fooled by the “2”
in the movie title, thinking that this is a cheap spin-off
of the original film, where the kids of the original fox and
the hound get together to milk money out of unknowing parents
trying to pacify their noisy children.
The
story still centers itself on the original characters, and
the two best friends find their way into a circus where one
of them is given a chance at becoming famous. This puts their
friendship to the test.
How
typical of a Disney animation to tap on heartwarming issues
like that, we hear you say. But that is what The House of
Mouse does best – making viewers young and old feel
good about the niceness in this world.
Since
it has been a good 25 years since the first movie was made,
expect to see advanced animation and a glitterier overall
feel for this 69-minute picture. This may not be that good
a thing, because of the stronger story development in the
first movie. The more polished look here almost seems like
an attempt to conceal this flaw. In fact, we miss the vintage
clean animation from the original film.
There
are also some nice songs performed by country and bluegrass
singers like Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood. It almost
feels like the old brand of Disney musicals are back in town.
Expect to hear characters break out in catchy tunes and lovely
songs.
The
story may seem like a rehash of workable formula, but there
is still a feel-good charm to it. If there is space to spare
on your DVD shelf, this would make a nice companion to the
first film.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This Code 3 DVD contains some special features which
seem like they are there for the sake of it – definitely
not as impressive as the other Disney Classics’ special
edition discs.
The Making of The Music – The 10-minute
featurette sees the bluegrass and country artistes praising
the tradition of Disney music, and how they are prioud to
be part of the legacy.
“You
Know I Will” Music Video – After singing
on the soundtrack of High School Musical, Lucas Grabeel performs
the end credits song for this movie.
Bonus
Short – “Goofy And Wilbur” is an
amusing eight-minute clip where we see the silly Goofy going
fishing with his grasshopper.
“Mutt
Mix Master” Game – Be a deejay and mix
the different elements (strings, barks, percussion beats)
on the desktop console and create your own masterpiece.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The disc’s visual transfer is good enough for kids who
want their cartoons crisp and clear, while there are 5.1 Dolby
English, Portuguese and Spanish, together with 2.0 Surround
Thai, Mandarin and Cantonese audio tracks to choose from.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
|
