Cinema Tuesdays Review

Timeless Tales
By Nathan Cone

One thing the Walt Disney studio seems to be great at this year is repackaging their animated fare into new DVD sets. The latest, "Timeless Tales Volume One," and "Timeless Tales Volume Two," feature animated versions of classic stories and fables, and are entertaining diversions for parents and kids. Both are available for a low price, and each one features the DVD debut of a cartoon that has been previously unavailable on disc.

"Volume One" includes four of the studio's Silly Symphonies, cartoon short that dated to the 1930s. Two of them, "The Three Little Pigs," and "The Tortoise and the Hare," won Oscars for Best Animated Short of 1933 and 1935, respectively. The older shorts are supplemented on the disc by the 1990 version of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper" starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. This is a fairly entertaining mini-feature (running 24 minutes), but while it was presented in its original widescreen format on the 2004 DVD "Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Vol. 2," it is unfortunately cropped here to fit standard televisions and doesn't look as sharp as the previous release.

The one unreleased short on this disc is "The Pied Piper." Many of us are still vaguely familiar with Robert Browning's tale of the piper who drove the rats from Hamelin, only to be stiffed by the mayor. The Piper then escorts the children of the town away to punish the town. As an adult, I find there's something disturbing about "The Pied Piper" now. Mr. Piper looks less like a disgruntled contractor and more like Michael Jackson as he escorts the kiddos off to Candy Land.

The centerpiece on "Volume Two" is the Disney version of The Wind in the Willows, marvelous despite the fact that it strays from the source material. It's a rollicking wild ride with Mr. Toad, who's addicted to thrill seeking and adventure.

The other shorts on the disc include "The Ugly Duckling," "The Country Cousin," and the DVD debut of the Oscar-winning "Ferdinand the Bull." "The Ugly Duckling" looks great, as does "The Wind in the Willows," but "Ferdinand" is in need of a restoration, which it will probably get when it arrives on a forthcoming DVD release more aimed at collectors than families, as these two are.

For most collectors, these two discs don't contain much that hasn't been seen before, but parents may consider picking up one or both of them for afternoon entertainment. Each volume includes some "Parent Tips" for talking with kids about the themes of the cartoons.

9/2/05

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