Tuesday, February 26, 2019

THE LITTLE MERMAID 30th Anniversary Signature Collection is Now Available (as of Today) on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray™ (Review)

Disclosure:  I was sent a screener form the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.


Make the Treasured Animated Musical Part of Your World


“The Little Mermaid” Dives Into the Walt Disney Signature Collection
On Digital, 4K Ultra HD  and Movies Anywhere on Feb. 12
and 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray™ on Feb. 26

For the first time ever in sparkling 4K Ultra HD  and featuring a fin-tastic sing-along mode along with over 45 minutes of exciting new bonus features for new and old fans alike to enjoy



Ready to feel old?  Today, Walt Disney Signature Collection adds "The Little Mermaid" to their collection of classic films, in honor of its 30th anniversary.  Yes, you read that right, this two-time Academy Award winning film was released 30 years ago.  Feeling old, huh?  I couldn't believe this when I read it a couple months ago, when they made the announcement, but then I sat and thought about, and the age I was when I saw this movie for the first time in the theater, and then was reminded that it was a long, long time ago. :-)  

Many Disney fans have been eagerly awaiting today's release of The Signature Edition of "The Little Mermaid" as it includes never before seen bonus features, including original recording sessions with the cast, and a special performance of "Part of Your World" by a cappella singing sensation DCapella.  We just saw DCapella in concert in Boston, and the show was so good. It is amazing to see what a group of talented a cappella singers can do just with their voices.  And, to hear them cover all the popular movies and their hit songs, only made me watch these classic Disney movies again with my family, including The Little Mermaid.

Last week, I received an advance of this Signature Edition release of The Little Mermaid, which arrives 4K Ultra HD and Blu-Ray today (it released to Digital, 4K Ultra HD and Movies Anywhere back on 2/12), and I couldn't wait to watch it with my girls, as this is one of their favorite Disney movies.  Don't worry, I am not going to bore you with a review of the movie as you have probably lost count of how many times you have watched The Little Mermaid over the past 30 years.  Instead, I just wanted to make sure you were aware of this new Signature Collection release, and all the great bonus features included with the release, that are a must-see for fans of The Little Mermaid and Disney.

More about this new Signature Collection 30th Anniversary release:


"In honor of its 30th anniversary, two-time Academy Award®-winner (Best Original Score and Best Original Song “Under the Sea,” 1989) “The Little Mermaid,” dives into the highly celebrated Walt Disney Signature Collection with all-new bonus features and a sing-along mode. The magical, musical tale of mermaid princess Ariel — along with lovable sidekicks Sebastian and Flounder, and the love-to-hate sea witch Ursula — is shore to make a splash with all generations when it comes home for the first time Digitally in HD, 4K Ultra HDä  and Movies Anywhere on Feb. 12, and on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray™ on Feb. 26.

The Signature Edition of “The Little Mermaid” showcases its award-winning musical score and iconic songs such as “Under the Sea” and “Part of Your World” with a sing-along mode allowing you to accompany this beloved cast of characters on their journey.   Never-before-seen bonus features bring legendary composer Alan Menken and some of Disney’s most recognizable leading ladies together around a piano to reminisce, sing and celebrate “The Little Mermaid.” The latest installment of “Stories from Walt’s Office” compares Walt and Ariel’s love of collecting treasures. Viewers will also receive an inside look at the “The Little Mermaid” cast in their original recording sessions, explore hidden treasures and fun facts from the film, and enjoy a special performance of “Part of Your World” by a cappella singing sensation DCapella. Plus, fans will have access to hours of additional classic bonus features!

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale about a beautiful mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human, “The Little Mermaid” was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (“Aladdin”). It features the voice talents of Jodi Benson (“Toy Story 2,” “Toy Story 3”) as Ariel, Pat Carroll (“Laverne & Shirley”) as Ursula, Samuel E. Wright (Broadway’s “The Lion King”) as Sebastian, Christopher Daniel Barnes (“The Brady Bunch Movie”) as Eric, Kenneth Mars (“Young Frankenstein”) as Triton, Buddy Hackett (“The Music Man”) as Scuttle, Jason Marin (“Back to the Future”) as Flounder and René Auberjonois (“The Patriot”) as Chef Louis. The film was originally released in theaters on Nov. 15, 1989 and is the 28th film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the first in what many described as a new Disney animation renaissance.

“The Little Mermaid” is the seventh title to join the Walt Disney Signature Collection, which includes groundbreaking films created or inspired by the imagination and legacy of Walt Disney, featuring timeless stories and characters that have touched generations. The film takes its place alongside “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Pinocchio,” “Bambi,” “The Lion King” and “Lady and the Tramp.”"

ALL-NEW BONUS FEATURES: *

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL
·         Sing-Along Mode – Sing along to the movie in this  sing-along version of the film.

·                 Alan Menken & the Leading Ladies Song – From the voice of a mermaid to the tunes of a muse, the music of Alan Menken has scored the soundtrack for some of Disney’s most iconic leading ladies. Join Alan, Jodi Benson (Ariel), Paige O’Hara (Belle), Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas Singing Voice), Lillias White (Calliope) and Donna Murphy (Mother Gothel) as we celebrate the music of their films in honor of the one that started it all … “The Little Mermaid.”  In this discussion, the ladies will share their memories of musically creating their characters with Alan, discuss what it means to be part of the Disney Princess/leading lady legacy and create new memories as they sing with Alan around a baby grand piano.

·                 “What I Want From You…Is YOUR VOICE” – Enter the recording studio and get an inside look at the cast of “The Little Mermaid” in their original recording sessions.

·                 Stories From Walt’s Office – Gadgets & Gizmos – Like Ariel, Walt Disney was a collector of many different things from miniatures to early mechanical characters that inspired the invention of audio-animatronics. We take a look at some the collections that Walt kept in his office in the third episode of this series.

·                 #TreasuresUntold – Join Ruby Rose Turner and Olivia Sanabia from the Disney Channel Original Series “Coop and Cami Ask the World” as they take a deep dive to explore some hidden treasures and fun facts about Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” 

·                 DCapella “Part of Your World” Music Video

·                 Classic Bonus Features – revisit four exciting bonus features from previous releases including:
o    Deleted Character: Harold The Merman
o    Under The Scene: The Art Of Live Action Reference
o    Howard’s Lecture
o    Audio Commentary With Ron Clements, John Musker and Alan Menken

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVES
·                 “Part of Your World” - A 30-Year Retrospective – Songwriter Alan Menken and Jodi Benson, the acting and singing voice of Ariel, sing the epitome of Disney “I Want” songs “Part of Your World” and discuss its impact since it was first heard 30 years ago.

·                 Classic Bonus Features – Over 3 additional hours of previously released classic bonus features including Deleted Scenes, Easter Eggs, Music Videos and more!"


*Bonus features may vary by retailer

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There is so much bonus content with this new release that you will want to space it over a few days to truly enjoy it all.  We ended up watching all the bonus content this past weekend, before sitting down to watch the movie on Sunday night.  My girls really enjoyed the classic bonus features, which included deleted scenes, Easter Eggs and Music Videos.  My husband and I  enjoyed the Stories from Walt's Desk, which introduced us to gizmos and thingamabobs, that fascinated Disney himself.

With Easter fast approaching, this new 30th Anniversary release would surely make for a great basket filler for your kids.  Or, better yet, you could pick up now that is available in stores starting today on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-Ray, and plan a fun family movie night soon.  We are expecting a few snow storms here in New England over the next week and half, and what better way to keep the kids entertained, than by putting on a classic Disney movie like The Little Mermaid for then to watch, and enjoy.  And, once they see all the cool bonus content included with the release, they will want to sit and check it all out, especially the deleted scenes and music videos.  My girls really loved the sing-alongs, and even woke this AM to watch these videos again, as they sat on the couch singing along. 


My family gives this new 30th Anniversary The Little Mermaid release two thumbs up, and know you and your family will love it, too!


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PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Product SKUs:               Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K UHD+Blu-ray+Digital Code); Multi-Screen Edition (Blu-ray+DVD+Digital Code), Digital UHD/HD/SD, DVD and On-Demand

Feature Run Time:            Approximately 83 minutes
Rating:                                                                  G in U.S. and Canada
Aspect Ratio:                                   16x9 1.78

Audio:                                  4K UHD BD: English Dolby Atmos, Latin Spanish, & French-Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, Latin Spanish and French-Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD: English, Latin Spanish, and French-Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital
4K UHD Digital: English Dolby Atmos (some platforms), English 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital
HD Digital:  English 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus (some platforms), English 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital

Languages/Subtitles:      4K UHD BD SubtitlesEnglish SDH, Spanish & French
BD SubtitlesEnglish SDH & ESL, Spanish & French
DVD Subtitles: English SDH & ESL, Spanish & French
Digital SubtitlesEnglish SDH, French Canadian, Latin Spanish
Digital & DVD CaptionsEnglish

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook:                                       Facebook.com/DisneyTheLittleMermaid
Website:                                         Movies.Disney.com/The-Little-Mermaid
Instagram:                                      Instagram.com/DisneyAnimation
YouTube:                                         YouTube.com/user/DisneyMovies


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ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY SIGNATURE COLLECTION:
The Walt Disney Signature Collection includes groundbreaking films created or inspired by the imagination and legacy of Walt Disney, featuring timeless stories and characters that have touched generations. Each release will offer special features for every member of your family plus a unique digital experience. To date, the collection includes “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Pinocchio,” “Bambi,” “The Lion King” and “Peter Pan.”

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:
For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; and Lucasfilm. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

ABOUT WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS:
Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Located in Burbank, WDAS continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully-animated feature film, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to 2013's Academy Award®-winning Frozen, the biggest animated film of all time. Among the studio's timeless creations are Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Big Hero 6 and Zootopia. 

ABOUT MOVIES ANYWHERE:
Movies Anywhere simplifies and enhances the digital movie collection and viewing experience by allowing consumers to access their favorite digital movies in one place when purchased or redeemed through participating digital retailers. Movies Anywhere brings together the movies from Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Universal Pictures (including DreamWorks and Illumination Entertainment), The Walt Disney Studios (including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), and Warner Bros. Participating digital retailers are iTunes. Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV and FandangoNOW. Movies Anywhere offers a library of over 7,500 digital movies, including new releases, and will continue to expand the consumer experience as more content providers, digital retailers and platforms are added. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can connect their Movies Anywhere account with participating digital retailers and enjoy their favorite digital movies from the comfort of their living room and across multiple devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire devices; Android devices and Android TV; Apple TV; Chromecast; iPhone, iPad and iPod touch; Roku® devices, Windows 10 and Xbox devices; and popular browsers. Consumers can also redeem digital codes found in eligible Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD packages from participating studios and enjoy them through Movies Anywhere.


Disclosure:  I was sent a screener form the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

3 comments :

  1. Under the Sea has always been one of my favorite Disney songs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful movie. We love the songs, too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the under the sea and part of your world songs! I loved this movie when I was a kid. (I still love this movie)

    ReplyDelete