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Heralded by Disney as “the ultimate fairy tale,” “Cinderella” is released from the Disney Vault today. I don’t know about the ultimate fairy tale; the rags-to-riches trope is common across the world, and I can agree with that, but my feelings about the Disney version are lukewarm. But fans of the 1950 film should be pleased, because, as always when it’s released, it’s getting a lavish new edition.
That is, if you’re willing to buy the Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack. Purchase this for around $25 (that’s the Amazon.com price), and you’ll get the movie on both Blu-Ray and DVD in the same package. If you only want the DVD, you’ll have to wait until November 20.
There are three “Cinderella” sets being released, though the movie is the same on all three: today the two-disc Blu-Ray/DVD combo package and the three-disc Blu-Ray/DVD/digital copy releases come out, for about $25 and $30, respectively, and then after a month-and-a-half-long wait, the DVD-only version comes out for $20 on November 20.
What’s the primary difference between all of these versions? The special features are the same on most: they all contain the “Tangled Ever After” animated short, the feature “Behind the Magic: A New Disney Princess Fantasyland” (presumably a video sneak peek of the upgraded Fantasyland, with more details than we’re getting from the parks blog posts), and an intro from Diane Disney Miller. The latter will likely contain more hints about Disney history, particularly what Walt was up to during the making of “Cinderella,” just like on the recent “Lady and the Tramp” re-release.
That’s it for the DVD-only version. The other two versions, out today, also have the option to play a digital storybook during the film (interactive trivia and games on the sides of the screen), a feature about the film called “The Magic of the Glass Slipper: A Cinderella Story,” and DisneyView, which fills in animation on the black bars on the sides of the screens depending on in which resolution you play the film. Chances are, though, that those options only come on the Blu-Ray disc; they won’t be on the DVD disc that’s part of the package.
There is actually one more “Cinderella” set out today. Huge fans of the princess can purchase the Cinderella Trilogy six-disc Blu-Ray/DVD set with collectible jewelry box packaging for $60. This contains the two made-for-home-release “Cinderella” sequels in Blu-Ray and DVD versions, as well as all of the other special features, including a digital copy.
A digital copy of the film means that the film is transferable to a limited number of digital devices, like a laptop or tablet, for play there. Only the 3-disc and 6-disc sets of “Cinderella,” both out today, contain the digital copy.
I’m largely uninterested in the “Cinderella” re-release, though I think it’s really decent of them to make the one-, two-, and three-disc editions of the film only $5 more than each other. It’s definitely strange that people only interested in the film, without any of the trappings, need to wait nearly two months later for its solo release. I’m also disgruntled about “Tangled Ever After.” I really want to see the short and I still haven’t, because rather than releasing it with any films or DVD’s that have anything to do with the actual movie, they keep tagging it on to unrelated content.
Still, today is a good day for “Cinderella” fans. If you’d like a copy of the film be sure to purchase it soon, because who knows how long it will stay out of the Vault.
Related Articles:
Breaking into the Disney Vault
Examining the Cinderella Effect
Sleeping Beauty: A Strange Fairy Tale
First Glimpse of Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent
Exploring The Secret World of Arietty
*(The above image by Raymond Brown is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)