Description

They're the clown princes of animation. They're the international ambassadors of cartoon comedy. They're the fabulously funny friends you grew up with! And now, 28 of the very best animated shorts starring the very wackiest Warner Bros. cartoon characters have been rounded up on DVD for the first time ever in The Looney Tunes Premiere Collection! Just barely contained in two special edition discs, each specially selected short has been brilliantly restored and re-mastered to its original anvil-dropping, laughter-inducing glory! Featuring some of the very earliest, ground-breaking on-screen appearances of many all-time Looney Tunes favorites, it's an unprecedented animation celebration for cartoon-lovers eager to re-live the heady, hilarious, golden age of Warner Bros. animation! Sparkling with one unforgettable, landmark cartoon classic after another, there's Bugs Bunny's monstrously merry encounter with the tennis-shoe clad creature of Hair-Raising Hare. Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner racing to cartoon immortality in Fast and Furryous. Oscar?-winning animated gems, scenery-chewing Tazmanian Devils and much more! Plus, a dazzling array of totally Looney DVD bonus features! ... Read more

Reviews (36)

This is pointless...
Except for the fact that it is considerably cheaper then the Golden Collection, this Premiere Collection is completely pointless. Especially since there is a "buy both now!" option to buy this as well as the Golden Collection. Any person that is a fan of Looney Tunes enough to buy this Permiere Collection might as well spring the little extra money and get the AWESOME Golden Collection. But then again, if you only want HALF of a good thing, by all means get this one!

Skip this---go for the gold!!!
I can think of only one reason to buy the premiere collection, and that is if you are looking for a little something to entertain the kids with. If this was based on content alone I would give 5 stars, but I can't do that knowing there is something better out there. If you buy the Golden collection, you get everything included here along with 28 more classics and a boatload of extras. I highly recommend that set--it was my best purchase of 2003 as far as dvd goes.
Something else I would like to address; the reviewer "Kulana" who says cartoons are not for adults.He/she claims that you should get this and not the one with "all the bells and whistles" because they are for kids and not for people who want to be children their whole lives. Thats an ignorant thing to say, because so many people grew up with these shorts and they are forever an important part of our pop culture.
So in my opinion, if you are a true collector then buy the gold collection version. If you are just looking for good family entertainment, then the gold collection is a better investment that will be enjoyable for the whole family. If you dont like cartoons, don't buy this or the gold collection. And if you want the gold collection and don't have the money, save your money until you can get this version---you'll be glad you did! The better the Gold collection sells, the more likely we will get more and more sets in the future with even more of the classics.

a huge disappointment
You would think that something titled the Premiere collection would include at least one of the classics. I was very upset. As for the comment that these are for children, no they were not. They were originally designed for adults. Don't bother buying this.

The GOLDEN COLLECTION is a better family investment
The introductory DVD release of vintage Warner Bros. animated shorts is now available in two forms: the highly recommended 4-Disc GOLDEN COLLECTION, and the present alternate 2-Disc PREMIERE COLLECTION, a spare and stingy serving of twenty-eight cartoons with no frills.

The majority of the classic cartoons included on the PREMIERE COLLECTION are artistically valuable. The cartoons are uncut, unedited, uncompressed and beautifully restored to their full original Technicolor glory. All the films included, even the weakest, deserve preservation, restoration and DVD availability.

But although the basic material is excellent, the PREMIERE COLLECTION is a poor presentation which I cannot recommend. This is why I have rated it only three stars out of five. (My rating for the GOLDEN COLLECTION, found elsewhere on Amazon.com, is a solid five stars.)

The selection spans two decades (1940-59) and includes the initial films of the Road Runner ("Fast and Furry-ous"), Marvin the Martian, the Tasmanian Devil and the Academy Award-winning debut of "Speedy Gonzales". Key films of such popular characters as Seymour & Tweety, Pepé Le Pew, and Foghorn Leghorn are duly included, along with a few one-shots and curios.

Buyers expecting a cavalcade of favorites need to be aware that the PREMIERE COLLECTION features a mere handful of appearances of the true stars of the Looney Tunes galaxy. You will look here in vain for an adequate selection of classic Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig cartoons. Such masterpieces as "Duck Dodgers in the 24-1/2 Century", "Long-Haired Hare", "Rabbit of Seville", "Rabbit Fire", "Rabbit Seasoning", "The Scarlet Pumpernickel" and "Wabbit Twouble" are to be found only on the GOLDEN COLLECTION.

The so-called PREMIERE COLLECTION is simply a partial reprint of Discs Three and Four of the vastly preferable GOLDEN COLLECTION, with the many extras removed. The first two discs of the GOLDEN COLLECTION are not included with the PREMIERE COLLECTION.

The 4-Disc GOLDEN COLLECTION, with its fifty-six cartoons and hours of supplemental extras, which are both entertaining and educational (hint to parents), is worth more than its cost in dollars and is an infinitely better investment for families than this cheapjack alternate. The PREMIERE COLLECTION is kiddie fodder for the undiscerning bargain-store shopper and ought to please thoughtless families who want to add a touch of class to their video library. Obviously, small children will be unaware that they are being cheated but then they will be unable to appreciate the artistry and sophistocated humor of these films anyway. Otherwise, THE LOONEY TUNES PREMIERE COLLECTION is to be avoided by anyone concerned with popular art and culture. High sales of the superior GOLDEN COLLECTION will determine future releases, so fans and students of classic animation are strongly urged to buy that instead. Parents desiring that the heritage of Bugs Bunny and friends continue to be made available to their children and grandchildren might also keep this in mind when choosing between the lesser and the greater.

And, by the way:

CARTOONS ARE FOR
E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E!

Doctor_Mabuse

A Few Good Laughs
While looking for the 4 disc Golden Collection, I stumbled across this premiere set.
The 2 disc collection as a whole I was disappointed in, there were many worthy shorts besides the one that were included on this "budget" set that would have made buying the Golden Collection even more attractive in my opinion.
There are a few good ones on this, such as Bunker Hill Bunny, Sam the Sheepdog vs Ralph Wolf (funny stuff!)
Marvin the Martian was not even the right voice :o(
Save your money and buy the Golden Collection for you die hard Looney Tunes fans like I am. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Cool Runnings warms the heart
I remember seeing this movie in the theatre when it first came out. It's the heart-warming true story behind the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team. After jumping through numerous hoops such as racial discrimination, a coach with a shady past, and a rickety bobsled, they land themselves a bobsledding spot in the Winter Olympics, something Jamaica never had before.
John Candy gives a stellar performance, unfortunately it was one of his last. At times he's comical, while others, more dramatic. He's a character easy to fall in love with. I miss him.
Overall, Cool Runnings teaches the fundamentals of determination and never letting anything come between yourself and your dreams. Even when catastrophy ended the Jamaican's third bobsled run, they still got up and carried their sled across the finish line. Even if their time didn't earn a gold medal, their heart did.

Heart- warming and inspiring...
Bobsled to a Caribbean is like a Yeti to the Sahara desert. Both simply dont exist!. And yet, 4 guys with dreams in their eyes, set out to acheive the unmaginable in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. To represent their country Jamaica in Bobsledding!.

"Cool Runnings" is based on this true story, but with a few changes that needless to say, is aimed at making the movie more dramatic. Leon(Derice Bannock)is an athlete aimed at making amends for his failure to secure a berth in the Jamaican Sprint Team. With no way out, he decides to try Bobsled, a sport no Caribbean in his right mind would even know it exists. Irv Blitzer(John Candy), a disgraced former champion Bobsledder decides to train Leon the intricacies of this "bone-shattering" sport. To compete in the event would however require 3 more bobsledders to make up the team. In comes his best friend Sanka(Doug.E.Doug), the tempermental Yul Brenner(Malik Yoba) and the reserved Junior Bevil(Rawle Lewis). What you end up with is a team of hysterical proportions, but with a heart.

"Cool Runnings" is not so much about the event as it is with the main characters. The Jamaicans are determined to compete in an event that is considered solely the domain of a few Icelandic- Nordic nations. The 4 guys are felt out of place, racialized and ridiculed at the event while the coach(Candy) is humiliated and taunted at every turn by the organizers. The crux lays in how they overcome their hardships and ultimately win the crowd, if not a medal. The movie is absolutely hilarious considering the Jamaicans have never seen snow in real life. The initial training on their island is itself worth every penny you paid to watch this movie. However the movie's main strength is in its moral message. "Believe". The movie is based entirely on this one word.

Leon is superb in his role as the leader who never gives up. John Candy is without doubt an actor with a heart of gold. Every movie he has been involved in, he brings in that 'human element' into picture. He is perfect as the flawed but determined coach. The find of the movie however, is Rawle Lewis as Junior Beville. He has the best dialogues and behind that meek physique ,stands a truly compassionate and competitive character. Sanka is the funny bone whose expressions are enough to spill your guts out while Yul Brenner is a tough but protective fellow who eventually warms up to the team and gets transformed at the end of the event. Ultimately it is the will and the confidence they derive from each other at every turn of the event that makes this movie so heart-warming.

The movie has a nice flow to it and the music is catchy. Jon Tutletaub(Director) puts everyting in the right place and the direction is straight forward but slick. Though some parts of the movie are fictionalized, it is forgivable since the main theme isn't lost. Infact it actually enhances it. I must say that movies like this generally tend to have a predictable ending. You'll know you'll have a happy one at that. But watch Cool Running's final few scenes and the phrase 'finish the race' will take a whole new meaning to you. The ending is inspiring..surprising..simply magnificent. Go watch it.

Hillarious and Inspirational
Everytime I watch Cool Runnings, I still feel the magic and excitement of the first time I watched it. This movie is exceptional. Everything about it works.
The acting is powerful, the story is both exciting and moving, the comedy is fresh and enjoyable, and the soundtrack is perfectly suited to support the mood of the movie.
Cool Runnings is a perfect family film. People of all ages will be drawn to it and enjoy cheering for the Jamaican Bobsled team. There is some mild use of profanity, but it can be overlooked in favor of the moving story, and the morals that children will pick up along with it. Cool Runnings shows the value of pride, tolerance, and persistance.
Throughout the course of the movie we see the team prove to the world through their persistance that they are just as good as any other team, regardless of where they come from. They learn to become a team, learn to take pride in their culture, and do a lot of self discovery.
This movie is one of the few that is sure to touch you and to uplift your spirit.

Teenagers dig this movie!
Catchy music, funny crashes, bar fight, a sledder who pees in the sled because he's so scared, calling each other names like Sanka and Yul Brynner....all make for a great laugh in the eyes of a teenager. I've shown this movie to dozens of teens and it never disappoints. The fact is that it's a true story of people chasing their dream, and it has a perfect blend of silly with poignant and great pace to keep adults and young adults alike INTERESTED and entertained the entire time. Also, it follows real life at the end and doesn't have a bunch of no-name Jamaicans taking the gold at the Olympics....teens expect a Disney ending like that and appreciate seeing, instead, the truth. However, ANYONE who watches it finds themselves rooting for these no-name Jamaicans and kind of wishing they would medal even though, realistically, they have no chance. BUY IT and watch it and show it to others...its timeless themes never go out of date.

One of the Best Movies I've Seen
"Cool Runnings" is one of the best movies I have seen.
The story line, John Candy and the Jamaican Bobsledders,
the switch from warm Jamaica to cold Calgary all make for a
warm and funny movie. I'm going to take the advice of another
reviewer and watch it now to revive the "feel-good" feeling
of the entire movie. A classic to buy and keep. A true
comedy. ... Read more

Reviews (160)

Mary Poppins on DVD
This is probably one of Walt Disney's best films, if not the best. It is the most excellent realized combination of live action and animation. It contains eternal charm, wit, and magic as it introduces us to the "practically perfect" nanny who brings profound change to the Banks family of London in the early twentieth century. Every song composed by Richard and Robert Sherman is pure magic. The believable visual effects, the heartfelt scripting, and the solid performances by Julie Andrews and the heart rendering Dick Van Dyke are truly eternal. Every element of production came together at their zenith to create a treasure of cinematic endearment. The DVD is excellent. The supplemental material is very good and nostalgic. One of the best films ever made. The superb cast also includes: David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Elsa Lanchester, Arthur Treacher, Ed Wynn, Hermione Baddeley, Reginald Owen and Jane Darwell as The Bird Woman. Director, Robert Stevenson is at his best.

Do Movies get much better than this???
This is my favorite musical of all time. It's wonderfully done, and the story is excellent. Julie Andrews did a great job in her first ever cinematic role, she plays a magical nanny that comes to a rich man's house in order to bring the family back together. What I love about her performance is that she looks very confident and so straight forward and firm, not as playful as you may think. The film also has Dick Van Dyke in the role of Bert, who is a very good friend of Mary Poppins and also handles magic very well. That role was funny and very entertaining(the accent is a bit confusing though), and i loved all of his dance numbers, especially Step In Time, the dance on the roof-top. Another excellent performance was David Tomlinson, who did the role of George Banks, the father of the children. He is very firm and strict, but he can also be very clumsy and forgetful, which is another reason I liked him. His song The Life I Lead was also great. This film was prized with five well-deserved Academy Awards, for the excellent Film Editing, the Visual Effects, like the jump into the pavement picture, the tea party on the ceiling and the smoke ladder, the excellent score, the song Chim Chim Cheree, which may have not been the best song, but one of them had to win, and last but not least, the excellent (oscar-winning) performance by Julie Andrews. I cannot find any more words for this film, so I'll leave you with one word. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

"Perfect Nanny"
Mary Poppins is my favorite movie. I love the charictors, the singing, the dancing. It is fun for the whole family. When I was alittle girl I watched it over and over again. I love to dance with the chimeny sweeps; I can't do everything they do, but still. This is the best master piece Walt Disney ever created besides Micky and friends. I love it and I am a teen.

It is about a fun nanny who has magic. That is probobly why I like her. There is never a dull moment when Mary Poppins is around: fox hunting, laughing in the air, riding a merry-go-round without the going arout. One of the best parts of all, supercalafagilisticexpialadocious.

My Kids Love it!
I have a preschooler and a kindergartener. They both watch it together. They get up and dance to "Step in Time" and "A Spoon Full of Sugar". We purchased the music CD, and listening in the car, makes the time go faster.

This Movie is Defintately a "Jolly Holiday"
I had not seen this movie for a very long time until last week I borrowed a copy from my cousin and it was very good.It was so much better than I remembered.My favorite part of this movie is the scene where Mary,Bert,and the children go into the painting and they see the pinguin waiters who do a very funny dance with bert,and they sing my favorite song in the movie called "Jolly Holiday".This is a very good movie.I recomend this movie to anyone. ... Read more

Reviews (69)

Fun Fantasy Tied With History
The Rocketeer had a very special memory for me. It was the opening movie to first be shown at the newly refurbished El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood; CA. Disney bought the old theatre and spent about 10 million dollars refurbishing it. It is a beautiful theatre and contains the original fixtures and décor - newly repainted - and the most sophisticated digital and THX movie theatre systems around.

Now, that aside, the film was a fantasy filled adventure set in the not so distant past (30's - 40's) about a secret device invented by Mr. Howard Hughes himself which was stolen by some gangster with the intentions of steeling it Hitler himself. The special effects are great and the Rocket is very cool. Even the costumes were very unique.

The device is a jet pack that when worn with a special helmet made by the character played by Alan Arkin, will allow the person to fly through the air (and water) at great speeds. With the villainous Timothy Dalton playing a Nazi spy and world famous actor chasing him. Paul Servino plays a great Mafioso.

The film stars relatively new comers at the time Bill Campbell and Jennifer Connolly as the boyfriend-girlfriend who end up having the mafia, Nazi's and the FBI chasing them! It got a lot of heart and a lot of humor and it is a great family film. I really enjoyed this. No real extras on this DVD but maybe later. I think you'll enjoy this too.

A Wonderful Ride!
The Rocketeer is one of the most enjoyable action-adventure movies ever made. Everything about this film is wonderful. Director Joe Johnson perfectly captures the look and feel of Hollywood (or what Hollywood should look and feel like) during the 1930s. Great casting with Bill Campbell right on target at Cliff Secord, Jennifer Connelly as his best girl, Jenny Blake, Alan Arkin as Cliff's mentor and mechanic/inventor friend, and Timothy Dalton as the evil Nazi spy-movie star Neville Sinclair. Like Raiders of the Lost Ark, it is a homage to the film serials of the period, but with a lot more spit and polish. The special effects are great, the set decoration, costumes, makeup, all evoke the time and place perfectly. A wonderful script adapted from the graphic novel of the same name sets this movie apart from others in this genre. The dialogue is funny, fast and at sometimes furious. Campbell plays the All-American boy with a real gee whiz, almost Jimmy Stewart kind of charm. The plot about a secret plan by the Nazis to build rocket packs for an army of "Rocketeers" to take over the world is added and abetted by Dalton as the Errol Flynn-like movie star. When a prototype rocket pack accidentally ends up in the hands of Campbell and Arkin, the action, and their troubles, really start. This film is filled with dozens of wonderful characterizations. Some of the best are Paul Sorvino as gangster Eddie Valentine, Terry O'Quinn as Howard Hughes, and Tiny Ron as Lothar. The musical score by James Horner is outstanding. It's heroic, quiet and inspiring. Why this film didn't turn out to be the big blockbuster it should have been is beyond me. I love Raiders of the Lost Ark, but this film matches it in almost every category. One of my favorite modern films, I never tire of watching it. Perfect entertainment and perfect for all ages. The Rocketeer is a real winner.

Top Notch Movie... So-So DVD
I ordered "The Rocketeer" over a year ago and finally had chance to watch it this past weekend. I haven't seen it in several years, and I must say, it's even better than I remembered it! Billy Campbell is terrific and Jennifer Connely glows. Alan Arkin is a reliable sidekick... and Timothy Dalton positively shines as the villain of the piece! The movie has a Saturday matinee feel to it, but with top-notch production values. It also has a great sense of humor. It's one of the best movies that no one saw. Too bad. I was disappointed with the picture quality of my dvd. Is this common for this particular release, or did I get a lemon? Also would have like to have seen some additional extra features. I know I saw a featurette on creating the rocket-pack scenes somewhere many years ago. Regardless... This is one movie I'm really glad to have. I'll be watching and re-watching it for years to come.

An AWESOME MOVIE!
This is one of the most coolest, fun filled movies I have ever seen because of everything that it has to make it a great movie. Simply GREAT!!!!!!

Nice!
THIS MOVIE IS SO COOL AND IS A MUST SEE FOR ALL COMIC BOOK FANS! TRULY TRULY GREAT! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The effects are low-tech and no longer special, but Escape to Witch Mountain still has plenty of Disney live-action charm. It's rather quaint by later standards, coming just two years before Star Wars upped the ante on movie magic, but the story's got timeless appeal as a precursor to Harry Potter's more lavish brand of kid-wizardry. Here you've got Tony (Ike Eisenmann) and sister Tia (Kim Richards), orphans unaware of their mysterious past, who are taken in by a nefarious liar (Ray Milland) seeking to exploit their supernatural powers. Populated by '70s stalwarts like Donald Pleasance and Eddie Albert (the later playing the kids' grown-up accomplice, unwittingly rescuing them from Milland), this lightweight Disney fare is perfect for kids under 10, with such enticements as a clever cat mascot named Winky (because he winks a lot), Tony's magical harmonica... and a Winnebago that flies! With a sci-fi climax, this popular hocus-pocus spawned a 1978 sequel (Return from Witch Mountain) that has proven similarly popular with kids. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Escape to Your Childhood!
Growing up as a child in the 1970's I remember watching THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY every Sunday evening at 7pm. I of course enjoyed the cartoons but also enjoyed the many live action Dinsey movies such as THE SHAGGY DOG, THE SHAGGY D.A., POLLYANNA, THE WHIZ KIDS movies and of course the WITCH MOUNTAIN movies. I remeber looking forward to ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN and would make it a point to never miss this movie when it aired.

The story is about a brother and sister, Tony & Tia, who along with their alien family tried to migrate to Earth but crashed upon arriving. Tony and Tia then try to locate their family with the assistance of a widower whie trying to avoid a rich villan who wants to use the kids Extra Sensory Powers (ESP) to further his greedy goals. As a child I actually found this movie to be very scary. I actually feared for Tony and Tia. Now as an adult it has lost the scary aspect. That comes with age I guess. It is still a good watch though.

I have wanted to purchase this film for years so my children could watch it. Now that they are pre-teens and begining to loose their childhood innocence I was finally able to purchase this new DVD. As I suspected they were reluctant to watch this movie and the sequel RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN. I finally got them to watch the films and they did enjoy the them but obviously it did not have the same effect on them as it did me. However younger children, especially those who have not been spoiled by CGI special effects will no doubt still enjoy the films. I tried to explain to my children that as a grade schooler I had a huge crush on Kim Richards (Tia). I got teased for that and of course when I teased my boy about his attraction to Hillary Duff that was a different matter. Go figure.

The DVD has some nice special features. Interviews, cartoons and other such material. I don't have enough positive things to say about Disney's old movies being offered through their Vault Disney line of products.

Superb and timeless.
I like Escape To Witch Mountain better than any other Disney film. It's probably in the top 5 best kid-movies ever made for that matter. I'm now 36, but was 7 when I first saw it. I probably had a crush on Kim Richards back then but I clearly remember seeing the movie at the theater and loving it.

Looking at the dvd now.. the direction by John Hough is crisp and the effects, though not digital, have loads of SOUL, creativity and charm. When a car full of bad guys wrecks.. the fact that they show the 4 occupants safely getting out of the car is a nice touch (after all kids are watching this).. and that (and lots of other things in this movie) speak to the innocence that still actually existed for those of us lucky to be kids in the 1970s... there was still a common-respect in large parts of society.. kids could be kids .. and all the in-your-face junk that permeates much of the world of kids today was years away...

Back on the subject at hand...I watched the DVD (which is nicely loaded with extras) and was surprised by a couple of moments in the film that clearly ...we'll say INFLUENCED.. a certain Mr. Spielberg years later. One involves a menacing object being shown in a rear-view mirror (like Jurassic Park!). The 2nd is when the Winnebago eludes its chasers (I won't say exactly how!).... looking rather similar (shot for shot!) to a scene in E.T. involving a chase and bicycles. (This film is HUGELY suprior to E.T. by the way!)

But I don't want to get too bogged down in how other movies clearly ripped this great one off!

This film is amazing with it's memorable musical score, acting by Albert and the kids, mystery-unfolding storyline and warm, nicely-done conclusion. The open credit sequence is really good too. Perhaps most of all... it has something that gobs of movies today certainly DO NOT - a great story.

I plan to show it to my 5 year old neice this weekend!

Enjoy it!

My Favorite Live-Action Disney Movie from the 70's!
I first saw Escape to Witch Mountain in a movie theater with my friends when I was 10 years old and it is my favorite Live-action Disney movie from the 70's and the one that stands out in my memory the most! Kim Richards (Tuff Turf) and Ike Eisenmann (Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan) play sister and brother Tia and Tony who are brought to an orphanage after their foster parents die. They are the only parents that they remember and have no memories of their lives before they were brought to their foster parents. Tia and Tony it turns out have powers that make them be able to move objects with ther minds, see in to the future, etc and when a man named Lucas Deranian played by Donald Pleasence (Halloween) finds out about it he pretends to be their uncle and takes them to live in the secluded mansion of his employer the wealthy, greedy and powerful Aristotle Bolt played by Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend). It turns out that The sinsister Mr. Bolt has plans to enslave them so he can force them to use their powers to bring him even more wealth and when Tia and Tony escape they befriend a crusty old widower named Jason O'Day played by the wonderful Eddie Albert (Green Acres) who helps them escape the clutches of the evil Bolt and Deranian but they also have to escape a crooked sheriff and a hunting party who think they are witches. This is a delightful movie that is good for the whole family and has a great cast that includes the actors I already mentioned, but also good in small rolls in the beginning of the movie are Reta Shaw (Mary Poppins) as Mrs. Grindley who runs the orphanage and Dermott Downs as a bully called Truck. Denver Pyle (The Andy Griffith Show and The Dukes of Hazard) was good in his cameo roll as Uncle Bene. I also think the director John Hough did a great job and I really like this DVD. I love that they presented the movie in widescreen and the extra features are pretty good, I especially liked the making of doccumentary but I didn't really care for the Mickey Mouse and Pluto cartoon which is not my favorite Mickey Mouse cartoon but anyway I just very highly recommend this DVD!

The Bolt Mansion in Carmel
For anyone interested, the Mansion Disney used for Mr Bolt is located on the famous "17 Mile Driveing tour of Carmel homes, in Monterey Cal.

On the Set of Witch Mountain, Felton California
I was in HS the year they shot this movie, and what excitment that was for Disney to come to the Mt. town of Felton California, in the Redwoods. All the meadow scenes and mountain road and cabin were in our small town. The city hall was used for the Jail, and you see the bowling alley and Felton drug in the backround. WOW, also The summer they shot "The Lost Boys" was also shot in Santa Cruz County, along with "Sudden Impact" The final scene was shot at the Boardwalks' Big Dipper Rollercoaster.

Randy
Movie Fan ... Read more

Amazon.com

This movie follows the unwritten law of sequels: bring back the same characters and put them in similar jeopardy with slightly tweaked circumstances. Instead of a cross-country journey, this time the pet trio must get from the San Francisco airport across the Golden Gate Bridge to their suburban home. Michael J. Fox and Sally Field return as the voices of Chance the bulldog and Sassy the cat, with Ralph Waite replacing the late Don Ameche as the elderly golden retriever. Their journey features dogfights, house fires, an epic battle with a pair of petnappers, and a love affair for Chance with a stray from the other side of the bridge (Carla Gugino). Sinbad voices another dog who guides them through the mean streets of the city by the bay, and Robert Hays stars as the father, but, frankly, that hardly matters. What does is the animals' banter, and they're funny. (Ages 3 and up) --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Another amazing journey!
Now it starts off when the family is planning a plane trip to Canada. Chance the american bulldog thinks that instead of going to Canada he is going to the dog pound because his owner Jamie has been mean to him. Chance escapes from the cage and runs through the airport with Shadow the golden retriever and Sassy the Himilayan cat trying to stop him. Now these animals get lost in a city and comes across stray dogs that don't like humans. That really gives a moral lesson to humans about how dogs feel not having a home. Throughout, the animals will come across dog fights, rescuing a boy from a fire, and avoiding dog catchers. During their trip to finding the bridge back home Chance gets a girlfriend named Delilah.
This movie had it's funny moments like the first one but the only sad moment was when Chance lost his girlfriend going back home and almost getting hit by a truck. I would recommend this movie if you liked the first one and see if you like it as much.

As Good As The First
This, like the original, was really good. I saw it in the movie theaters when I was little, and had been a big fan of the original before that.

This one takes a good direction: pets lost in the city. I think it is a little funnier than the first. Having all the different dogs around makes the movie more fun, the two bad dogs and Reilly's gang. Chance's girlfriend, Delilah, just got in the way here. I've noticed that in a lot of sequels to Disney originals, a main character falls in love. It gets boring after awhile. Both HOMEWARD BOUND movies are real good, and that's a compliment coming from me, since I'm getting more into the horror genre now. Anyway, defenately rent them both, they're really fun to watch. In my opinion, there should be a HOMEWARD BOUND III made. I wouldn't mind another sequel to finish off the trilogy.

Really Funny Movie
This is a really funny movie for adults and kids! My younger kids like watching it to see the kitty and doggies, and my older kids love the funny jokes!

I recommend this movie.

Awesome Family Film
My kids and I thought this movie was fantastic. We watched it right after watching the first movie. After viewing this film my and 8 & 6 year olds were pretending to be the characters in the film, playing with our own dogs and cats. Wholesome family movie. Highly recommended.

Cruisin in San Francisco!
I loved the video. it was great, not as warm as HB1 but still good. Chance as usual not willing to follow orders and stay in his traveling box to Canada, runs out of the plane, forcing Sassie and Shadow to chase after him. They all wind up in San Francisco. They get rescued by some feral dogs from a couple of mean dogs. Chance falls in love with a dog. 2 dirtylooking mean guys roam around in a red truck catching animals until near the end when the ferals and the trio swamp them. One funny scene had Chance trapped in the red van with other dogs and Sassie on the outside telling him to admit "Cats Rule" in order to be freed. There was a scene where the 2 guys accidentally throw a cigarette at a house which causes a fire and so Shadow goes in to save a little boy and Sassie goes in to save the boy's kitten--this is the same boy that Sassie had tried to beg some food from earlier but Chance had ruined her chances by showing up. funny. It was a really funny, nice, fast video. Shadow as usual was his old and wise self. ... Read more

Reviews (108)

didnt REALLY enjoy it
What I saw was "Snow Dogs." It stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Sisqo, James Coburn and Nichelle Nichols. Gooding is Ted Brooks, a dentist from Miami who inherits some racing snow dogs in Alaska from his mother. He learns that he was adopted from his mother's will and begins a half-hearted search for his natural father.

In Alaska, he meets a bartender who knew his mother. Ted wants to leave because he doesn't belong in Alaska. But to stop him, the bartender tells Ted who his father is. He finds out that his dad was white (and Ted is black). One kid in the theater asked what a diary was when Ted found his late mother's diary in the house that she lived in.

Overall, I didn't really enjoy this film, but I guess that young kids could give it a shot. I did chuckle a little bit at some parts, like when he said that one of the dentist operations would hurt more than a tickle and less than paying your taxes (a little adult joke, the kids wouldn't get it). Some of the lines in the movie didn't come out right, though. One of my favorite parts was when Ted was dreaming and Michael Bolton made a cameo.

R.I..P Mr. James Coburn aka Thunder Jack
Although Cuba Gooding has always gotten on my nerves, this movie is worth the watch for James Coburn's turn as Thunder Jack, a grizzeled mountain man. To lose Rod Steiger, James Coburn and Charles Bronson all in such a short time marks the end of an era and a goodbye to the last of the 'Real Men' of both Hollywood and the world...

What's with the running gag about Michael Bolton???
My 6-year-old is obsessed with this film. It seems like every time I hear the TV turn on, my daughter's got "Snow Dogs" popped into the VCR...again (sigh...)! It's harmless good fun and I certainly don't mind hearing her gleeful laughter resounding through the house. The only thing that gets on my nerves are the Michael Bolton references. Michael Bolton's music is used in the film soundtrack. Michael Bolton is a White recording artist, but his most successful releases have consistently been cover versions of songs by Black artists. The central character in "Snow Dogs" finds out that he's not only adopted but also only half-Black. His foster mother promptly quips that maybe this is the reason he likes Michael Bolton's music so much. Then at some point Michael Bolton himself makes a cameo in the film. And Bolton's music returns as the credits roll, this time a cover of a Stevie Wonder classic. Was this redundancy really necessary? Aside from that, I think "Snow Dogs" is a heartwarming family movie that parents will be able to tolerate without going nuts the twentieth time the kids put it on. Don't hesitate to check it out!

A charmer fit for the family, even the pets will love it!
A Miami dentist and a team of sledding dogs combine for a humorous, snow-filled adventure. Dr. Ted Brooks (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) has a successful practice, "Hot Smile," when one day his mother drops the news that he was adopted. He soon finds himself in a small Alaska town to claim his inheritance, which includes no money but plenty of dogs - not such a good match for the wealthy, canine-hater! Before heading back to balmy Florida, however, he braves the frigid climate in search of his biological father. He slowly finds himself drawn to the simplicity of the town and its people, including Barb, a tough but sweet bartender, and Thunder Jack (James Coburn), a very rough-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside "musher." When the "Arctic Challenge" sled race begins soon after, Brooks and his new canine friends discover the meaning of love and family.

There is so much to enjoy about this movie, which comes from a long tradition of Disney snow/dog/sled racing classics ("Snowball Express," "White Fang," "Iron Will"). It's lighter in tone but still provides some thrilling moments against a spectacular Alaskan backdrop. (They could have capitalized on the scenery even more.) The laughs come naturally in this script, as a Southern city slicker thrust into the Alaskan wilderness is bound to run into goofy situations. Cuba Gooding, Jr. is in fine comedic form, and a scraggly James Coburn easily takes to his lighter side. Both actors have proven their dramatic prowess with serious, decidedly adult roles, but the two fit snuggly into this family film and share some amusing and touching scenes. Though "Snow Dogs" lacks the scriptural tightness of films before it, it warms the heart.

THE DOGS ARE THE SHOW
Critics have pretty much bashed this movie, stating that Oscar winner Cuba Gooding has sunk to depths unprecedented by previous winners. A little harsh; SNOW DOGS works not because of Cuba; it works because it's hearts in the right place and the dogs are a pleasure to watch, especially Demon and Nana. There is one hilarious dream sequence where the dogs are sunning themselves on the beach, in lounge chairs, sunglasses and drinks in hand. Cuba does better once he gets over the prat-falling sequences early in the movies; Gooding comes nowhere near the masters of this: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Dick van Dyke and Jerry Lewis. But once Gooding stops trying to be these guys, his performance settles down, and he avoids killing the movie. Also, James Coburn is delightful as his "father", and Nichelle Nichols is even more beautiful than she was in "Star Trek." There's nothing new in this movie, but as typical Disney fare, it has an upbeat message and everything goes just as one would hope and expect; the Alaska backdrop is sumptous, too. Don't let the horrible reviews influence you; if you like this kind of "feel good" movie, it's fine. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Nero!!...Brutus!!....Stop that making that noise in there!!!
The Rescuers is one of my all-time favorite Disney films to watch. I saw this movie when I was 6 years old and now that I'm 21, I still love this movie.
The story begins when a little girl named Penny is kidnapped by a evil woman named Madame Medusa who forces Penny to search and find a large diamond called the Devil's Eye, thats hidden in a underground cove called Devils Bayou. Penny, however, manages to send messages in bottles to get help from the outside, and the R.A.S. Rescue Aid Society, the secret organization that's composed of mice from around the world answer Penny's call for help and they send two mice Bernard, who's the janitor, and a agent from Hungray named Miss Bianca. The only way to get to Devil's Bayou is the Albatross Air Service that's ran by Orville, a bumbling, wise-cracking albatross who's the pilot, flight annoucer, and the plane.
When they do get to Devil's Bayou, Bernard and Bianca witness a escape attempt made by Penny, who get snatched by Medusa's two bumbling pet alligators, Nero and Brutus.
My favorite scene is where Nero and Brutus are trying to catch Bernard and Bianca when they're trapped in a pipe organ, and while Nero is playing the organ, Brutus trys to catch them when the air comes up through the pipes.
If you want a good family classic to watch, give The Rescuers a try, I love it.

I didn't know
I didn't know that Disney was planning are releasing this movie on dvd, until today. And I watched this movie tonight. I had a vhs copy of this movie around. And I think this was the first Disney movie to have a sequel, and this movie was out about 13 years, before the sequel to this movie was made. It tells a story about 2 mice, 1 a janitor and the other a lady on a mission to save a young girl named Penny that was kidnapped from an orphanage. As the movie opened, Penny (Michelle Stacey) drops a bottle that is a cry for help, and the bottle finds its way to New York, where a couple of mice discovers it, and the Recure Aid Soceity calls to order, a meeting. A janitor mouse named Bernard (Bob Newhart) brings ladder (that is really a comb), cames the comb, and goes inside, manges to get the message out of the bottle, but keeps falling back to the bottom of the bottle. The message is all watered out, and a mouse named Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor) manges to make out some of the message, including Penny's name. Miss Bianca decides to ask to take the misiion, even though Bernarnd doesn't think it is a good idea for Miss Bianca to go alone. So the chairmouse, decides for Miss Bianca to selct a co-agent to go with her, and she has a lot of vanletters, which makes it hard for her to chose, and she picks Bertand.

Theatre Gem
I remember my parents taking me to see this gem of a film in the theatre. I was captivated by the cute girl Penny and the two mean gators. This film was a fun Disney film. It seemed weird when they released "Resuers Down Under" WAY before this one?!?!? But now you can complete or expand your Disney collection with this piece of Disney Gold!

Cool film!
Although this film doesn't particularly follow the same story line as the forgotten Margery Sharp classic, I have to admit that the film is better in it's own way. To start, in the book, the rescuers, janitor Bernard, Lady Miss Bianca and sailor mouse Nils go into the Black Castle to rescue a Norweian poet, but this is just some no-one who you really don't get to know that well, since he comes at the end of the book and barely even speaks, you can't feel for the character, however, Penny is filled with charming personality, and you learn to love her as you watch the film. Nils was a very charming little mouse in the book, too bad he wasn't in Disney's film. Then Madame Medusa is a great villain compared to the boring jailers and gate keepers in the book, since they do nothing to stop the young poet from scaping. In Disney's film, Madame Medusa has held Panny captive for months because she needs her to find the world's largest diamond, and the rescuers are flying into a journey to her rescue. Lovable film, pretty disappointing DVD, hopefully Disney will give us another, better edition.

There unconfirmed rumors that a new sequel, The Rescuers III: Journey to the Black Castle is in the works, and this time, little cute Nils would be joining us, I would loooove to see that!

R-E-S-C-U-E, Rescue Aid Society....
When a young girl's plea for help it found via bottle in the ocean, Miss Bianca of the Rescue Aid Society, along with her partner Bernard, go on an action packed adventure to rescue her.

Young Penny had disappeared from Morningside Orphange one day and no one has seen her since. With a tip from the Orphange's wise old cat, the two mice track down a pawn shop run by Madame Medusa. She is the one, along with her goofy sidekick Snoops, who kidnapped Penny and is holding her hostage deep in the bayou on a rundown Riverboat. Time after time Penny attempted to escape, only to be tracked down and brought back to her prison by Medusa's two pet crocodiles. The only reason Medusa is holding Penny hostage is because Penny is the only person small enough to fit down into the cave where Medusa's greatest desire, the Devil's Eye diamond, is at.

With the help of Miss Bianca, Bernard and some of the swamp's resident critters, Penny manages to bring Medusa her coveted diamond, outsmart her crocodiles and escape back to the orphanage and, ultimitly, unite Penny with the family she so yearned for.

A touching tale. I can see why this is considered a classic! ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Call yourself a scouter? Then why haven't you seen it yet?
For every human hobby, there will eventually be made a film. For fighter pilots, there's "Top Gun." For pee-wee hockey players, there's "The Mighty Ducks." For Boy Scouts, there's "Follow Me, Boys!" Of course you can appreciate and enjoy this movie if you're not a scout or scouter, but let's not fool ourselves about the intended audience here.

--

This film is the epitome of old-school Boy Scouting. Every traditionalist Scouter pines for the days when the boys didn't have to be back from the campout early for soccer practice. Every new scoutmaster wants to be the square-jawed, campaign hat-wearing, all-American scoutmaster of Norman Rockwell paintings. You'll never pull it off if you haven't seen this film.

In "Follow Me Boys!" Fred Macmurray goes from reluctant scoutmaster to super-scoutmaster, teaching boys to be men, year after year. His boys actually sing. They sing! What traditionalist scoutmaster hasn't given up years ago trying to get the boys to sing around the campfire or on the trail? The Scout program of "Follow me, boys!" is the antidote to the 1980's scouting movement that gave us nasty-colored patches and ball caps. It's the bridge between the scouts of today, and the scouts of 97 years ago.

If you ever want to be a great scouter, see this film, and read up on Baden-Powell. Make sure your boys know what he did at Mafeking. Make sure they know that their uniforms are based on the South African Constabulary. Make sure they stand up straight when they recite the Oath and Law. Get them off the trail occasionally. Get them to sing, loud and proud.

But you'll have to see "Follow me, Boys!" I don't know if it will work on the boys anymore, but it worked on me when I was a Tenderfoot.

GOOD SCOUT!
One of Disney's greatest classics, FOLLOW ME, BOYS! goes well beyond its theme about Boy Scouting in its early days in America. It's a story of love and of priorities when a disenchanted band member studying law, Lemuel Siddons, decides to get back to the basics in rural America. In the process he finds love and provides a sterling example to the town's boys.

This film also includes terrific performances by some Hollywood's who's who including the great Fred MacMurray (MY THREE SONS) as Lemuel Siddons, the would-be lawyer who settles for shopkeeping and leading the local scout troop, Vera Miles (THE SEARCHERS) as Vida Downey, the bank secretary who supports Siddons, falls in love with him and ultimately becomes his wife, Kurt Russell (MIRACLE) in one of his first films as Whitey, the tough who is adopted by Lem and Vida and becomes a boy-leader n the troop and finally a soldier and doctor. Look for a cameo by a bona fide screen legend, Lillian Gish as one of the town's business leaders Hetty Seibert.

Whether you've been a scout, know one or have had nothing to do with scouting FOLLOW ME, BOYS! Tracks the development of the troop and their experiences that bond them together. One of Siddon's later troops even captures a tank.

Yes, it's squeaky clean but who can't use a dose of Disney fantasy now and again.

THE HORSEMAN

Hey, Disney! This is the kind of film you should be making!
I remember the tune from when I saw it as a kid in the late 60s, and have hoped to see it again ever since. What a breath of fresh air compared to the tripe that Disney puts out today. Films like these remind us of America's Golden Age. Wonderful performances by all, uplifting singing on the trail, and a heart-rending, happy ending make this film a MUST HAVE in the libraries of parents who want wholesome entertainment for their kids. I wonder why more of the 1960's Disney movies have not come out on DVD. As a parent, I dont have to be woried about foul language ,sexual inuendos, or even "attitudes" that my kids will see glorified when we watch films like these. I gave my copy to a newly-minted Eagle Scout, and will order another for my family...

A must see for leaders of Boy Scouts
This is an excellent movie showing the proper relationship between an adult Scout leader and his Scouts. This is a better version than the previously released video, because the DVD adds back 13 minutes removed by the video. The added-back minutes greatly enhance the quality of the story and bring additional valuable insights to the story. If I were in charge of any adults that work with Boy Scouts, I would require them to see this movie.

I'll Follow Lem Anywhere
This is a classic all-American Disney feel good movie. If that's your thing you will love this film. I found it highly entertaining and a great look back to an idealized simpler time. My only complaint with the film would be that the last quarter seems to drag on a bit because of several drastic plot twists that come completely out of left field. But this is a minor flaw to a great film that is suited for the entire family.

The DVD itself needs some help. For reasons unknown the film is not presented in it's original aspect ratio and worse, there is a yellow border around the picture while the opening credits are playing. On the plus side, there is a great 11 minute bonus documentary, "Looking back With Lem's boys" which features interviews with the grown up kids who appeared in the film. Kurt Russell does not appear in it but it's still a great feature ... Read more

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Like Disney's animated Atlantis: The Lost Empire, its sequel, Milo's Return, is an Indiana Jones for the younger set.Bespectacled Milo Thatch (James Arnold Taylor taking over from Michael J. Fox) is back in this made-for-video release, helping to rebuild Atlantis alongside new sweetheart Queen Kida, but all is not so calm in the outside world.A giant octopus-like creature, the Kraken, is terrorizing a local village, so Milo, Kida, and the rest head out--Scoobie-style--to make things right.Once that problem has been solved, they're off to the Southwest to tame a passel of wild sand coyotes and then to Antarctica to battle a 100-foot ice monster.Milo's Return is a series of loosely linked adventures drawing on a variety of mythologies, including Native American and Norse, that doesn't always have much to do with the original movie, but is always lively and entertaining.(Ages 8 and older) --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (16)

An average Disney sequel
First of all, this one of those 3 episode things that Disney throws out as sequels. I, being a kid, don't much care about this one way or the other, though I prefer whole movies. I even liked Tarzan and Jane, which everyone else seems to have hated. Back to the point here, the story separation isn't nearly as bad. The voices are almost all the same, except Milo, (his replacement voice doesn't sound too bad, though) and of course, Cookie (the guy who voiced him died). The animation is like that of an animated series (from which I think the 3 episodes were taken from). Some may scoff at the idea of them having a cute animal along for the ride, but in this one there is this thing named Obby that they call a lava-dog, who is essentially Milo and Kida's pet. He is a very funny character, and I wish he was in the first one. About the stories, all three of them are very strange. The are all I suppose from a Atlantis animated series (that would be interesting) which has not or will not go on the air (I read that somewhere). All in all, it is an average Disney sequel.

Do not rent, and definetively do not buy!!
Probably the worst Disney-release I have ever seen, badly drawn, and no "movie" at all, it is a collection of three different, but thin(!) stories. In other words; not the usual Disney-charm on this one.

Maybe Milo shouldn't have come back...
In "Atlantis II: Milo's Return" we are subjected to a series of loosely sewn together pieces of Disney's quickly aborted "Team Atlantis" cartoon.

Due to the bomb this was in the theaters, the "Team Atlantis" cartoon never made it to the Saturday morning schedule. But that was no excuse - Disney had to use the material they made for their stillbirth somehow...

Neither Milo nor Cookie have the same voices. It's doubtful whether even Disney could have come up with enough money to pay Fox to reprise his role in this sequel. The man that voiced Cookie passed away - hopefully before he could see this B-Grade monster fest.

In the first of the three stories, Milo and his "Team Atlantis" (most of the characters from the original Atlantis movie) have to stop a Kraken from destroying a small village.

Then, believe it or not, they all leave Atlantis to go to the American Southwest to tame a pack of Coyotes. Coyotes? I thought they could have come up with something more challenging than that...

Then to top it all off, it's off to Antarctica to battle an ice monster. I almost wish they had run into something a little more life-threatening, like Lovecraft's "Old Ones".

This reminded me a =lot= of the old "Scooby-Doo" mysteries, except with real monsters. You know none of the main characters will ever be killed, so there's no suspense at all.

Only recommended for Disney purists.

Atlantis: Milo's Return
The Adventure continues in this Disney sequal when Milo Thatch and his new wife Kida are told by Mr. Whitmore that there is trouble on the surface. In a little town off the ocean, there is a legand that a sea monster is threatening the Village so Milo, Kida and the gang are out to destroy it. Led by the evil leader of the village Volgud, The Kraken is taking people and turning them into mind-less zombies.
Milo and his crew are eating when they ricieve a phone call from Dr. Sweet about trouble in the South-West. They say there are Sand Coyotes in a dust storm that attacked Whitmores old friend Sam Makine. When Milo, Kida, Audrey, and Mole get there, they try to find an old stolen crate from Makine that holds an ancient piece of potery when the Dust Coyotes come back. They meet an old Indian legand teller that lives in the old village in wich the pottery needs to be returned. But with the old Mayor of the town Carnaby interfiering with them, it is hard to do the right thing.
A Blizard starts when Milo, Kida, Vinnie, Audrey and Mole go to iceland where they get captured by the Evil Viking king while trying to reclaim the spear of destiny and raise Atlantis. But there are a Snow Monster and A Fire Lord that want the spear also. So Its a race against time to find the Spear of destiny.
I enjoyed it and I hope you will enjoy it too!

This boat barely floats.
Ouch. I should have read the reviews before forking over the dough. I had no choice, really - the kids found it at the grocery store check-out. The kids liked it - they didn't notice that the animation was no better than 1960's Hanna-Barberra cartoons and that the story was 3 stories awkwardly stitched together. If you liked the moral theme of Atlantis, don't ruin it with this dumbed-down cartoony follow-up. The orignal Atlantis was a visually stunning masterpiece of animation almost in the league of The Lion King and Fantasia. This DVD is not nearly worthy of the Disney name ... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Moviegoers and more than a few critics found much to enjoy in this Disney film about a lost dog named Buddy. The canine is befriended by a lonely boy and proceeds to become the star of the kid's junior high school basketball team. Demonstrating an abundance of on- and off-court agility, Buddy can dribble like a pro (no, not the wet kind of dribble), and he never misses a shot. Michael Jeter plays Buddy's original owner who returns to get his dog back (don't worry, he's an unworthy weasel), and director Charles Martin Smith brings a refreshing flair to the climactic basketball scenes. Air Bud was a modest hit for Disney, and the film's entertaining vitality gets a touch of poignancy from the fact that Lucky, the canine actor in the title role, died of cancer not long after the film was released. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (28)

THE BEST MOVIE IN THE WORLD,AIR BUD!
WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS MOVIE I THOGHT IT WAS STUPID BECAUSE I THOGHT A DO COULD NOT PLAY BASKETBALL BUT HEN I FOUND OUT MY DOG CAN PLAY BASKETBALL .SO MY DOG CAN ALSO DO MATH. I THINK BUDDY WAS A VERY GOOD DOG AND I'M SO SAD THAT HE DIED.

But in the end...
Air Bud is a movie about a dog that can play basketball, right? No. Air Bud is a movie about that perennial Hollywood theme: a kid who needs a character arc (learns something at the end). When the crucial game arrives, and anyone rooting for the dog is primed for a game-winning display of canine capabilities, the poor dog just runs around the court while the kid makes the winning baskets. Hello, Disney. Setup, payoff. Are you listening?

Disturbingly relevant in today's post 9/11 climate
Other basketball films (White Men Can't Jump, The Air Up There) have tried to allude towards racial/nationalistic equality in sports, but this one takes it as far as you can go and then run's with it dawg - or I mean DOG. Air Bud (R.I.P.) taught me and my family a lot about not believing stereotypes like dogs can't play hoop. I'm down with racial unity and I'm down with Air Bud 1 and 3 (not 2).

still great
what happenned to this series. this movie was great but the sequels were horrible. i saw this in theatres and have loved it every since.

Great movie
This is a perfect movie for kids who like sports and animals. My son(4) loves this movie, we also have the soccer, football, and baseball versions of this movie. They are all great. ... Read more

Amazon.com

All nine of Disney's first collection of animated classics on DVD areincluded in this set. Some of the nine titles include bonus features, and the DVD format will provide optimum sound and picture quality for the young and old collector alike. The crown jewels are Pinocchio and The Little Mermaid. The former celebrates its 60th anniversary with a brand new print, while the latter is the 1989 film that revitalized Disney's animation wing and brought new audiences to the art form. Both offer Oscar-winning songs. Two of the popular classics from the '60s are represented with 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book, which was thelast animated feature that Walt Disney directly worked on and which saved the animation department when it was a box-office hit in 1967. Hercules and Mulan make great strides in the look of animation. The mythical figures of the former are based on the radical designs of Gerald Scarfe, and the latter makes bold advancements in computer animation in the refreshingly unknown legend of a Chinese girl. The collection rounds out with Lady and the Tramp in a grand widescreen format, the charming Peter Pan that hardly shows its age, and 1998's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, a made-for-video sequel. Although the sequel is entertaining,it's frustrating to note the original The Lion King has been kept out of circulation completely for a few years (as Disney does with many classics), gearing towards a grand future release into theaters. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Some Good, Some Bad
Ok, ok...I have got to say that the biggest thing that dissappoints me about this set is the lack of some real true classics. As many have said, The Lion King, one of the best...Aladin, who can forget that...and if Disney would get off of it's back side and see the truth, they would release Song of the South on DVD and add it......I do love Lady & the Tramp, Jungle Book, Little Mermaid, and (although newer than the rest) Mulan....But Lion King 2 stunk bigtime, huge let-down...Hercules, BLAH BLAH BLAH...101 Dalmations, Pinochio, and Peter Pan are definately the classics that have earned their right to be in there. One last thing....with DVD's today typically going for about 20 to 25 bucks....why in the world are these averaging [price] a pop, and they don't even come with special behind the scenes, deleted scenes, special add on stuff that make DVD so awsome..............

A few gems with much crap
Don't bother with this set.

What a Scam
Why this product is entitled "Collector's Set" I will never know. Several of the DVDs arrived all scratched and unviewable, four of the DVDs were in fact foreign editions, and several of the DVDs appeared to be copies, in fact two of the movies stopped immediately with "The End" screen and did not roll the credits. I would strongly encourage anyone who wasted their money on this set to review your DVDs for lack of bar codes, smudged artwork etc and report it to the Walt Disney Company copyright department. How disappointing that Amazon would let a vendor such as this post goods on it's website. Oh yeah - the vendor did not send this expedited shipping as they were supposed to and it arrived almost three weeks after it was ordered.

Very bad idea, except one major correction to others reviews
This is a terrible collection, no extras, far too expensive..they must think we are really stupid to buy this set.
That having been said one point needs to be made, the older Disneys films were not originaly filmed in what we call "Widescreen" on DVDs. Snow White, Pinnochio, and I think one or two others were filmed in what we call Pan and Scan. These film are not cut they never were filmed in the wider format, just look at the Wizard of OZ it isn't widescreen either.
People need to realize that widescreen films were not possible until about the 1940's or 50's and even then it was soo expensive not all films were made in that format.

Anthology? Nothing now
I was surprised to read that many of the DVDs in this collection are no even in widescreen. They dared to charge this much for a collection and put in the cheaper versions as well. Watching movies in their original widescreen version is one of the major reasons why DVD format is awesome. It is a real dissapointment that they couldn't "spring" for the widescreen that usually runs [a little] more, boo hoo. I would NOT recommend this set, it is WAY over prices, and you will miss half of some of these movies seeing them in "pan & scan". And don't get me started on why "The Lion King" was not included but "The Lion King 2" was!!!!! ... Read more

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By the time "The Barn Dance" (1928), the fourth Mickey Mouse short and the oldest film on this collection, was released, Mickey was well on his way to cartoon stardom. The viewer can see how quickly the Disney animators improved between "The Barn Dance" and "Mickey's Kangaroo" (1935, his last black-and-white film). The characters are so rubbery in "Barn Dance," that when Mickey steps on Minnie's foot, her leg stretches out on the floor. Mickey and Minnie look noticeably more solid by "Mickey's Mechanical Man" (1933). "Playful Pluto" (1934) offers the landmark sequence of Pluto trying to escape from sheet of fly paper: one of the first instances where an animated character actually seemed to think and react to his environment believably. But it's Pluto who gets the laughs--Mickey is already turning into the straight man he eventually became.

The Disney shorts also improved as films during this period. The direction becomes surer, with increasingly imaginative camerawork. If some cartoons look backward, recycling gags from "Steamboat Willie," "The Barnyard Concert" (1929) anticipates "The Band Concert" (1935). In both films, Mickey conducts a group of ragtag musicians in Zampa's "The Poet and the Peasant" Overture, and "Barnyard Concert" feels like a rough sketch for the brilliant "Band Concert," Mickey's first color short.

A few of these films include ethnic imagery that was considered good taste in the early '30s, but is no longer acceptable, as host Leonard Maltin cautions. (Unrated, suitable for ages 6 and older: cartoon violence, tobacco use, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

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In a story both enjoyable and educational, Christopher Robin is having a potluck party and informs his friends that they must each count out 10 items in order to attend. While everyone is busy counting, Pooh and Roo are in a panic--they don't know how to count and time is running out. Not to worry, Owl tells Roo as he gives him a private tutorial, teaching him through song that "Every number has its own name, and each number has to be in the right order." Rabbit joins in with a counting memory game and Tigger lends his talents with the catchy song "Bouncerific." Lots of instruction is packed into this gently paced program, which includes the voice talents of Jim Cummings (as Pooh and Tigger) and is delightfully reminiscent of the earliest Pooh stories. Preschoolers will learn the difference between numbers and letters, be able to identify numbers in everyday life, and learn to count to 10 while recognizing numbers on the screen. (Ages 2 to 6) --Lynn Gibson ... Read more

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She's your basic average girl and she's here to save the world.An Alias-type heroine for the tween-age set, the Disney Channel's Kim Possible is a high school cheerleader who doubles as a super agent.Here's the sitch: In "Attack of the Killer BeBes," the first of three episodes, KP (voiced by Christy Carlson Romano, the star of another Disney series Even Stevens), her sidekick, Ron Stoppable (Will Friedle), his naked mole rat, Rufus, and supergenius Wade take on a bunch of evil robots controlled by her arch-enemy, Drakken. "Downhill" introduces DNAmy, the wacko geneticist who creates fearsome hybrid creatures.The title of the never-before-seen episode, "Partners," has two meanings--first, Kim and Ron decide to break up their partnership, sort of, and Drakken teams up with DNAmy to form a mutant army to take over the world.No big.KP and her team have enough smarts, cheerleader moves, and high-tech gadgets to save the day, and the sly wit and Kim's school-girl awkwardness can prove appealing to grown-up kids as well.(Ages 6 to 10; cartoon action, bare midriffs, staying out late on a school night) --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Amazon.com

The couple's first anniversary of wedded jungle bliss is approaching and Jane ponders what gift would be appropriate--necessitating three flashbacks from the Disney television series explaining why various celebrations are out of the question. First Jane remembers when her old British school chums came to rescue her from the bush and whisk her back to civilization. Then Terk and Tantor help her recall the time diamond miners hired Tarzan only to double-cross him. The final remembrance features Jane's old neighbor Robert who flies to Africa to recover a music box he gave her--and to betray England. Michael T. Weiss and Olivia D'Abo do the honors as the voices of Tarzan and Jane, and Mandy Moore and Phil Collins provide the vocals for two new songs. Like many of Disney's straight-to-video "sequels," the animation and story aren't up to on par with the original,; but the kids won't care. Ages 3 and up. --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Reviews (38)

A cute follow up to orginal movie
I bought this for my three year old daughter because I am a sucker for Disney movies. By the time I decide I want a particular Disney movie they take it off the market so now I pretty much buy what ever they dish out which seems to be at the rate of once a month. I figure even a bad Disney movie is still better than most of the cartoons out there. I didn't have extremely high expectations for this movie but it was actually better than I thought it would be. I had a few chuckle moments watching it. My daughter liked it enough to watch it for stretches at a time. The story centers on Tarzan and Jane's one year anniversary. As Jane tries to think of what would be the best gift for Tarzan, she and the other characters remember incidents over the past year. My favorite was when Jane's friends came to visit her from England. There was definitly some adult humor as the riends admired Tarzan's body. The rest of the movie was basically Tarzan rescuing Jane from one dire predicament or another. I thought the scenes where Jane's ex boyfriend comes to visit were a little on the viloent side for a Disney movie. There is an intense airplane fight in the air with gunfire and the ex boyfrind aims a gun at Tarzan and Jane. I thought Disney movies were supposed to be on the less violent side. I think little girls will like the scenes with Jane and the animals but I think that some of the action sequences were geared more towards older kids mainly boys who would like movies such as Atlantis. Despite the shortcommings of the movie it was still nice to catch up and visit with Tarzan and Jane. I didn't think too much of the bonus activities on the dvd. I tried to do the build your own treehouse but was told that I wasn't very good at it by Jane's dad. It seemed boring anyway. The bit with Mandy Moore talking about her song was really annoying. Mandy has this to say about her song "I don't have to be Mandy Moore when I sing. I can I be a Disney Character, it's so liberating" or some shmaltz like that. If you can sit through it without wanting to toss your cookies more power to you.

Tarzan & Jane
Well I just wanted to clear up that Tarzan & Jane, contrary to popular belief IS NOT 3 of the TV show "The Legend of Tarzan" episodes. Believe me on that (I watch that show nearly every morning, most of the extra characters are on the show, though). Well, on to the movie itself! The animation isn't stupendous, but it's alright. I didn't really like the idea that there was 3 stories instead of 1 whole movie but , this is MUCH better than that awful Cinderella II ... The stories themselves weren't bad. My pesonal favorite was the lava one. The music was fine, and catchy. I normally hate Mandy Moore (because I'm an Anti-Pop-ist!) but I liked her song "Singing to the Song of Life". There are funny parts too, most of which are Terk's doing. Well all-in-all Tarzan & Jane is pretty good movie (the DVD games are cool, too). Anybody who liked the movie Tarzan should at least watch Tarzan & Jane to see how they like it. And anyone who likes "The Legend of Tarzan" show won't be disappointed.

Horrible, Horrible, Horrible. . . .
Pass on this silly sequel! Stories are nonsense, returning characters are nothing like the original movie version, and Tarzan comes across as supremely stupid. I loved the first Tarzan cartoon from Disney, but the makers of this film seem totally lost and unable to find even a smidgen of the charm or adventure found in the original movie.

Its nothing like the Disney Tarzan movie
It's just for kids. If you are looking for a continuation of the Tarzan movie you may not like this. We bought the original Disney Tarzan animated movie for our kids. The original is great. What this is is three cartoon episodes from the Disney Tarzan television program. The action animation is not nearly as good as in the movie (e.g., the physics of the swinging through the jungle is poor). The plots are terrible/slow/painful. For example, Jane's ditzy girl friends come from London and get chased all day by panthers that never get around to eating them, despite endless chances. It also contains much more gratutious violence. Having said all that, much to my chagrin, my four year-old seems to like it as well as well as she did the full length animation; thus the third star.

Well, it was O.K., But not the same old Tarzan...
Well, I saw the first movie and I loved it! One of my favorite movies ever! So when this movie came out, Tarzan & Jane, I thought of renting it, so I did. I was so disapointed! I turned the movie off about 5 minutes into the movie. Very poor animation, like cartoon animation. Their voices are way off coarse (exept Tantor's) and Jane is not as charming as she was in the first movie. This movie was okay...It's just...not the good 'ol Disney I expected. How could you, Disney?! >:(
(P.S. The shadows of the leaves on evey character was really annoying) ;) ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great movie!
It's pleasing to see so many positive reviews for this movie that was made at a time when Disney was not quite considered...up to par. Which is an unfair statement! There were several very entertaining films made by the studio in the 70's! Even if they did lose a little something special without Walt, they still are great and in a class all their own that can only be considered 70's Disney. I'm just saying, that's not as bad a class to be in as some people think! The Dexter Riley trilogy for example! Those are the Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Now You See Him Now You Don't, and The Strongest Man in the World, all starring teen Kurt Russel as well. I love those! The movies Disney made at that time were still Disney clean, and still Disney fun! In a cheezy way maybe, but so what! This movie is a great one, and yet, still not one of the best from the time, but I do recommend it to Disney fans, people who like clean, funny movies, and cat lovers of course!

Good Movie
Its funny & you just don't know how exactly it will end but all & all its an older movie.A cat named Jake has to land on earth when his space ship breaks down.The space ship is found and taken away by the government who start to worry about strange beings finding their way to the white house & causing the downfall of the USA.Meanwhile Jake finds a brillant but not well known scientist to help Jake make repairs to his ship.What happens next?You really wanna know?If so buy the movie!

Before E.T...!
A genuinely smart and entertaining comedy sci-fi film from Disney that is low-key, to the point, and delivers on a modest scale. An alien cat's (named Jake) spaceship crashlands on earth and the ship is retrieved by the military. Jake eludes the military and seeks out help by revealing himself to an astro-physicist (Ken Berry as Frank) who happens to work at the military base where the spaceship is incarcerated. Seems that a modest amount of gold is just the thing needed to repair the lame spaceship. So, Jake uses his alien telekinesis (powered from a collar around his neck) to manipulate the outcomes of a few sporting events to place bets on. Then, win enough cash to buy the right amount of gold and repair the spacecraft. In the meantime, the military, gangsters, and gamblers are on the chase of the elusive alien cat. Ken Berry is excellent as Frank the astro-physicist playing a variation of another Disney character, Prof. Ned Brainard (played by Fred MacMurray) from THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR. Good support work from Sandy Duncan, McLean Stevenson, Harry Morgan (the two Colonels from tv's MASH!! in the same film) & Roddy McDowell as they round out this inventive Disney family fare that has the right amount of decent special effects and comic situations. Comic actor Ronnie Schell ("Duke" of tv's GOMER PYLE) provides the voice for Jake the Cat and also plays a supporting role as one of the military personnel (Sgt Duffy) after Jake the Cat. One funny note is that when Schell as Sgt. Duffy has any lines, his voice is dubbed over by another actor. His voice was so distinct and the producers found it fit to overdub his lines as to not confuse moviegoers. Note: Look for character actor James Hampton ("Caretaker" in THE LONGEST YARD)in a support role. He co-starred with Ken Berry in the classic tv series/western spoof F-TROOP.

A cute little move
When I was a little girl this movie was played every Thanksgiving on local TV. The movie really caught my eyes because the lead character was an orange cat from outer space. The movie is your usual Disney fair; no swearing, violence, or adult situations, and is suitable for all children and many adults.
The cat, a lovely Absymian named Jake, crashes on earth and seeks the help of a scientist and his quirky friends. The army gets involved, but not expecting a cat, get very confused very quickly. If you have a cat lover in your family who likes fun, campy romps, this one is sure to please!

A great movie for cat lovers
I loved this movie when I was a kid. I have it on VHS currently and cant wait to get a copy on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Not a terrible movie, but not great, either.
As other people have mentioned, the characters are rather flat, and the plot is just a variation on the must-save-world-from-scary-guy theme. If you can ignore the predictability and the contrived and sappy ending, it's an okay flick. Eye candy, and the kids'll probably like it -- I did, when I was younger.

If you're going to watch it, though, please DON'T read the books first. Read the books, by all means, but if you read them before watching the movie, you'll find the flick unbearable. Disney changed so much, and with no fathomable reason behind most of the changes. The changes to the character of Fflewddur Fflam hit me especially hard, since he's my favorite from the books -- apart from the name and harp, he's unrecognizable. Basically, everything's been simplified and, well, Disneyfied. All of the PG rating comes from visuals, and any bad things happening to the good guys are fleeting, unlike the books, which carry the more difficult -- but true -- lesson that life can be unfair sometimes.

Anyway, in closing, the movie isn't bad, but as has been said, the books are far better. If you're thinking of buying it for your kids, especially, I'd highly recommend getting the books instead and sharing them. If they like Harry Potter, they're almost sure to like these. The Prydain Chronicles have a depth and a warmth to them that's difficult to find; I first read them when I was a kid, and I find myself re-reading them every few years or so.

Disney wrost movie.
Why bother with this wrost cartoon. There heads are not on tight. I let the MST3000 think about this movie.

Among the Bigger Dissapointments in the Movie World
As an adoring fan of the Lloyd Alexander books this film was loosely adapted from, I have to admit that I have a biased view. The books are so lovely that I purchased this video before seeing it, assuming that since Disney was given such great material to work with it would be a piece of art. I was sorely dissapointed. I suggest that any fan of the books stay away from this movie all together, or at least view it before you make the investment in purchasing it. You'll find many important characters missing, and several key elements to the plot have changed.
I feel that Disney would have done well to make the full series, rather than try and combine the events of The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron and cram them into one movie.
However, Disney's version of The Black Cauldron does have its good points. The animation is rather nice. It's rather simple, but it serves its purpose very well. It's a bit refreshing to see Disney make such a different movie from it's norm. This one is very dark, and doesn't rely on song to pull you in. The characters, while dissapointing if you're familiar with the books, are still portrayed rather interestingly in their own rights. The Horned King is pretty well established, and early on you get a feeling that he just drips with evil. Gurgi, although very different from his written counterpart, is a very loveable character, and brings a bright spot to the otherwise very gloomy feeling of the film. The voice acting is good, the sound effects are of the highest quality, and the score does an adept job at setting the mood.
If you are unfamiliar with the books, and watch the movie with an open mind, it can really be quite enjoyable, but it's noteworthy that this movie has a PG Rating, not the G Rating that most annimated Disney films feature. There are some scenes that I find rather innapropriate for a children's film, including a scene where Fflewddur is changed into a toad and gets stuck in a woman's cleavage, and some of the scenes with The Horned King and the Cauldron-Born which may be very disturbing for sensitive children. I recommend parents pre-view this movie before deeming it appropriate for their young children.

Black & Blue
I love all the risks and new avenues this film took. There is much love and thought that went into its creation. Unfortunately most of this love and attention was focused on looks and not story.

A mixture of visual styles are used in the film, hand-drawn animation, CGI (Disney's first attempt) and even live action smoke. This mixture gives the film a very distinctive look. One that is strikingly different from other Disney animated films.

The Horned King is Disney's most terrifying looking villain ever but he's got the personality of a dead fish. We never connect or understand him like we did say Lady Tremaine or Maleficent. When one character sacrifices himself for the good of the others it should be an act filled with great drama and emotion but it didn't even choke me up much less bring a tear to my eye.

What the film really needs is character development and a clearly thought out plot. About a third of the way through we learn that the film is not about what we were lead to believe (the thwarting of evil) but Tarran's need to accept his position in life. This is a drastic change and the film never really recovers it's footing afterwards.

I'd like to see Disney attempt a film like this again some day because there is much they got right (the tone, character designs, general look of the film). I'd recommend The Black cauldron if you are a serious animation, Disney or fantasy film fan.

A Worthy Effort 3 and a half.
Epic medevil stories are hard to put on film, and are more challenging to put in an animated film. In the Black Cauldron Disney gave it's best. There are a few things though that make the film un-Disney. The characters are not as lovable and iconic on the exception of Gurgi in this movie. The animation is too different and it detatches itself from the other Disney films. The villain is too strong and powerful for a child audience and a little too mediocre for an older crowd. If you look at is as just another movie it really is not that bad, but when comparing it to past Disney effort that is where you run into problems. ... Read more