Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Oscar-winning ‘Big Hero 6’ and a digital restoration of the classic ‘Watership Down’ both land on store shelves with the rest of this week's home entertainment releases on Blu-Ray and DVD.
'Big Hero 6'
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Oscar-winning Big Hero 6 and a digital restoration of the classic Watership Down both land on store shelves with the rest of this week's home entertainment releases on Blu-Ray and DVD. Check out the titles below, and let us know which ones are on your wish list.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Blu-ray Combo Pack Collector’s Edition ($39.99) and DVD ($29.99) available from Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
Hot off of the heels of its Oscar win for Best Animated Feature, Disney’s Marvel-inspired Big Hero 6 is now available on Blu-ray combo pack and DVD. With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Big Hero 6 is an action-packed comedy adventure that introduces Baymax, a lovable, personal companion robot, who forms a special bond with robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to Baymax and his diverse group of friends -- adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred -- who transform into a band of unlikely heroes.
Directed by Don Hall (The Emperor’s New Groove, The Princess and the Frog) and Chris Williams (Bolt, The Emperor’s New Groove), Big Hero 6 was produced by Roy Conli (Tangled, The Hunchback of Notre Dame). The screenplay was written by Jordan Roberts (March of the Penguins), Daniel Gerson (Monsters University) and Robert L. Baird (Monsters University).
Voice talent includes Ryan Potter (Save the Date) as Hiro Himada, Scott Adsit (30 Rock) as Baymax, Jamie Chung (Once Upon A Time) as Go Go Tomago, Damon Wayans, Jr. (Let’s Be Cops, New Girl) as Wasabi, Genesis Rodriguez (Identity Theft) as Honey Lemon, T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley) as Fred, Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids) as Aunt Cass, James Cromwell (The Green Mile) as Professor Robert Callaghan, Alan Tudyk (Suburgatory) as Alistair Krei and Daniel Henney (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as Tadashi Hamada.
The Blu-ray features 1080p video and a lossless 5.1 soundtrack, along with deleted scenes and whole bunch of other goodies including “The Origin Story of Big Hero 6: Hiro's Journey,” hosted by Jamie Chung, voice of Go Go Tomago, the “Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind the Characters” featurette, and the Blu-ray exclusive, “Big Hero Secrets,” containing Easter Eggs galore. Also included is the theatrical short Feast, directed by Patrick Osborne and produced by Kristina Reed.
Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse (2015)
Blu-ray Combo Pack ($34.98) and DVD ($29.98) available from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Fans will embark on an all new adventure featuring Ben Kingsley as the voice of Drago the Dragon in Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer’s Curse. Renowned producer Raffaella De Laurentiis returns with a brand-new installment of the legendary fantasy franchise that has delighted audiences worldwide. Packed with non-stop excitement and mind-blowing special effects, the Blu-ray and DVD showcase a special behind-the-scenes featurette taking fans deeper into the thrilling journey.
In Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer’s Curse, aspiring knight Gareth goes in search of a fallen comet rumored to contain gold and is shocked to instead find the dragon Drago. After Drago saves Gareth’s life the two become intricately bonded, and must work together to defeat an evil sorcerer and stop his reign of terror. Along the way, Gareth learns the true meaning of being a knight in this action adventure for the ages.
Directed by Colin Teague and written by Matthew Feitshans, Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse stars Ben Kingsley, Julian Morris, Tazmin Merchant and Jonjo O’Neill. The Blu-ray Combo Pack includes “Bringing Drago to Life,” a behind-the-scenes featurette with Ben Kingsley.
My Little Pony-Friendship Is Magic: Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders (2015)
DVD ($14.97) available from Shout! Factory Kids in collaboration with Hasbro Studios.
Everypony is unique! If you lived in Equestria, what would your Cutie Mark be? The Cutie Mark Crusaders can help you find out! My Little Pony – Friendship Is Magic: Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders is now available on DVD. In Equestria, obtaining a Cutie Mark is an important coming-of-age moment for a young Pony. After all, Ponies acquire their Cutie Marks only after they discover a unique characteristic about themselves, setting them apart from all other Ponies. So when Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom meet, they instantly become friends and make it their mission to find their CUTIE MARKS! They are The Cutie Mark Crusaders!
My Little Pony – Friendship Is Magic: Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusader episodes include “The Cutie Mark Chronicles,” “The Cutie Pox,” “Flight to the Finish,” “Pinkie Pride,” and “Twilight Time.”
For even more Pony fun, PlayDate Digital has announced the new Cutie Pox Storybook App. When Apple Bloom becomes impatient waiting for her cutie mark, she decides to take things into her own hooves! In this interactive story book, follow Apple Bloom and the fillies as they learn that taking the easy path toward your goals isn’t always the best way. Enter the world of Equestria in this storybook adventure full of excitement, humor and friendship!
Tiger & Bunny The Movie: The Rising (2015)
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack ($29.99) and DVD ($19.98) available from VIZ Media.
The heroes of Tiger & Bunny are back in an all-new feature-length film. Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, a.k.a. Wild Tiger, and Barnaby Brooks Jr.'s partnership comes to a sudden end when Apollon Media's new owner Mark Schneider fires Kotetsu and moves Barnaby back into the First League, paring him up with Golden Ryan, a new hero with awesome powers and a huge ego to match. When the heroes are sent to investigate a string of strange incidents tied closely to the city's Goddess Legend, they discover three super-powered NEXTs are plotting to bring terror and destruction to Stern Bild.
Inspired by the hit anime and bestselling graphic novel series about the adventures of a pair of corporately sponsored superheroes, the full-length animated film release also contains a variety of bonus features. The standard DVD edition and Blu-ray Combo Pack both include official theatrical trailers and promotional videos as well as exciting footage from the film’s San Francisco premiere event, a Tiger & Bunny TV series special digest, and clean opening and closing segments. Bonus features available exclusively on the Blu-ray Combo Pack edition include specialty print foil O-card, an insightful interview with producer Kazuhiko Tamura, a video production art gallery, a Hero Weekly Countdown, and a compilation of Tiger & Bunny commercials. English dubbed as well as subtitled dialogue options are available on both formats.
Watership Down (1978)
Blu-ray (39.95) and DVD ($29.95) available from the Criterion Collection.
With this passion project, screenwriter-producer-director Martin Rosen brilliantly achieved what was thought difficult, if not impossible: A faithful big-screen adaptation of Richard Adams's classic British dystopian novel about a community of rabbits seeking safety and happiness after their warren comes under terrible threat.
With its naturalistic hand-drawn animation, dreamily expressionistic touches, gorgeously bucolic background design, and elegant voice work from such superb English actors as John Hurt, Ralph Richardson, Richard Briers and Denholm Elliott, Watership Down is an emotionally arresting, dark-toned allegory about freedom amid political turmoil.
This new release features a high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Bonus features include a new interview with Rosen; a new appreciation of the film by director Guillermo del Toro; picture-in-picture storyboard for the entire film (Blu-ray); four film-to-storyboard scene comparisons (DVD); “Defining a Style,” a 2008 featurette about the film's aesthetic; trailer; and an essay by comic book writer Gerard Jones.
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
