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Blu-Ray : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
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Release Date: June 25th, 2019 Movie Release Year: 1950

Cinderella (1950): The Signature Collection

Overview -

Fueled by classic Disney storytelling, Cinderella remains a magical animated fairy tale beautifully realized through gorgeous animation and charming simplicity. This new Signature Collection Blu-ray ports over the same great 1080p video transfer and DTS-HD MA audio mix found on the previous Diamond Edition, along with most of the old supplements. Likewise, the studio has added a pair of new special features, including a worthwhile PiP commentary experience. Though it's disappointing that fans don't get a new 4K HDR option, this disc remains Highly Recommended for viewers who don't already own the previous Blu-ray release. 

Everyone orders Cinderella around: her cruel stepmother, her awful stepsisters - even the big clock in the church tower tells her when to start another day of drudgery. But they can't stop her from dreaming, and Cinderella has faith that someday her wishes will come true. When an invitation to the royal ball arrives, Cinderella is sure her time has come - until her stepsisters, with the encouragement of Lady Tremaine, tear her gown to shreds. Just when Cinderella believes all is lost, her Fairy Godmother appears, and with a wave of her wand and 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,' transforms an ordinary pumpkin into a magnificent coach and Cinderella's rags into a gorgeous gown, then sends her off to the Royal Ball. But Cinderella's enchanted evening must end when the spell is broken at midnight. It will take the help of her daring animal mice friends and a perfect fit into a glass slipper to create the ultimate fairy tale ending.

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Blu ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
74
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.37:1
Audio Formats:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Original Theater Mix
Subtitles/Captions:
English, French, Spanish
Special Features:
NEW In Walt’s Words: Enhanced Edition – Watch the movie and gain some insight into its production with storyboards, archival photos, sketches and transcripts.
Release Date:
June 25th, 2019

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

Even after nearly seventy years, Cinderella remains a beautiful example of family entertainment, weaving a timeless story about pumpkin carriages and glass slippers. Serving as one of the most popular versions of the classic fairy tale, the film brings trademark Disney artistry to the story of a sweet young woman who is unfairly tormented by her cruel step mother and step sisters. But with the help of her fairy godmother and some special magic words, she is given a chance to escape her plight and live happily ever after. While the narrative might be one of Disney's most simplistic, the minimalist plot is infused with just the right amount of charm and whimsy, using wonderful animation and memorable music to engender an absolutely enchanting experience.

For a more in-depth take on the film, CLICK HERE to read our original review of the Diamond Edition Blu-ray.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Disney presents Cinderella: The Signature Collection in a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo pack housed in a keepcase with a cardboard slipcover. The film is featured on a BD-50 disc as well as a standard DVD. An insert with instruction for a Movies Anywhere digital copy is included as well. After some skippable trailers, the disc transition to a main menu screen. The packaging indicates that the release is Region A, B, and C coded.

Video Review

Ranking:

For this new Signature Collection Blu-ray, the movie is once again provided with a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer in the 1.33:1 aspect ration. For all intents and purposes, this appears to be the same transfer found on the previous Diamond Edition release, and it remains simply beautiful. CLICK HERE to read our full thoughts on the video from our original review. 

Audio Review

Ranking:

The movie uses the same English DTS-HD MA 7.1 and DTS-HD MA 1.0 tracks found on the previous Diamond Edition release. CLICK HERE to read our full thoughts on the audio from that review.

Special Features

Ranking:

Retaining most of the supplements found on the previous Diamond Edition release, this Signature Collection version of Cinderella also adds a pair of new special features. With that said, there are a few extras from the Diamond Edition that have sadly not been ported over here, including the Classic Deleted Scenes, Unused Songs, Personalized Digital Storybook: Bibbidi-Bobbidi-You second screen experience, and the Tangled Ever After short. 

The new supplements are detailed below, and be sure to CLICK HERE for a full breakdown of all the old supplements from our original review.

  • In Walt's Words: The Envisioning of Cinderella (HD) – This is a PiP commentary experience that plays while watching the film. When toggled on, the movie is frequently placed in a smaller window while the rest of the screen showcases behind-the-scenes photos, storyboards, and sketches. Likewise, viewers are treated to a dramatic audio recreation of Walt Disney's pre-production meetings with various artists and writers about the film (edited from actual transcripts found in the Disney vaults). Though there's nothing particularly revelatory shared here, the experience does offer some solid insights into the classic Disney creative process. 
  • Try This Trivia On For Size (HD, 5 min) – This is a quick featurette hosted by Disney Channel stars Ruth Righi and Ava Kolker focused on a few bits of trivia related to the film, including tidbits about Cinderella's shoe size, Walt Disney's favorite scene, and other projects featuring the movie's voice actors. 

Final Thoughts

Cinderella remains a simple but charming fairy tale classic. While the film doesn't quite reach the masterpiece status that some of Disney's other efforts attain, it's still an exceptional and timeless piece of animated filmmaking. This new Signature Collection release features the same great video transfer and audio mix from the previous Diamond Edition disc. Likewise, most of the old supplements are carried over, and the studio has added a PiP commentary experience. With that said, the new supplements don't warrant a double dip for fans who already own the last Blu-ray, and it's a bit disappointing that Disney chose to release another HD disc rather than a new 4K HDR version. Still, for viewers who missed out on the Diamond Edition, this new Blu-ray is Highly Recommended.