BLU-RAY REVIEW

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs 4K Ultra HD

Featured In Issue 269, September/October 2023

Picture5
Sound4
WSR Score5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
241077
(MPAA Rating):
G
(Rating Reason):
(Retail Price):
$d
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-66)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
(Running Time In Minutes):
83
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
ABC
(Theatrical Year):
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
10/10/2023
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
(Director):
David Hand
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(Subtitles):

"Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs" is the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first ever animated feature. The beautiful and kindhearted princess Snow White charms every creature in the kingdom except one –– her jealous stepmother, the Queen. When the Magic Mirror proclaims Snow White is the fairest one of all, she must flee into the forest, where she befriends the lovable seven dwarfs –– Doc, Sneezy, Grumpy, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy and Dopey. But when the Queen tricks Snow White with an enchanted apple, only the magic of true love's kiss can save her! (Gary Reber)

The 2.39:1 2160p HEVC/H.265 4K Ultra HD HDR10 picture, reviewed on a VIZIO Quantum X P85QX-JI UHD/HDR display, was hand-animated and is presented as a restored and remastered 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. The meticulous restoration used new scans of the original nitrate negative and with the creative input of Disney Animation experts Eric Goldberg (one of the modern masters of Disney animation) and Michael Giaimo (production designer of Wish, Frozen, Frozen 2 and Pocahontas).

The picture is absolutely gorgeous. The grain field is tight. The hand-drawn animation is amazing with sharp lines between which is an amazing palette in bold Technicolor. Colors exhibit saturated richness and warmth. Color depth is wonderful. Primaries are prominent as well as saturated pastels, Reds, browns, greens and earth tones are beautiful. Facial tones are consistent throughout, HDR contrast is superb with deep, solid inky blacks, solid shadows of the characters, and pure whites, such as the Prince's horse and Snow Whites garment. Sharpness and clarity abound. Detail is excellent as related to the line edges and textures, especially in the dwarf's cottage. This is an amazing cinematic animated feature by Walt Disney and team that will be cherished by the entire family. This is a true classic and the best presentation ever. this is a handcrafted animated masterpiece that is definitely a collectable. (Gary Reber)

The repurposed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1-channel soundtrack is derived from the original RCA Sound Recording. Unfortunately, the Disney Studio did not include a restored version of the film's original monaural soundtrack, which would have enabled fans to be able to hear Snow White as it was first heard. The DTS rendering reveals that the sonics are dated and boxy sounding but still absolutely captivating. Atmospherics are limited but sound effects are perfectly executed. Foley sound effects are in perfect sync with the character movements. The scene with the dwarfs racing to save Snow White and the background of thunder and rain is a highlight of the dated and compressed dynamics supported with strong bass response. The orchestral score is prominent, often with a very staccato presence. The songs and singing are classic. ADR dialogue is clear and intelligible throughout with impressive spatial integration. This is such an enjoyable soundtrack that is supported with surround extension that fills the soundfield. (Gary Reber)