The Muppet Movie (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)OK to clear up some confusion about the latest incarnation of "The Muppet Movie" this edition is celebrating the fact that Kermit always a bit green around the gills is 50 years old. That said I'm completely unimpressed with this edition of a classic family movie. I'll get to the reasons why in just a bit in the meantime here's a recap of the plot for those of you who have forgotten what its about.
Discovered by a big time agent (Dom DeLuise) playing his banjo among the reeds and lilly pads, Kermit (Jim Henson) moves to Hollywood for fame and fortune. Along the way he hooks up with Miss Piggy (Frank Oz), Fozzie Bear (Frank Oz) and other Muppets who are looking for their road to the big time. Kermit is pursued by Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) who wants to open a chain of fast food frog leg restaurants. He hopes to make Kermit his company mascot. Along the way Kermit and his friends meet a who's who of Hollywood's funniest comedians along the way. Featuring a who's who list of top notch celebrity talent including Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahnm Richard Pryor, Edgar Bergen, Steve Martin and others, "The Muppet Movie" provided the early template for family films that could also be adult friendly as well.
With bright vivid colors "The Muppet Movie" looks solid in this DVD transfer but the film could have used a bit of restoration. Image clarity and sharpness are not what they could have been as well with an occasional softness that surprised me. Granted, this edition looks better than the Tri-Star release of four years ago but the film really needs to be carefully restored improving the overall image and sound quality. The 5.1 Dolby Digital mix presents dialogue with nice clarity but the music score and just about everything else in the movie's soundtrack comes across sounding tightly compressed. Again, an overall disappointment even when compared to the previous edition of this movie from four years ago.
I would have thought that a great movie would deserve great extras. Instead, the best extra from the previous edition (Frawley's test footage) is missing from this edition. Instead of that we get an underwhelming five minute featurette about Kermit. It's a waste of money and space on the DVD. We also get the usual assortment of Disney previews at the beginning although you can skip them. A note to Disney--including a full screen version of the same movie no longer counts as a special feature
About the only good thing about this DVD release are the chapters placed throughout the film. It makes navigating to a particular scene pretty easy overall but that's not saying much in an age where "The Wizard of Oz" gets a deluxe three DVD edition or even the recent "War of the Worlds" a two disc edition. Honestly, it feels like Disney blew it here. I'm not sure they knew what they wanted to put on the disc and this smells suspiciously like a double dip down the line. Considering the deluxe treatment that Disney recently gave "The Muppet Show" on DVD, I'm really surprised at how shabbily they treated this classic film.
A classic that receives truly pedestrian treatment, I'd recommend waiting to see if a deluxe edition of this film is coming out before buying. If you don't have the very good previous edition of this film on DVD and feel you must have it now by all means feel free to pick it up. I have the distinct feeling you'll be kicking yourself later however and suggest renting and then taking a wait and see attitude about buying this feeble "Special Edition". Man talk about being green, watching the treatment this classic received on DVD made me sick to my stomach.

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The Muppet Show - The Complete Third Season Review

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(More customer reviews)"My six-year-old loves the jokes, and runs around the house singing the songs!"
In line at Best Buy, that's what the mom behind me was saying this morning, still half in disbelief that she was buying yet another season of these 30-year-old TV programs. And to me, that one sentence sums it all up. "The Muppet Show" offers comedy that appeals to all ages -- most episodes include MuppetLabs, Pigs in Space, Swedish Chef or other recurring skits -- as well as wonderful old ditties and show tunes that are themselves often staged with a sly sense of humor.
This third season is perhaps the best of all. Digitally remastered like those on the earlier Season One and Season Two sets, these 24 shows from 1978-1979 are the Muppets at their peak. Hosts include a broad range of personalities, from rocker Alice Cooper to Irish comedian Spike Milligan.
And good news for music lovers: unlike Season Two, this set includes its song lyrics in its captioning!
Here's the complete line-up:
EPISODE 1: Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. Nothing dated here except the blow-dried hair of Kristofferson, who can't keep a straight face as he serenades Miss Piggy with "Help Me Make It Through the Night." Coolidge sings "We're All Alone." When Sam the Eagle adds commentary to Rowlf's "A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go," his insights include "This shows us that there was indeed a time when frogs went 'woo.'" Fozzie and Rowlf do a rousing version of "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life for Me)."
EPISODE 2: Leo Sayer. Has Kermit got a new girlfriend? Piggy thinks so, after starlet pig Annie Sue shows up. Meanwhile, the very-70s Sayer boogies down with a human-sized peacock as he sings "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing." Other songs: "The Show Must Go On," "When I Need You."
EPISODE 3: Roy Clark. With silk shirts and very wide lapels, the country star declares he feels like he's "back on the farm." Ah, the 70s. Songs include the bouncy "Sally Was a Good Ol' Girl" and the oh-so-serious "Yesterday When I Was Young." In skits, the Swedish Chef gets attacked by a pile of living dough, while the Pigs in Space helplessly bounce up and down after Dr. Strangepork fixes the Swinetrek with toaster parts.
EPISODE 4: Gilda Radner. Terrific! A 7-foot-tall talking carrot (with an attitude!) joins Radner in a medley of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General" and other selections from "The Pirates of Penzance." Stuck to Beaker with MuppetLabs super glue, Radner attempts "Tap Your Troubles Away" from "Mack & Mabel." Muppet numbers include a terrific version of "Lullaby of Broadway." Confusing the word "Muppets" with "muffins," Emily Litella opens the show.
EPISODE 5: Pearl Bailey. The host does a great job with "In the Good Old Summertime" and a medley of show tunes including "Hello, Dolly!," "Anything You Can Do" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." In skits, Dr. Honeydew invents Edible Paperclips, while the Pigs in Space turn into food when their Swinetrek passes through a field of Snacko Waves.
EPISODE 6: Jean Stapleton. Annie Sue leads the pigs in the rowdy 1917 Brazilian classic "Tico-Tico no Fubá" ("tico tico tico clock!") and joins Rowlf for the 19th-century ditty "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow." Best known as Edith from "All in the Family," the host sings "I'm Just Wild About Harry," joins Fozzie for Irving Berlin's 1914 standard, "Play a Simple Melody" and shocks Sam with the news that the Swedish Chef doesn't speak real Swedish.
EPISODE 7: Alice Cooper. Cheesy effects, silly makeup and bad lip-synching mar the host's supposedly serious productions of "Welcome to My Nightmare," "You and Me" and "School's Out." The worst show of the season.
EPISODE 8: Loretta Lynn. One of the few Muppet Shows that doesn't take place in the regular theater, this country-music show is set in a train station. Songs include "You're Lookin' at Country" (Loretta with Lubbock Lou and his Jughuggers) and "Sentimental Journey" (Gonzo).
EPISODE 9: Liberace. Chaos reigns when Gonzo tries to get his tap-dancing chickens into a Liberace spectacular. Also included: a Swedish Chef sketch that turns into an episode of Pigs in Space.
EPISODE 10: Marisa Berenson. The Swedish Chef makes the wedding cake as Miss Piggy and Kermit head to the altar. Of course things don't work out. A 1960s model turned actress ("Cabaret," "Barry Lyndon"), Berenson sings two songs.
EPISODE 11: Raquel Welch. Miss Piggy and Welch don identical low-cut gowns to perform "I Am Woman." Also features a good Swedish Chef skit about chicken in a basket.
EPISODE 12: James Coco. Not that memorable. The highlight: Coco sings Randy Newman's "Short People" with a group of tiny Muppets.
EPISODE 13: Helen Reddy. Miss Piggy sings "Stayin' Alive." Reddy and Kermit perform "You and Me Against the World." Reddy and Sopwith the Camel do "We'll Sing in the Sunshine."
EPISODE 14: Harry Belafonte. Of course there's "Day-O" (with a pig chorus), but Belafonte also performs a wonderful African song, "Turn the World Around," accompanied by Muppets wearing African masks.
EPISODE 15: Lesley Ann Warren. The Great Gonzo rides his motorcycle up a ramp into Statler and Waldorf's theater box. Warren performs a "Beasty and the Beaut" ballet with Doglion. Miss Piggy takes over the Swinetrek.
EPISODE 16: Danny Kaye. Some strange sights: The Swedish Chef with a human partner (Kaye, who refers to the chef as "Tom") and Statler and Waldorf out of their box (disgusted with the show, they head out to the back alley).
EPISODE 17: Spike Milligan. Note my byline and you'll understand why I love this one. It includes a group performance of "It's a Small World" on a set that bears a remarkable resemblance to a certain Disney attraction.
EPISODE 18: Leslie Uggams. A great guest appearance from Big Bird from Sesame Street. In one skit, it's love at first sight for Gonzo when Big Bird wanders onstage. "Wow! Perfection incarnate!" the chicken lover exclaims as he spots the giant feathered fellow. "Statuesque, yet still poultry in every sense!" There's also a funny MuppetLabs skit about fireproof paper.
EPISODE 19: Elke Sommer. One of the weaker episodes, this is another one that just doesn't age well. The one-time sex symbol performs "Animal Crackers in My Soup" and, dressed as Cleopatra, "Row, Row, Row."
EPISODE 20: Sylvester Stallone. Again not my favorite, but there is one memorable skit: in a gladiator sketch, Stallone and a full-size lion perform "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."
EPISODE 21: Roger Miller. Lots of music. Penguins on the Mayflower sing "Alabamy Bound," Miller joins some watermelons for "In the Summertime," Miller and a Whatnots trio do "Hat," Muppets in a pub perform "Down at the Old Bull and Bush," Rowlf plays "Pop Goes the Weasel" (and turns into a chicken) and Miller joins some Muppet chickens for a medley of "You Had a Do Wacka Do," "Dang Me," "My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died" and "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd."
EPISODE 22: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. A herd of cows goes mad for Fozzie's cow jokes in this cowboy-themed episode (Fozzie: "You cows are an udder delight!). Prairie dogs sing "Blue Skies," Roy and Dale perform "Skyball Paint," "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and a medley of "Hazy Mountains," "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Happy Trails."
EPISODE 23: Lynn Redgrave. Veering away from the variety-show format, this episode is a 25-minute Muppet production of "Robin Hood," with Kermit as Robin, Redgrave as Maid Marian, Fozzie as Little John and Gonzo as the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Town Crier declares "Five o'clock and all's well! Except that Maid Marian has been kidnapped, the Sheriff's up to no good, that dog is stealing the cheese, Kermit's mad at Piggy, and it's really only 4:30."
EPISODE 24: Cheryl Ladd. Skits include Miss Piggy and Ladd trashing their dressing room as they sing "I Enjoy Being a Girl." In "Pigs in Space," Dr. Strangepork invents a pill that makes pigs invisible.
Bonus features include "The Muppets on Puppets," a 60-minute documentary from 1968. Jim Henson, Rowlf the Dog and Muppet design chief Don Sahlin demonstrate how to build and operate a hand puppet and review the various types of puppets as well as the history of the art and its use of special effects. The DVD set also includes a new featurette, "The Making of The Muppets."
As before, the menu screens are live-action. On one, Miss Piggy advises you to "only watch the scenes with me. Trust me, some of the other stuff is just plain weird!"
On the front of the box, Fozzie's fur is not only very orange (more so than indicated on the image above), it's fuzzy.

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Wocka! Wocka! Wocka! The innovative variety show s sensational third season earned television s prestigious Peabody Award as well as an Emmy® Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Program. Featuring a sensational lineup of hilarious guest stars including Sylvester Stallone, Gilda Radner, Raquel Welch and Liberace Season Three is loaded with more Muppetational moments than any show in primetime history. Experience all 24 episodes from Season Three digitally re-mastered and restored in this special 4-disc DVD set. With hours of bonus features, including an all-new behind the scenes documentary, original Muppet commercials and much more, The Muppet Show: The Complete Third Season is unbeatable entertainment for the whole family.

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The Muppet Christmas Carol - Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)The five PLUS stars are for the MOVIE, not necessarily this 2005 DVD release . . . . (Now that I have seen the new DVD, I give it 3 1/2 or 4 stars. See explanation below.)
In Oct. 2002, Disney Home Video released its first DVD formatted THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL. The response was both pro and con. The response that was negative dealt with two primary issues:
(1) That the 2002 DVD was pan-and-scan (AKA "full screen" or "1.33:1") instead of widescreen, and, in fact, unlike many DVDs, did not even offer the viewer a choice between pan-and-scan and widescreen. For fans of the movie who prefer widescreen, this was a great disappointment!
(2) That the 2002 DVD for Region 2 and perhaps other regions also removed the "When Love Is Gone" song. Disney has not, to my knowledge, offered an explanation for the removal. I would guess that it was because the song is "sad" and someone at Disney probably decided that such a "sad" song did not belong on a DVD intended for children.
Thus, that 2002 DVD had TWO strikes against it as far as MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL purists were concerned. At the Amazon site for that earlier DVD, you can find more than 130 reviews, many of which express PROFOUND disappointment about the lack of widescreen and the missing song. (Note: Amazon has unaccountably merged those 2002 reviews with the 2005 reviews. Just got toward the end of the list to see the older reviews.)
Fast forward to 2005, just a couple of months ago. Disney announced a new release of this film--The Muppet Christmas Carol - Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition. Eager fans immediately assumed that this would be the long-awaited anamorphic widescreen version. However, various statements and press releases listed the movie as 1.33:1 or, in other words, pan-and-scan. When this was discovered, the fans HOWLED at what seemed like a betrayal and an absence of common-sense by the people at Disney. THEN, within a few days of the official announcement, Disney "back-peddled" and issued a new announcement that the first one was in error and that the 50th Anniversary version would be in BOTH pan-and-scan and widescreen. The ***SIGH*** of relief was like a wind that rushed across the globe!
But now comes the TRICKY PART that tries to answer your specific question. Some fans who have contacts within the industry or have means of mining the Internet, discovered that the CONTENT of the pan-and-scan and the widescreen versions that would be on the same disc would be different in that one would have the afore mentioned song and one would not. As mentioned HERE in these reviews for this new release, apparently the version to contain the song is the pan-and-scan version--which, if it's true--is a totally incomprehensible creative decision. (Why would the the version that was TRUE to the widescreen format be missing the song, thereby compromising that version?)
Right now, as a GIANT FAN of MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, who has longed for a widescreen DVD since the advent of DVD, I am hoping that there has been some miscommunication going on (for example, look above at the official aspect ratio listed in the Product Details. On today's date of Oct. 13, 2005, it's listed as 1.33:1, so the facts about this release seem to be unfortunately garbled!)
Incidentally, there exists a WIDESCREEN (though obviously not anamorphic) Laserdisc version of the film that INCLUDES the song "When Love Is Gone." I know because I own it . . . and it is among my most precious possessions!!
All we can do is wait until November 29 to find out what this new release will truly hold. I personally hope there will be an anamorphic widescreen version that also includes "When Love Is Gone."
ADDENDUM: Well, yesterday was November 29, 2005, and I picked up this DVD. There's good news, bad news, and some qualified good news. The anamorphic widescreen image far exceeds any previous video or DVD version. However, the rumours are TRUE that the widescreen does NOT include the wonderful song "When Love Is Gone," and that the fullscreen version DOES include it as "Extended with Deleted Scene." However, for the diehard, there is this awkward-but-workable compensation: The two versions are on the same side of the DVD, thus when the widescreen version comes to the point when the song should be sung, you can use your remote to go back to the menu, choose fullscreen, go to chapter 5, listen to the song, and then go back to widescreen to view the rest of this glorious Christmas movie. It is a BIG pain and an unfathomably poor decision by the suits at Disney!
Since a complete widescreen version obviously does exist in the Disney archives (the Laserdisc version in the mid 90s was both widescreen AND complete), one can only wonder how and why Disney made this very insensitive and unprofessional decision!
Neverthless, FINALLY having MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL in anamorphic widescreen is definitely a plus. Being able to see all the Muppet antics clear to the sides of the screen is a pure joy, and not being forced to watch tastelessly SQUISHED images is a tremendous relief! Also, this disk is the best resolution (though not perfect) that has ever been available in any home media format, and the Dolby Digital sound is quite acceptable.
Since this is likely to be the last DVD version of this movie for quite some time, we should (1) continue to ponder Disney's callous obliviousness and its clear childish stubbornness to do what's right, while (2) counting our blessings that at least we are nonetheless PART way to the ideal MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL DVD.
Talk about MIXED emotions! I think that one problem is that nobody at Disney is clear that the film is a true work of art, instead of "just a movie stamped out for kids." I think nobody there realizes that the film deserves far more respect than the grudging, lackluster, shoddy efforts they have so far foisted on the public. I am very pleased to see the many astute reviewers for this new edition over and again make this point exceedingly clear! THE WORST OF IT IS THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!
BTW, on November 29, 2005, Garan Grey posted a review mentioning several EXCELLENT points underscoring Disney's faulty decision-making--especially about the lackluster special features, recycled menu design, and so forth, in what is supposed to be a very special "special edtion"! However, this reviewer says: "By the way, it seems that the "widescreen" version is just matted down from the full 35mm 1.33 frame, so the fullscreen version is not missing any of the picture." In point of fact, ALL pan&scan versions that I have seen (INCLUDING the pan&scan on this very disc) SQUISHES the titles, cuts Muppets off the sides of the movie, and even sometimes squishes scenes so the characters look tall and skinny. Which is WHY I have been waiting for the widescreen for years! In general, I'd say that Garan Grey is definitely incorrect on this point.

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'Tis the season for love, laughter, and one of the most cherished stories of all time! Join Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and all the hilarious Muppets in this merry, magical version of Charles Dickens' classic tale. Academy Award(R) winner Michael Caine (Best Supporting Actor, 2000, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES; 1987, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS) gives a performance that's anything but "bah, humbug!" as greedy, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge. One fateful Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Together with kind, humble Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) and his family, the Spirits open Scrooge's eyes -- and his heart -- to the true meaning of Christmas. Filled with original music and dazzling special effects, this restored and remastered 50th Anniversary Edition of THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL will become a holiday tradition your family will treasure all the days of the year.~~(C) The Muppets Holding Company, LLC and BVHE. MUPPETS characters and elements are trademarks of The Muppets Holding Company. All Rights Reserved.~

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Dinosaurs - The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons (1991) Review

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(More customer reviews)In my opinion, the final episode of "Dinosaurs", entitled "Changing Nature", is the best final episode of ANY series ever shown on television. It gives its own comedic and touching version of why the Dinosaurs became extinct, and it has an obvious relevance to the current environmental situation. Unfortunately, it appears as if the episodes are presented on the DVD not in production order, but in release order. In other words, there are several originally unaired episodes which are presented on the disc after "Changing Nature". If you buy this set, which I heartily recommend, do yourself a favor and watch "Changing Nature" last.

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They're huge. They’re pre-hysterical. The Sinclairs are back in their final two seasons of Earth-shaking fun as they face the challenges of everyday life in sixty million and three BC. Baby turns two – and into a total terror. Daddy Earl confronts his "diaperphobia." Charlene’s theory that the world is round lands her in scholastic hot water. Robbie deals with overwhelming pubescent urges, and in the final controversial episode, the family’s jumpin' Jurassic lifestyle gets the big chill. The brainosauraus of Jim Henson, the award-winning comedy series brings state-of-the-art puppetry and audioanimatronics to the screen -- and a whole new meaning to the words "family fun." Add Seasons 3 and 4 to your collection of evolutionary entertainment – and get ready to rock your funny bones. Includes featurette "I'm the Baby, Gotta Love Me," with music video located at the end of episode five.

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Labyrinth (1986) Review

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(More customer reviews)In the early 80's Jim Henson created one of the most ambitious fantasy films ever: The Dark Crystal. It was a movie that had a completely realized world with its own creatures and flora... and it was performed entirely by puppets. Not the Muppet kind that Henson is famous for, mind you. These were serious creations that involved serious innovations in animatronics. While many loved the movie and it was critically acclaimed many others didn't "get it". There was no human interaction in the movie whatsoever and that put off people. Also the movie was serious with none of that Muppet mayhem Henson fans are so used to. That put off a few more people.
The next evolutionary step in Jim's grand scheme of fantasy puppetry was Labyrinth, and they filled in the gaps that The Dark Crystal left for those who couldn't (or wouldn't) "get" the concept of a fully realized fantasy setting that is outside of our own. How does he do it? Let me tell you...
Step One - Human actors. Labyrinth included the young, yet already talented Jennifer Connelly as their heroine and well-established musician and actor David Bowie as her nemesis. Now you get the fun of a complete puppet world while at the same time you have human characters that interact in that same environment. Thus giving the viewer a better connection to the puppet characters.
Step Two - Better puppets. The Dark Crystal is a masterpiece in of itself, however the technology used to animate the puppets was in its infancy and if you had to be picky about it you can pick away at the limitations of the puppets in that movie. With Labyrinth you get updated technology, which gives you puppets who can show emotions better. Case in point is the goblin Hoggle, who is the starring puppet. So much attention to detail went into his facial expressions that you can actually see the fear, disgust, anger, and joy in his eyes. Add to that other puppetry innovations and you have a world of cool puppets.
Step Three - Keep it fun. The Dark Crystal was a grandiose and serious film that included some funny moments now and then. Labyrinth is the opposite. Is a fun film where the characters meet up with unexpected and often times crazy situations. Makes this fantasy adventure feel more comical in the same way it would reading a fun bedtime story.
Step Four - Keep the original concept. Jim Henson did The Dark Crystal with the thought that he wanted to create a whole different world inhabited by beings and creatures portrayed entirely by puppets. Labyrinth is essentially the same thing, but done in a different way. Walking through the movie's namesake (the maze that leads to the goblin city) is definitely like being in another world that's both fascinating and fun. Much of what you see is visually impressive and essentially relish in the fact your eyes can play tricks on you. Brian Froud is again signed on as the conceptual designer and his work shines just as well in this iteration as it did with Dark Crystal.
Labyrinth also has the destinction of having songs specially written for the movie by David Bowie. Keep in mind this movie was in the 80's so what you get is 80's Bowie, and there are a couple scenes that flow more like music videos (or musical numbers) than standard scenes.
You might get the impression I am dogging on Dark Crystal in order to lift up Labyrinth. Can't be farther from the truth. However I do know the differences between the two films and how the other was made in response to the first. Labyrinth is the folk tale while Dark Crystal is the fantasy book. I believe both are fantastic movies.
The original DVD for Labyrinth was a good compilation right from the start, and was superseded with the Anniversary Edition having remastered visuals and a couple new featurettes. Now we have the movie on Blu-Ray, and boy I thought the Anniversay Edition looked good. I was worried when this movie went high definition that a lot of the original film grain was going to be lost in the digital cleaning that's popular with some companies with older films. Luckily what you end up with is the best looking picture to date. I'm not going to say this movie is presented in supersharp crystal clarity, but then again that would ruin it. The movie look as true to the original theatrical release as you can get. Details really pop out without looking antiseptic. Visually the Blu-Ray does breath new life into this classic. The extras are pretty much identical to what was offered on the Anniversary Edition with one exception. Here's what you get:
Documentary Making of the Labyrinth - Has interviews with actors, puppet performers and production staff including Jim Henson, Brian Henson, David Bowie (who gives us some insight on his character) and Jennifer Connelly as well as lots of details on design and production of the movie. This documentary is a gem for those of you want solid behind-the-scenes details and was in the original DVD and is included on the Anniversary Edition.
Journey Through the Labyrinth: Kingdom of Characters and The Quest for Golden City - These two featurettes from the Anniversary Edition include updated interviews with the cast and crew and never before seen footage from the Jim Henson archives. Kingdom of Characters focuses on... you guessed it... the main characters in the movie including conceptual design for the puppets (although Hoggle seems to be mostly left out, likely because there is so much of him in the original documentary) and background info on the actors. The Quest for the Golden City is mostly design details on the labyrinth, Goblin City and castle itself. These featurettes do well to fill in the gaps left by the original documentary. The extra footage is test footage of the puppets and such, with some production footage as well. I noticed some of the production footage was a rehash of what's on Making of the Labyrinth, but the crosstalk is few and far between.
The Storytellers Picture-in-Picture: This is the Blu-Ray exclusive featurette. When you turn it on while watching the movie occasionally a window pops up with an interview with one of the crew members speaking some interesting anecdote about the film. There isn't a whole lot of these that pop up in the movie, but when they do you get some rather interesting and entertaining production and behind the scenes information. Hearing about the casting call for the Helping Hands scene and the interview with Warwick Davis are alone worth checking out the feature.
Commentary by Brian Froud
You also get Dolby True HD Surround in English, French, Portugese with a Dolby Digigal Spanish track (how many movies have a Portugese dub?) with subtitles in all. Kind of strange they left out the Japanese audio that the Anniversary Edition had. I recall hearing improvements from the previous release's Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, but nothing groundbreaking.
Every release of Labyrinth has been impressive from the very first DVD, and with each new release it gets even better. So is it worth the double/triple dip? Well just like how the Anniversary Edition gave you a better picture with more extras the Blu-Ray ups the ante. I say if you want to enjoy this movie in the best way visually then yes. The new extras are nice, but to be honest as long as they original making of documentary is in there everything else will always come in second.
Labyrinth is a wonderful movie for all ages. The visuals will impress and the hijinks will entertain. If you are a Muppet fan this movie will be much more accessable than the Dark Crystal, and if you like The Storyteller then you have abolustely no choice but to get this (it's like a full length Storyteller movie sans John Hurt).

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LABYRINTH - DVD Movie

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