It’s fitting that Disney’s selection to spearhead “The Signature Collection” on Blu-ray is none other than Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first-ever full-length animated film and arguably the most important animated film of all time. However, this isn’t Snow White or the Seven Dwarfs’ first dance on Blu-ray and sadly the law of diminishing return impact an upgrade’s necessity.
As a film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a timeless classic perfect in every single way. It is very much the foundation from which Walt Disney Studios and animation as a whole were built upon, and that will never change regardless of what comes down the pipe a year from now or 100 years into the future.
While Snow White demands endless viewings, owners of the previous Diamond Edition release will ponder whether this latest edition is worth an upgrade. In some respects, yes, depending on your personal viewing habits.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Signature Collection is a combo pack release that also includes the film on DVD, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere. This marks the inaugural appearance of the film on Digital HD so there’s a big plus for prospective owners who want to watch the Disney classic on a variety of mobile devices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgV33bB1gIA
The packaging art is rather simplistic compared to its Diamond Edition predecessor. Snow White and the Evil Queen appear back-to-back on a stark white background, a slightly more elegant presentation than the Diamond Edition’s busy collage of imagery. Whether this white theme carries forward in The Signature Collection remains to be seen.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Diamond Edition was jam packed with bonus features and each and every one of them has carried forward into The Signature Collection. Befitting a new edition are new bonus features, though they come up surprisingly short considering the legacy extras were already fantastic and covered all bases surrounding the film’s production and legacy.
Disney tries to tap into the millennials with two of the new bonus features, The Fairest Facts of Them All featuring a Disney Channel star and a rapper sounding incredibly out of place in Snow White in 70 Seconds. Notably none of the new extras — six in total — reach 10 minutes in length so there’s something to be said about Disney’s expectations for today’s younger viewing audiences.
There’s an added bonus for viewing the film on Disney Movies Anywhere as Disney is notorious for throwing exclusives on their streaming service and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Signature Collection is no different. Here you’ll find Hungry Hobos, a 1928 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short considered forever lost until discovered five years ago. This is the gem of the roughly 30 minutes of new extras, but you’ll have to dip into Disney Movies Anywhere to access it.
The top reason for double-dipping with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Signature Collection on Blu-ray is to finally nab a digital version of the film. Otherwise the new bonus features or packaging aren’t compelling enough to actively seek out an upgrade or second copy. However, if you don’t already own Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Blu-ray then this new release is a fantastic opportunity to pick it up at a reasonable price and enjoy the plethora of legacy extras as well as excellent high definition audio and video presentation.
