Peter Pan - Signature Collection

There are few things stronger than the Disney Movie Vault. Unlike a lot of other studios that have no problem keeping physical media releases in print, Disney has a very clear and deliberate strategy. The physical media gets released and stays out for a bit, then Disney pulls it out of print; wait a few years, rinse and repeat. As a result, if you want a Disney flick on physical media, be prepared to pay full price, because this thing is never ending up in the bargain bin. The latest to get the re-release treatment is the 1953 animated classic "Peter Pan."

Based on J.M. Barrie's original play, the boy who wouldn't grow up gets the Disney treatment. The film follows Peter as he meets the Darling children, Wendy, John, and Michael, and takes them on an adventure that will change their lives. With a sprinkling of fairy dust and their best happy thoughts, Peter and his loyal companion Tinker Bell take the kids to Neverland, where they team up with a rag tag group, The Lost Boys, to take on the nefarious Captain Hook.

Let's get one thing out of the way from the jump: This is not the first time that Disney has released "Peter Pan" on Blu-ray. Back when Disney was naming all of their releases after gemstones (in the distant year of 2013), "Peter Pan" hit Blu-ray in the form of the Diamond Edition. For all intents and purposes this is basically the same version, with a little extra sprinkled on top. So, if you are of the opinion that the removal of grain from the film is a step backwards, you aren't going to be happy this time either. Sure, the colors are brighter and the high definition quality is pretty cool to see, but it feels a bit too polished and nearly washed out. It's a minor quibble that I'm sure those in the film community will continue to bang the drum about ad infinitum, because I don't think Disney intends to change the way it restores their old animated titles.

This release boasts over two hours of special features, and that's not a lie per se, but it is a bit disingenuous. The great majority of the special features are carryovers from the Diamond Edition. To round out the Signature Collection, Disney adds in a few different versions of songs in the film and some that were deleted (yawn). The feature Stories from Walt's Office: Walt & Flight is mostly fluff, but the other feature, A "Darling" Conversation with Wendy & John, is pretty cool, although it makes it painfully obvious just how old this movie is.

Overall, if you have yet to get "Peter Pan" on Blu-ray and aren't bothered by the way that Disney restores their classic animated features, go out and add this to your collection. Otherwise, this is basically just another Disney double dip.

"Peter Pan"
Blu-ray
$24.99
https://movies.disney.com/