An American Tail
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Movie Reviews of An American Tail
Movie Review: Good Movie, But DVD Issue
Summary: 3 Stars
Although the theatrical aspect ratio of this movie was 1.85:1, while the DVD aspect ratio is 4:3, this is not a "Pan&Scan" DVD. In other words, almost none of the original theatrical image has been removed for exhibition on a 4:3 television screen. The film negative aspect ratio was 1.37:1 (almost 4:3), and for theatrical exhibition, the image was "matted" (partially covered from the top down and bottom up) to produce a 1.85:1 image. For exhibition on a 4:3 television screen, the "mattes" have simply been removed. So the DVD exhibition actually shows 25.9 percent more image than the theatrical exhibition. The movie was likely filmed this way so that the theatrical image wouldn't be butchered on television by the "Pan&Scan" process, and because the filmmakers didn't foresee the current state of the home video market, where consumers prefer movies presented in their theatrical aspect ratio, rather than in a ratio in which the image will fill up their 4:3 television screen (if there is a difference). This DVD presents the movie in the aspect ratio in which the filmmakers wanted people to see it on a 4:3 television, but it does not present the movie in the aspect ratio in which the filmmakers wanted people to see it in a movie theater (for that, the DVD would have to present the movie in a "matted widescreen" format). If you're okay with that, enjoy!Movie Review: The mouse review of an American Tail
Summary: 3 Stars
Great animation musical and great storyline but ok for the movie !Movie Review: When will they ever learn...
Summary: 1 Stars
I have waited a long time for An American Tail to be released on dvd and I was very discouraged when I finally found it in a movie store. I actually love the movie itself and give it 5 stars but I awarded it's dvd release 1 star for a particular reason. For some reason whoever makes the choice for the format of the movie has this blind man's perspective that "kid's" movies should be released in a standard 4:3 ratio. This company did the same with The Land Before Time as well. Universal did the same to a clever movie called Big Fat Liar. Standard format was originally invented on videotape movie releases because everyone who owned a TV back when marketing videos began owned a square almost equal lateral set. No other type of TV screen existed back then. Now a days HDTV and widescreen plasma monitors are the new standard and cope with it folks they are here to stay. I actually prefer the widescreen format. One reason is because that is exactly how it is supposed to look...panoramic, professional and sophisticated. If you saw a comparison of one frame of a movie (let's say from the opening scene of the Live action movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, there is an awesome panoramic view of Manhattan, NY with the World Trade Center, Empire State Building, Ect.)Take that same frame and view it in standard and it loses so much pizzazz and scenery that I can hardly call it the same movie. I read another review on this website about another movie and the author said it best. It's like trying to read a book with the last chapter torn out of it. Has anyone noticed the trend of commercials on TV having those black bars on the top and bottom of the screen? That is evidence that widescreen is here to stay. Has anyone ever watched a full frame 4:3 format movie on a widescreen TV? Didn't like it did you? The picture looked really crappy and distorted didn't it? I have heard there are ways to manipulate the settings on these screens to change a stretched out 4:3 movie to a normal 4:3 shape but then those evil black bars that everyone seems to hate so much come back but this time on the left and right sides of the screen! And after time on a plasma screen those evil black bars can cause permanent damage to that area of the screen. At any rate buy An American Tail on DVD, it is no different than the VHS copy your child has under the couch next to the moldy bologna sandwich in the living room but at least you can watch it on your dvd player instead of on a scratchy noisy VCR. Enjoy! This was a review written by a member of the Non-Existing Widescreen DVD Coalition. Ask Hollywood to bring Night Of The Comet to dvd and any other title you wish you had.
Movie Review: How NOT to release a great movie on DVD.
Summary: 1 Stars
How do you feel when you learn that one of your favorite films is to be released on DVD?
Of course, you feel very happy.
And what is your reaction when you finally got it? Well, there can be two:
1) This is great! A remastered version presented in widescreen! And all is just like I remember it, only better! And look at all those special features!
2) What... what is this?!
My reaction with An American Tail DVD was #2. Because what I got was a #2 job.
Here is a short and easy-to-follow guide for every studio out there, that is planning to release a movie on DVD:
1. Do not make unnecessary changes.
2. Do not make unnecessary edits.
3. If it was a theatrical feature, present it in widescreen.
Do you think Universal followed those easy steps?
Nope.
Here is an incomplete list of changes (without spoilers):
-New "humorous" sound effects were added to scenes where originally there weren't any. It's not funny.
-New voices were added to scenes without dialog (or any noise, for that matter).
-The alley mice's voices were re-dubbed. Why???
-The cover art was changes from a beautiful theatrical poster by Drew Struzan, only to be replaced with... something MUCH less appealing.
As I said, this small list of changes is incomplete. There is more.
It should be mentioned that there is also no widescreen. Enjoy your fullscreen! And do not forget to also enjoy the complete lack of any real special features to speak of!
An American Tail is a film that combines the talents of Steven Spielberg and Don Bluth. It was the first animated feature ever to out-compete Disney. It won several awards, including a Grammy for "best song". It was screened at the Jewish Film Festival in Atlanta in February 2011 to celebrate its 25 year anniversary. It was a film that grossed $84,000,000 worldwide (a record for animation at that time).
And THIS is how you treat such a film, Universal?! I cannot hear you, Universal!~!