Cinderella (DVD, 2005, 2-Disc Set, Special Edition - DVD Platinum Collection)

The most celebrated of all the Disney classics, CINDERELLA, is also known as one of Walt Disney's all-time favorite films. CINDERELLA has enchanted generations with its spellbinding story, charming music, and endearing characters that live in your heart forever. The beloved fairy tale becomes pure Disney magic as beautiful Cinderella shares her dreams of romance and a better life with the lovable mice Gus and Jaq. When Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, the delightful Fairy Godmother appears! With a wave of her wondrous wand and a bouncy "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,&quo​t; the Fairy Godmother transforms a simple pumpkin into a magical coach -- and Cinderella's rags into a gorgeous gown. At the ball, Cinderella falls in love with Prince Charming, but must flee before the stroke of midnight breaks the spell! Now with an all-new digital restoration, Disney's Enhanced Home Theater Mix, and all-new games and music videos, this 2-Disc Special Edition of Cinderella is the perfect fit for everyone who believes dreams really do come true. Also available on Video.

Cinderella is a 1950 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based on the fairy tale "Cendrillon" by Charles Perrault. Twelfth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film had a limited release on February 15, 1950 by RKO Radio Pictures. Directing credits go to Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wilfred Jackson. Songs were written by Mack David, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman. Songs in the film include "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"​;, "So This Is Love", "Sing Sweet Nightingale", "The Work Song", and "Cinderella."

The film received three Academy Award nominations for Best Sound, Original Music Score and Best Song for "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"​;.

The newest release in Disney's "Platinum Edition" series is the 1951 film "Cinderella". Just about everyone knows the story (nice girl stuck with evil stepmother and stepsisters, Royal ball, fairy godmother, and so on) so I won't waste your time rehashing it but I will say that the Disney writers have put a few unexpected and welcome twists on this familliar tale. Visually it has great animation, beautiful backgrounds and some great special effects animation (remember this was produced in the time before computers and all of the shadows, magic sparkles and bubbles [yes, bubbles] were hand-drawn. The voice performances are good with standout performances by Ilene Woods as Cinderella, Eleanor Audley as the Stepmother, and Verna Felton as the Fairy Godmother. The second disc has a lot of bonus features that I have not looked at yet. By this time you're probably asking, "if it's so great why did you rate it only 4 out of 5?" One word, "mice". They're annoying. They play a key role in the story but that virtue is almost lost due to how overly cute they are portrayed. This DVD will be a welcome addition to your collection.

This authentic Disney DVD came packaged new. All of the booklets and original packaging were intact with both discs present (it is a two disc set). The discs have no skips or scratches. The price was excellent. We have not encountered any cons to this product. My three year old daughter watches it over and over, and there have been no malfunctions. When our daughter asked for a Cinderella movie for Christmas, we wanted the platinum two disc special edition so that she could get the most out of the movie. We are very satisfied with this decision and have recommended this edition to several of her friends' parents already.

The story is so well known, if fact, that any story about an underdog coming from behind and winning is called a Cinderella story. Disney's job here was to make the story entertaining for 75 minutes. The solution here was creating the animals. Mice Jaq and Gus and their constant struggle against the evil cat Lucifer is funny and tying this sub-plot to the ultimate outcome is brilliant. The other standout character is the stepmother who is frighteningly evil with no super powers.

As with any Disney movie, this one also has great songs. Arguably the best known is "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.&quo​t; Right behind it is "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." My favorite, however, is the often overlooked love song "So This is Love."

Also on disc two are the bonus features adult fans of this movie will want to watch. There are two "deleted scenes," which are really abandoned songs with the storyboards created for them. In edition there are more abandoned songs with no storyboards on here. It's pretty interesting watching how various ideas went from one form to another before finally making it into the movie. Other extras include a thirty-eight minute documentary about the creation of the show, including achieved interviews with the animators behind the show. We are also treated to an overview of how the movie progressed over the years it was in development, a tribute to the "Nine Old Men," Disney's "Laugh-O-Gram" version of the story from 1922, and radio promotion from the time.

This is definitely a DVD you'll want to pick up and add to your collection!