Cinderella II: Dreams Come True

Intro

If you have small children, this DVD is made for you. The story and animation are not as good as the original (of course), but this disc is a great spin for the kids.

Synopsis

“Discover the magic that comes after “happily ever after” as CINDERELLA II continues the enchanting story of Cinderella. All of the dazzling fantasy and colorful characters from Disney’s original CINDERELLA return, including Cinderella, Prince Charming, the Fairy Godmother, Jaq and Gus, and the evil stepsi…ters. Featuring all-new songs, delightful animation, and wonder-filled stories that transport you into the magical fairy tale world of Cinderella that’s a royal delight!” – BVHE

Audio

It is so nice to see a straight-to-DVD animated release feature both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS audio tracks. And not only are both of these tracks included, they are both very good. The music is portrayed beautifully, and the soundstage is used very nicely for an animated film. The voices are all clear and focused nicely, and there is nice sound movement though out the film. Both the DTS and DD tracks contain decent base for an animated film, but the DTS contains a little deeper base response.

Video

This classic Disney animation style looks very good. The colors are all very clean and there is very little damage to the transfer. The black levels are unfortunately not very solid or sharp, and the attention to detail is lacking. This video quality is good for a non-theatrical film, but would not compare to block-buster animated films such as A Bugs Life, Toy Story, or even the original Cinderella.

Features

Similarly to the DVD for The Hunchback of Notre-Dame II, most of the special features are just for filler material. There is a short featurette discussing the music and score, but it is really focused at teaching children about the music of the film. There is also a very basic game included for kids entitled “Cinderella’s Enchanted Castle Activity”, a music video, a Cinderella storybook, and sneak peek trailers. The menus are sharp and simplistic with very nice animation and a nice score.

Closing Thoughts

It is a shame to see such a timeless classic as Cinderella be made into a straight-to-DVD sequel. As parents, your kids will love this disc, but you might have a hard time appreciating the content. The overall DVD quality is good, and the disc looks and sounds very nice.

Special Features List

• Music Video
• Cinderella Storybook
• Muscially Speaking Featurette
• Cinderella
• DVD-ROM features