As director Brad Bird’s The Incredibles tears up the box office, his first animated feature is getting a much-deserved DVD double dip. Warner Home Video today released The Iron Giant Special Edition, which comes complete with all-new special features including an alternate opening and seven other never-before-seen sequences. The title returns to shelves in time for the home video release of Universal’s sci-fi sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick, which consequently stars Vin Diesel, the voice of the Iron Giant.
In addition to a new digital transfer, The Iron Giant Special Edition boasts feature-length commentary by Bird, head of animation Tony Fucile and story department heads Jeff Lynch and Steve Markowski. There are also 13 mini-documentaries highlighting key sequences; a featurette titled The Voice of the Giant, hosted by Diesel; a motion gallery of original animation; a letter from Ted Hughes, author of the book upon which the film is based; DVD ROM access to the original web site and “Easter eggs” that unlock behind-the-scenes looks at filmmaking process.
The Iron Giant is a heart-warming tale of a boy and his 50-foot-tall robot that features the voice talents of Jennifer Aniston (TV’s Friends), Harry Connick Jr. (TV’s Will and Grace) and John Mahoney (TV’s Frasier). Though it performed poorly at the box office, the film was a critical success and continues to win the hearts of animation fans worldwide. It has also received nine Annie Awards, including Outstanding Achievement for an Animated Theatrical Feature.
Released by Waner Home Video, The Iron Giant Special Edition is presented in the Letterbox format with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and lists for $19.97.
This summer’s big-budget actioner, The Chronicles of Riddick, is another box office disappointment that is sure to get more attention on disc. Universal Home Video today released an unrated director’s cut featuring a new character, 14 minutes of additional footage, never-before-seen visual effects and the first level of Vivendi Universal’s The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay for Xbox.
Vin Diesel is back as the title character in writer-director David Twohy’s follow-up to his 2000 sci-fi sleeper hit, Pitch Black. The film continues the story of an escaped convict who emerges as the most unlikely of heroes in a fight for survival that will determine the fate of humanity in a dangerous world. The cast also includes Alexa Davalos (Pitch Black, HBO’s And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself), Thandie Newton (Mission: Impossible II, TV’s ER), Karl Urban (The Bourne Supremacy, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Return of the King), Colm Feore (Chicago, The Sum of All Fears) Academy Award winner Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love, Chocolat) and Keith David (Pitch Black).
Extra features include a behind-the-scenes tour of the Riddick sets guided by Diesel, an interactive 360 degree view of eight different sets from the film, a play-by-play breakdown of the film’s most complex and compelling visual effects, deleted scenes, an interactive guide from the perspectives of the characters, on-demand facts and trivia, Toombs’ Chase Log and audio commentary with Twohy, Urban and Davalos.
The unrated director’s cut version is priced at $29.98 on DVD and $22.98 on VHS. The PG-13 theatrical version is also available. In addition, animation fans can pick up The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury, the anime-style featurette that reveals what happens to Riddick between Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. Directed by Peter Chung of Aeon Flux fame, the half-hour action extravaganza debuted on home video over the summer.
Fans of stop-motion animation, especially the Rankin and Bass holiday specials of old, will want to pick up New Line’s hit comedy, Elf. The animation by the Chiodo Bros. is brief, but it helps bring a fable-like quality to this Yuletide comedy starring Will Ferrell.
Directed by actor-turned-helmer John Favreau, Elf is the story of Buddy, a young man who grew up in Santa Claus’ magical North Pole believing he was an elf. Having grown several times larger than his peers, Buddy learns of his true pedigree and sets out to establish a relationship with his biological father, played by James Caan, in New York City.
Fans have been waiting a full year for Elf to come out and the two-disc Infinifilm edition shouldn’t disappoint with features like commentary by Favreau and Ferrell, deleted scenes, five making-of featurettes, Buddy’s Adventure Game, Elf karaoke, and a read-along. There is also a DVD-ROM that offers a script-to-screen viewing option, a photo gallery, weblinks and activities. This New Line Home Entertainment release lists for $29.95.
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