The fat, orange tabby with a taste for lasagna lands on retail shelves today, along with a couple other classic animated critters. This weeks’ slate of home video releases is led by the big-screen sequel Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties and The Fox and the Hound 25th Anniversary Edition, a re-mastered collector’s edition of the marginalized Disney feature.
Released theatrically over the summer, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties earned just north of $28 million domestically but was a certified hit overseas, scratching up a worldwide gross of $133 million. The title should also do well on disc as kids follow the lazy, CG-animated cat across the pond. In this latest adventure, Garfield, voiced again by Bill Murray, travels to the U.K. with his owner, Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer). Through a case of mistaken identity, our feline hero lands in the lap of luxury as the ruler of a posh castle, but gets more than he bargained for as the scheming Lord Dargis (Billy Connolly) plots to take over the estate. Jennifer Love Hewitt also reprises the role of Jon’s veterinarian girlfriend, Liz.
Bonus materials include a Drawing With Jim Davis featurette, an exclusive Garfield comic strip and the interactive games Odie’s Photo Album and Garfield’s Maze. The widescreen version also includes includes footage not seen in theaters. Released by Fox Home Entertainment, the DVD lists for $29.99.
First released in 1981, The Fox and the Hound features the voices of Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey, Jack Albertson, Sandy Duncan, Jeanette Nolan, Pat Buttram, John Fiedler, Paul Winchell, Keith Coogan and Corey Feldman. Based on a book by Daniel P. Mannix, the film follows the unlikely friendship between a bloodhound pup and a young fox, who are soon driven apart by the ways of the world. The pic is noteworthy for the involvement of Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Woolie Reitherman, three of Disney’s ‘Nine Old Men.’ This was the last time the stalwart animators would collaborate with the studio’s up-and-coming artists.
Extra features on the DVD include a sing-along featuring th soong ” The Best of Friends,” a Forest Friendship game, an art gallery, a DVD storybook titled New Best Friends and the featurette Passing the Baton: Golden Age animators and the New Breed. Also included are the bonus classic shorts Lambert the Sheepish Lion and Lend a Paw. The Buena Vista Home Entertainment release carries a suggested retail price of $29.99.
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