A cartoon classic re-imagined for the big screen, Disney’s live-action Underdog makes its home video debut today. Following a less-than-stellar summer theatrical run, the super pooch pic arrives at the same time as another vfx-heavy summer release, Paramount’s adaptation of the Neil Gaiman romantic fantasy novel Stardust.
Directed by Frederik Du Chau (Racing Stripes), Underdog has the canine superhero adopted by a 12-year-old boy, who helps him protect Polly Purebred and the good citizens of Capitol City from Dr. Simon Barsinister, played by Peter Dinklage (The Cronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian). For most shots, our hero is played by a real dog who talks with the aid of visual effects, but other shots required the aid of a digital double. Visual effects for the film were provided by Framestore CFC, Cinesite and Hatch FX.
Jason Lee, star of NBC’s hit comedy My Name is Earl, voices the role of Underdog, taking over for actor/comedian Wally Cox, who provided the voice in the animated series from 1974 to 1973. Lee’s previous voice-over experience includes the role of bad guy Syndrome in Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles. The disc lists for $29.99 and offers bloopers, deleted scenes and original episodes from the 1973-1974 animated television series.
Featuring an all-star cast led by Robert DiNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Claire Danes, Stardust is the second film from Layer Cake director Matthew Vaughn, who is currently working on the next Hulk movie. In Stardust, a young man promises his beloved that he will retrieve a star that has fallen into the land of Faerie, a magical realm bordering their provincial town. When he gets there, he finds that the fallen star is a beautiful young woman who needs him to protect her from various scheming characters. The film’s extensive visual effects work was created by Double Negative, Framestore-CFC, Machine FX, LipSync Post, Baseblack, The Senate VFX and Cinesite, under visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang (United 93, Pitch Black). DVD Bonus materials include the featurette Good Omens: The Making of Stardust, deleted scenes, a blooper reel and additional footage. The Paramount Home Entertainment release list for $29.99 and is also available on HD DVD.
Fans of Ridley Scott’s modern sci-fi classic Blade Runner will also want to pick up the director’s new version of the film. Blade Runner: The Final Cut boasts a restored and re-mastered print and never-before-seen extended scene. Warner Home Video has released three versions. The two-disc Special Edition lists for $20.97, a four-disc Collector’s Edition carries a suggested retail price of $34.99, and a limited issue, five-disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition comes in a collectible ‘Deckard briefcase’ for the tidy sum of $78.92.
