If you’ve only budgeted $30 for expanding your DVD collection this week, you’re out of luck. Today’s slate of releases is virtually dominated by animation, leading off with the home video debut of 20th Century Fox Animation’s big-screen CG extravaganza, Robots, and the direct-to-video feature film, Family Guy Presents: Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story.
Directed by Chris Wedge (Ice Age), Robots stars Ewan McGregor as the voice of Rodney Copperbottom, a young inventor who goes to Robot City to meet his hero, Bigweld (Mel Brooks). His adventures lead him to take on corporate baddie Ratchet (Greg Kinnear), while being seduced by femme-bot Cappy (Halle Berry). Drew Carey, Jim Broadbent, and Amanda Bynes also lend their voices to the film, which is based on a book by William Joyce (Rolie, Polie, Olie; George Shrinks; A Bug’s Life). Joyce also served as producer.
Bonus materials include commentary by director Wedge and Joyce, additional commentary by the Blue Sky technical team, the animated short film Aunt Fanny’s Tour of Booty, an inside look at the making of Ice Age 2, deleted scenes with optional commentary by Wedge, the original Robots short that sold the movie to the studio, a character inspiration featurette titled You Can Shine No Matter What You’re Made Of, a Blue Man Group music featurette, interactive character bios and design galleries, an Xbox exclusive multi-player racing game and the DVD Rom games Robot Dance, Invent-a-Bot and Fender Photo Shoot. The DVD carries a suggested retail price of $29.98.
Also from Fox Home Entertainment comes the eagerly awaited feature-length extension of creator Seth MacFarlane’s popular FOX TV series, Family Guy. Drew Barrymore, Ron Livingston and Beverly Hills 90210 alumni Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling join the cast for Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. The film was originally intended to serve as a three-episode arc to kick off the show’s revival. The episodes will eventually air at a later date, but the uncut and uncensored DVD will offer additional material that won’t be broadcast.
The 83-minute, unrated release focuses on maniacal baby genius Stewie, who aims to change his ways following a near-death experience. Putting aside plans of world domination, he sets out in search of his roots when he sees a man on TV who must surely be his real father. DVD extras include deleted scenes, still galleries, an uncensored audio track, animatics and commentary by MacFarlane, cast members and writers. Fans can pick it up for around $29.98.
Other TV favorites hitting DVD today include SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Third Season, a three-disc set featuring 37 episodes for the list price of $54.99, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, 2nd Gig: Volume 1, with four episodes of the anime TV series. The single-disc standard edition from Manga/Bandai/Anchor Bay lists for $24.98 and the special edition three-disc set with soundtrack CD and limited edition exclusive collector’s tin can be had for $49.98.
As DreamWorks and Aardman Animation get set to unleash their Wallace & Gromit feature in theaters on Oct. 7, Sony has released the complete first season of the clay animated British series Creature Comforts from Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park. The single-disc edition includes all 13 nine-minute episodes which aired on British television and Comedy Central. The $19.94 price tag also gets you such extras as a behind-the-scenes featurette, games and the Oscar-winning original Creature Comforts short that started it all.
If that’s not enough, there’s also the 16-disc Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset featuring the distinctive cut-out animation of Terry Gilliam. For $199.95, you get classic episodes of the TV series plus Monty Python Live at Aspen, Steve Martin’s Python retrospective, the show’s first German episode. The release is available from A&E Home Video.
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