The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition

The hills are more alive than ever thanks to the stunning 45th anniversary Blu-ray + DVD release of this venerable classic. The film has been remastered for Blu-ray in 1080p hi def with 7.1 DTS-HD sound, making this the best possible way to watch the film at home. With a mind-numbing array of bonus features as well as the lengthy film itself, there are seemingly dozens of hours of entertainment contained in the package.

For anyone unfamiliar with the film, in pre-World War II Austria, Julie Andrews stars as a spirited nun-in-training named Maria who gets assigned as a nanny to the seven children of a stern widower named Captain von Trapp. Will she return to the abbey or find her true calling in the arms of the Captain? Will the family survive the impending Nazi occupation? And why do they spend so much time singing? There's little doubt about how the whole affair will turn out, but the film's heart and its earnest but unforgettable songs still make it worthwhile viewing nearly a half century after its debut.

The Blu-ray image is...well, kinda grainy at times. It's no fault of the hi def transfer, it's just that the digital precision of our newfangled technology reveals the decidedly non-digital nature of the source material. A few questionable focusing issues are also evident, but for the most part the film stands the test of time. The colors are stunning and the depth of field and clarity of detail make the film leap off the screen, with such minutiae as bike riders on the far side of the river behind the von Trapp estate clearly visible. That immersive quality fully brings the charming Austrian countryside to life in ways never before available to home viewers. The sound mix more than holds its own as well, with suitable but never flashy separation, just enough to expand the soundstage without trumpeting its 7.1 presence.

As for bonus features, the main Blu-ray disc includes an exhaustive interactive viewing experience that allows viewers to customize up to four discrete extra tracks during the film: behind-the-scenes images, on-screen lyrics, trivia track, and location quiz. That adds up to quite a bit of screen real estate taken over by extras, but it's also a lively and inventive idea to experience the film in an entirely new way. There's also a music machine sing-along that allows viewers to cut out all that pesky plot stuff and just bask in the glory of the uninterrupted songs, an endeavor that still adds up to a full hour of viewing and singing pleasure.

Disc 2 is another full Blu-ray of special features that include an all-new interactive backlot tour with in-depth featurettes on the songs, the original stage show and movie, the film and sound restoration process, and the real von Trapp family. The treasure trove continues with a virtual map of filming locations in Salzburg, Austria, screen tests, interviews, photo galleries, and vintage Rodgers & Hammerstein programs. Disc 3 is the DVD version of the film as well as the music machine sing-along and another featurette about the film. In short, there's seemingly everything and more included to satisfy even the most demanding of fans.

Wonder Pets: The First Rescue

Nickelodeon’s lovable superhero pets are back with another round of all-new adventures, this time celebrating a couple of key milestones. The leadoff episode is a double-length tale that recounts how the Wonder Pets met, came up with their gear and theme songs, and rescued their first animal, while a subsequent episode is a celebration of their 100th animal rescue. In between episodes zero and 100 are a handful of other charming adventures sure to captivate the younger viewers as well as their parental units.

As we learn in “How It All Began”, Linny the guinea pig was the founder of the group, meeting turtle Tuck and Ming-Ming duckling upon their arrival in her school classroom home. The three worked together to build and name their flyboat vehicle, and came up with the idea of helping other animals in trouble when they were accosted by recurring obnoxious guest star Ollie the rabbit. As if the Pets weren’t cute enough already, this episode shows them as younger, smaller, even cuter versions, and it’s great fun to see them come up with their theme song, telephone hot line, and costumes as they embark on their ongoing mission.

The 100th episode is mostly a rehash clip show with a brief rescue of a mouse, and as such is a fairly weak outing. There’s also a Mother’s Day-themed episode with no actual rescue, although the Pets visit a few other animal mothers on their way to Linny’s grandma’s house.

The Pets venture outside the animal kingdom with their assistance as well, helping out with entertainment at their returning space alien friend The Visitor’s birthday party and counseling a mermaid with an identity crisis. That leaves only two fully traditional animal assistance efforts: a sun bear and a rhino. The rhino episode is one of the strongest thematically as it explores shyness in kids as the young rhino struggles to reach out to make friends with an elephant.

Wonder Pets isn’t the most educational of shows when it comes to readin’, writin’, or ‘rithmetic basics, but as an introduction to manners, teamwork, and interpersonal relationships it’s hard to beat. It’s also got some of the strongest and catchiest songwriting of any show, with each episode operating as a mini-musical.

Of special note, this DVD is actually a DVD-R, and although I received no documentation about this change in format with my review copy, it appears to be an environmentally-conscious effort to burn on demand rather than oversupply the marketplace. That’s fine for most people, but if you have an older DVD player or PC drive, you may be unable to play this release. There are also no bonus features, trailers, or even copyright warnings before the title screen, making this disc feel even more like a bootleg. I’m happy to get right into the episode action when I load the disc, but a disclaimer may be warranted next time around to assuage any parental anxiety about this diversion from the Nickelodeon norm.

Wonder Pets: The First Rescue is now available.

Article first published as DVD Review: Wonder Pets: The First Rescue on Blogcritics.org.