Blu-ray Review: The Nightmare Before Christmas - Page 2

Part of: The Wild Blu Yonder

That aside, the first trip into Christmas town is a staggering one. While it’s not a flaw, the amount of rich, bold color in the town’s lights and buildings is remarkable. The gloomier Halloween isn’t half the showcase this is. Again, not a flaw, but the muted gray scenes aren't notable for their detail, while Christmas town has it all. Aside from the applied flaws, this is the way to see the film.

Enveloping is the easiest way to describe this 7.1 TrueHD mix. The opening musical number hits the viewer from every angle, both from the music and sound cues. Ghosts fly cleanly through the soundfield. It feels incredibly full and rich, even if the bass seems somewhat muted. Despite that, when the action kicks in later (as Jack is being shot at), it becomes a front-loaded mix. Cannons provide the bass, and not much else. It sounds flat and uninspired when it should be alive with audio.

Extras here are in-depth, if too brief. An interesting pop-up feature lets people see how Disney transforms the Haunted Mansion ride into one based on this film each year. A commentary by Burton, Elfman, and director Henry Selik details all of the challenges the film brought with it. The original poem written by Burton is read by Christopher Lee, assisted with visuals.

Two of Burton’s earlier shorts, Frankenweenie and Vincent, are included. Storyboards for deleted scenes, including a few that were animated, are here. An all too brief making-of is split into six chapters, and runs around 25 minutes. While it’s a great piece, there’s certainly more to discuss here. Loads of art galleries are contained in specific sections (Christmas Town, Halloween, etc.), and round off the disc with a storyboard comparisons and trailers.

For years the film carried the Touchstone Picture label. Michael Eisner, head of Disney, felt the film wasn’t for kids. It wasn’t until 2006 during its theatrical 3-D rerelease that Disney finally put their stamp of approval on it.

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Article Author: Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki is a 12-year movie and game critic. He currently freelances for Blu-ray review site DoBlu.com and video game site MultiPlayerGames.com.

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