Disney was busy in the middle of the decade releasing a ton of Studio Ghibli films to the Blu-ray format. This release mirrors many of their efforts from this period, sporting amazing video and audio quality. Unlike a few others, though, the extras are a little light, but that doesn't stop this from being a great release.
As a side note, this is a dual format release. It contains both a Blu-ray and a DVD. This review will focus on the Blu-ray. For those who want a review of the video and audio track on the DVD, check out our review of the two disc Pom Poko DVD. For reference, what's included here is the first disc from that set and so the DVD lacks the storyboard extra.
| Video: |
 |
Disney has done a fantastic job with the video presentation for this title. Right off the bat, it's easy to note the lack of noise on the screen, lacking both overt grain or noise caused by compression artifacts. The movie still looks sharp, though, with vivid detail in the frame. The colors are also quite distinct and really pop, although aren't so vibrant that it feels over saturated. The print used is also in stellar shape, or was restored to that degree, as the 1994 movie features no overt signs of damage during the movie's duration.
As a side note, and a common trait of these releases from Disney, there are video tracks for both a "Japanese" and "English" version. These differ on the basis of the title screen and the end credits, which are replaced with English for that version.
Pom Poko, the Great Raccoon Battle is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
| Audio: |
|
The disc features two DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo tracks: one in the original Japanese and the other the dubbed English audio. The quality on both is stellar, with crystal clear clarity in the dialogue and nice distinction in the various sound effects and as it relates to the score. As for the dub, this is the version Disney created for the movie. It features a cast that should be very familiar to TV audiences, with personalities like Maurice LaMarche from Pinky and the Brain or Jonathan Taylor Thomas from Home Improvement. The movie celebrities, unlike other titles, are few here though, with J.K. Simmons being the most recognizable one.
The movie can be accompanied by removable English or French subtitles. For English there are two versions: one that subtitles the Japanese dialogue and another that is a closed caption track for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
| Extras: |
 |
Depending on your point of view, this disc is either light or heavy with bonus content. It really comes down to what value you place in the storyboards, as it's the main extra here. It's the duration of the movie, so 119 minutes, and plays with the movie's audio. It shows every last storyboard, from start to finish, as the movie progresses. This is sync'ed with the Japanese audio and can be combined with removable English subtitles for the Blu-ray. Oddly, the option to have the English audio available with the storyboards is missing, which was present on the two disc DVD edition.
Otherwise, the only other extras are the trailers. There are a total of 4 trailers, in high definition, which are two theatrical, a preview and a promo film. Although given different names, essentially the preview is an extra long trailer while the promo is an even longer trailer. These are in Japanese with removable English subtitles.
| Overview: |
 |
While the extras are arguably light, the movie itself looks amazing on this release. Fans of the director, Studio Ghibli or really even anime in general should seek out this title on Blu-ray. I'm keeping that vague as, at the time of writing this, there are two ways to get the film on that medium: from Disney or from the GKids/Universal line. Generally the quality is comparable between these two, although can only speak for the stellar presentation found on the Disney offering.
|
