* “Bolt 3D” ($49.99 four-disc combo) is not only the best of this group but also the best Disney animated movie in nearly a decade when it was released in 2008 — it deserves a sequel, at least for Blu-ray. The story of a TV hero dog actor that has to perform heroic feats in real life to save his young girl owner, is clever, cute, funny, and filled with very impressive action sequences and more, all enhanced on this Blu-ray 3D:
–  Terrific and impactful use of 3D in an amazingly dynamic and exciting opening chase scene, and in numerous sequences throughout such as on a train and in an alley.
– Elaborate and detailed backgrounds and settings showcased brilliantly here in Blu-ray HD.
– Hilarious hamster comic relief character called Rhino who gets a starring role in a so-so animated short in Blu-ray bonus features.
– Fun theme song and music video “I Thought I Lost You,”  and charming in-session video with Miley Cyrus and John Travolta singing duet (when Cyrus was still charming).
– Plethora of solid traditional Blu-ray-only bonus features, including making-of, deleted scenes, interactive game (that needs better instructions for play on a laptop)

* “G-Force 3D” ($44.99 three-disc set) is the Blu-ray and 3D version of Jerry Bruckheimer’s 2009 family live-action and computer-animated action/comedy featuring high-tech gadget-wielding guinea pig would-be spies.
– Fun, if a little silly.
– Short (88-minutes including several minutes of credits).
– Stellar voice cast: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Tracy Morgan, and Steve Buscemi.
– 3D shows far more depth here than in theaters and has many brief sequences of flying rodents, breaking glass, etc., that successfully break the frame and appear to pop out of the screen.
– Enjoyable bonus features (Blu-ray only), especially in-depth “Cine-Explore” picture-in-picture behind-the-scenes; two mini-docs with Bruckheimer, director Hoyt H. Yeatman, Jr., and his 11-year-old son; and three music videos: “Jump” by Flo Rida featuring Nelly Furtado, “Ready To Rock” by Steve Rushton, and “Go G-Force.”

* “Chicken Little 3D” ($44.99 three-disc combo) brings the industry’s first digital 3D theatrical film from 2005 to Blu-ray 3D. The modern twist on the classic children’s cautionary tale is only 81-minutes and not particularly memorable but the 3D is solid as showcased here. There are a handful of typical bonus features here, including audio commentary by the Barenaked Ladies, a sing-along, music video by the Cheetah Girls, and a making-of filmmaker Q&A.

 * “Meet the Robinsons 3D” ($44.99 three-disc set) is a 2007 theatrical release that was the last of Disney’s string of so-so movies of the early-to-mid 2000s, but which features decent 3D that is also showcased well here. The Blu-ray-only bonus features are average — a “Kids of the Future” music video featuring the Jonas Brothers is a sign of the times — and include a standard-def  featurette about inventions.

– By Scott Hettrick

• “The Lion King” Diamond Edition 3D (Disney, 4-Disc Combo Pack, $49.99) is enormously impressive and satisfying on many levels, starting with the 3D HD disc:
  - More depth and emotional impact than ever.
  - Clear distinction of depth between images in foreground and those on multiple background planes in opening pre-title sequence soaring over the plains of Africa and running with the indigenous herds of animals.
  - No sense of gimmickry.
  - Much more powerful moment when Rafiki presents young Simba in air atop Pride Rock
  - Far more intense sequences amidst the bones in the animal graveyard and deep inside the dense overgrowth.
  - Viewer drawn much closer during tender moments when young Simba curls up under the paw of his dead father and when Nala leans in to affectionately rub her head against Simba’s neck upon finding him alive. Simba’s reflection in the water feels tangible.
  - Fun 3D preview for “Cars 2.”
  .
  Treasure trove of new and previously-released bonus features on other discs:
  - 3 1/2-minutes of voice bloopers & outtakes cleverly set to animation as if the animated characters themselves made the flubs.
  - 38-minute elegantly and admirably produced retrospective “Pride of the Lion King” featuring almost all the current and former Disney top brass involved with the movie and Broadway play adaptation, and several voice cast.
  - 20-minute illuminating and fascinating personal video memoir of the evolution and production of the movie by producer Don Hahn.
  - 14 minutes of a handful of deleted scenes with director intros
  - Hours of additional sing-alongs, interactivities, and previous DVD bonus features.
  .
• “Beauty and the Beast” Diamond Edition 3D (Disney, 5-Disc Combo Pack, $49.99) is perhaps even more stunning in 3D than “The Lion King.” It was one of the first animated films to use some digital animation, which helps greatly in the 3D conversion. It is the 3D that is the most dynamic aspect of this new edition:
  - The opening menu instantly dazzles with impressive depth of text options that pop off the screen.
  - Belle’s opening number walking across bridge and into village is filled with so many shots showcasing 3D that it looks to have been originally designed that way.
  - Extravagant “Be Our Guest” number does not disappoint with obvious 3D benefits of dancing plates
  - Signature “Beauty and the Beast” ballroom dance even begins with dazzling display 0f 3D from bottom and top of staircase.
  .
  And all the terrific bonus features of “Beauty and the Beast Diamond Edition” 2D Blu-ray released a year ago.

– By Scott Hettrick

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Guest reviewer/blogger Randall Reeves is a former film/video/TV producer-writer-co-host now living in New Mexico.
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
For those unfamiliar with the story, the extremely dead, yet dapperly skeletal Jack Skellington has mastered his holiday so much that he has earned the title of the King of Halloween. But mastery of this holiday no longer thrills Jack. On a long and thoughtful walk he wanders into a place where doors to all the holidays exist. By chance, he opens a door that sucks him into all the glitter and glee that is Christmas Town. Finding this new holiday joyful and rewarding, like his Halloween used to be, Jack Skellington endeavors to take over Christmas and make it his very own.

The story borrows heavily from “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch That Stole Christmas,” the classic Rankin-Bass stop-motion movies, and the entire horror genre. It also borrows from the time Tim Burton spent with drawing all sorts of clearly non-Disney characters while attending California Institute of the Arts. In fact, the main characters, Jack Skellington, his rag-doll girlfriend Sally, and Jack’s faithful and ghostly dog Zero were all created almost 10 years before the release date, while Tim Burton was still attending Cal Arts.
The sets appear to be carved into the soft ground like a sharp pencil in clay. The set pieces seem impossibly balanced with no concern for gravity or accessibility. The characters are rightfully nightmarish, including a blue behemoth, an entire corpse family, mummified children, werewolves, vampires, and a buggy burlap bad guy named Oogie Boogie. Yet all the characters are as love-able as they are frightening.

As soon as the movie became available on the little seen LaserDisc format, I purchased it. As soon as it became available on the antiquated VHS format, I purchased it. As soon as it became available on the waning DVD format, I purchased it. When Disney released the movie in its digital 3D format in 2006, I went to the theatre to enjoy it all over again.
I was blown away by how much more immersive the viewing was in 3D. My wife, a converted fan, vowed to never again view “The Nightmare Before Christmas” unless it was seen in 3D. Alas, in 2006 a 3D copy of the movie was impossible to own in any home video format.
Until now.
Today (Tuesday, Aug. 30) Disney is re-releasing the now cult classic movie with its massive and loyal following in a Blu-Ray 3D version ($49.98 for 3-disc combo pack) for which happily rivals and perhaps exceeds what was seen in the theater in 2006. Virtually every scene in the newly re-imaged movie has staging that is enhanced by the 3D experience. Tree limbs pull back as the camera zooms in. You duck to avoid impact. The camera zooms down the hall of a town meeting and it feels like you are brushing shoulders with the dead. As Jack flies through the air in his bony reindeer-pulled coffin, you can almost feel the breeze. The characters so skillfully animated in 1993 seem even more lifelike (even in death) in this 2011 Disney Blu-ray 3D version.

As a consumer who has resisted the temptation to buy a 3D TV, I totally get it now. It’s not a gimmick; it’s a method of enriching the story. It makes the story more believable. It makes the experience real, even when it cannot possibly be real. The 3D in this version is impeccable. There are no losses where the image mysteriously flattens. There are no glitches where the 3D stutters or loses its connection to the viewer. There are even newly-created end titles, which give proper credit for those responsible for the 3D conversion. 3D images of “Nightmare Before Christmas” concept art (many drawn by Tim Burton himself) fly through the air making the credits as worth watching as the rest of the movie.

As charming as the movie was in 1993, it is re-energized and even more enchanting 18 years later in this much-anticipated Disney Blu-ray 3D release.
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
2D Blu-ray bonus features:

• Tim Burton movie introduction recorded after watching Blu-ray version for first time and lauding the much-improved texture and clarity.
• Uncut version of half-hour “Frankenweenie,” with Burton introduction of his 1984 black-and-white short that he notes is currently being produced as a feature-length stop-motion theatrical film.
• Audio commentary by Burton, director Henry Selick and music designer Danny Elfman, with Burton noting his only familiarity with traditional Christmas from his childhood home of Burbank, Ca. was the Rankin-Bass and Dr. Seuss Christmas TV specials. Elfman says he immediately got the score and lyrics of “This is Hallowe’en…” in his head upon first meeting with Burton.
• Burton introduces poem on which “Nightmare” was based, read by Christopher Lee over images of Burton’s original concept art.
• “What’s This?” a thorough tour of the revamped and “Nightmare”-ized Disneyland Haunted Mansion with optional fun  pop-up trivia.
• Burton’s famous six-minute black-and-white stop-motion short film “Vincent,” an homage to actor Vincent Price, who narrates.
• Many different presentations of deleted scenes, storyboards, and unused concepts, with audio explanations by director Selick
• Previously produced and still entertaining 25-minute making-of featurette.

• The movie itself and the disheveled Dude is enough
• Vintage Coen Brothers off-the-wall characters and situations
• Jeff Bridges and entire cast give performances of their careers
• 28-page booklet with hilarious movie quotes, quizzes, interviews, Bridges’ photos
• Interactive elements are fun to keep track of utterances of the f-word,  pop-up picture-in-picture comments, interviews, behind-the-scenes
• Bonus features galore including making-of, finishing lines of dialogue trivia, previously-released ten-year anniversary interviews, and fun interactive map of shooting locations.

– By Scott Hettrick

* Mars Needs Moms (Disney, $49.99 4-disc set w/ 3D) took a pounding from critics and cost filmmaker Robert Zemeckis his company and partnership with Disney, but the performance-capture/computer-animated movie itself about a boy (Seth Green) who heads to outer space to rescue his mom (Joan Cusack) when she is abducted by aliens offers the following:

• Plenty enough fun and enjoyable for any kid and their parents.
• 3D on Blu-ray looks even better and more effective than in theaters
• Alternate scene in 3D of mother’s abduction is impressive extra
• Lots more enjoyable bonus features including extended opening and multiple deleted scenes that are interesting, and amusing behind-the-scenes mini-doc about motion-capture process for actors.

* The Fox and the Hound 30th Anniversary Edition /Fox and Hound 2 (Disney, $39.99 three-disc set with Blu-ray and two DVDs)  is one of the few bright spots from the black hole post-Disney death era of the late 1960s – 1980s, with a cute story of an unlikely friendship between a young hound dog and a fox that evolves into a natural estrangement as they mature.

• First half when animals are pups is far more cute and fun
• One of last Disney movies using old school animation by several of Nine Old Men (this was also the first Disney film that filmmaker Tim Burton worked on).
• Music and songs by Pearl Bailey (“Best of Friends”) a delight
• Couple of mildly entertaining bonus features: sing-along, video of unlikely friendships, and mini-doc on transition of Disney animation
• DVD premiere sequel Fox and the Hound 2 has much less sophisticated TV-style quality and different voices but cute enough for younger viewers.

– By Scott Hettrick

* A Clockwork Orange 40th Anniversary Editon (Warner, $34.99) is a beautiful rendition of the 1971 controversial story of youth obsessed with sex and violence and extreme governmental attempts at deterrence and rehabilitation – originally rated X.

• Mezmerizing peformance by then-unknown Malcolm McDowell
• Equally mezmerizing electronic soundtrack by Walter Carlos who later became Wendy Carlos
• Another amazing successful genre shift for Kubrick with a low budget after nearly bankrupting MGM during production of big budget of “2001: A Space Odyssey” three years earlier.
• Blu-ray offers immaculate presentation of vivid and bright colors and dazzling, innovative sets.
• Beautiful double-disc set with color 40-page booklet of great photos and essays.
• Two fascinating new documentaries/interview about the movie and McDowell and two feature-length documentaries about the life and careers of McDowell and Kubrick
• Numerous informative background trivia anecdotes by McDowell during audio commentary – Kubrick ordered the film banned from theaters and TV-home video in the UK until his death due to threats on his family.

* Barry Lyndon (Warner, $19.98) is perhaps one of the most visually exquisite films ever shot, with an equally powerful classical music score, yet the three-hour groundbreaking period film starring Ryan O’Neal (he and Farrah Fawcett named their son after his character) as an 18th century Irish scoundrel who manages to turn his series of failings and missteps mostly relating to his quick temper and penchant for deceit into an unlikely rise through the military ranks of the Seven Years War and eventually aristocracy was mostly dismissed by audiences and some critics in 1975. Yet director Martin Scorsese still considers it one of Kubrick’s best films and delivers a “profoundly emotional experience.”
It remains atop my list of the best films ever made.

• Finally, a wider screen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (formerly 1.66:1)
• First HiDef Blu-ray edition is improved but still a little grainy
• Still no bonus features included, as ever — maybe Scorsese will see to remedying that for a 40th anniversary edition in a few years.

– By Scott Hettrick

* Gnomeo & Juliet (Disney, $49.99 for 3-disc Blu-ray 3D set) is a British animated comical modern-day twist on the Shakespeare story of tragic romance, this time amongst small porcelain garden gnomes, set to Elton John hits,  and with a more upbeat ending.

• Cute and clever premise that will keep you mildly entertained and occasionally laughing
• 3D once again better and more impactful on Blu-ray than in theaters.
• Voice actors James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, and Michael Caine very engaging.
• New Elton John songs Love Builds a Garden and Hello Hello (latter with Lady Gaga) pleasant new additions to John canon.
• A John-like glam-gnome with sunglasses is hilarious.
• Finale with characters dancing to pepped up Nelly Furtado version of “Crocodile Rock” feels like a rip-off of “Shrek,” but cute
• Lots of fun extras, including John/Furtado music video, two alternate endings and six deleted scenes.

* Ocean Wonderland (Universal, $39.99) is a Jean-Michel Cousteau 40-minute IMAX underwater ocean life documentary.

• Wonderful footage of fish and plant life
• 3D is terrific, especially coral, dolphins, sea tortoise, and schools of fish swimming in circles with some drifters that appear to be swimming right up to your face.
• Heavy-handed and slightly condescending (except for the youngest viewers) message of being environmentally conscious.
• No bonus features is disappointing and makes this a pricey disc at only 40-min.

– By Scott Hettrick

• “Tangled” (Disney, $49.99, March 29) is as good or better on Blu-ray 3D than it was in theaters last year where it was named the best 3D movie of the year by 3DHollywood.net. Every frame offers obvious depth that enhances every scene, from the blades of grass that accentuate Rapunzel’s first tenuous touch, to the lovely floating lanterns over the boat and castle. This is a good example of a delightful movie that is truly more engaging and immersive because of the 3D.
  Bonus features (not in 3D): a fun 2-minute countdown of the first 50 Disney animated feature films, culminating with “Tangled”; two interesting alternate openings.

• “Yogi Bear” (Warner, $44.95, March 22) features really impactful 3D that is even more pronounced on the Blu-ray 3D than it was in theaters. Even better, this is one of the few Blu-ray 3D titles to feature bonus features in 3D, and there are five of them, including clever and amusing making-of featurettes that are sometimes funnier than the movie itself. There is also a Looney Tunes Road Runner cartoon called “Rabid Rider” that is one of three produced for theaters so far, all of which use 3D very effectively.
  As for the movie itself, it’s pretty silly but at least tolerable for parents whose young kids want to watch it.

• “The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D” (Image, $24.98, March 1) is a terrific surfing and underwater IMAX movie from last year that is impressively dynamic on Blu-ray 3D, from the spectacular surfing footage to shots aboard jet skis and outrigger canoes and stand-up paddleboarders. There is also quite a bit of eye-popping 3D of the lush island plants and topography as part of a lesson of the Polynesian island history and culture, as well as 3D graphics demonstrating how waves are formed. There are also lots of aerial and underater shots of coral and tons of fish and sting rays, as well as humans, all looking like they are swimming in your living room in 3D.

• “Ultimate G’s: Zac’s Flying Dream” (Image, 24.98, March 29) is another IMAX feature with astounding 3D imagery, this time in and outside of single-engine airplanes flying through majestic canyons. Unfortunately, the story and acting surrounding the aerial footage is amateurish and too long, but not so much that it isn’t worth sitting through to get to the flight sequences.
• “Kenny Chesney Summer in 3D” (Image, $24.98, March 29) will impress fans and even non-fans with its 3D images of Chesney introducing himself to stadium audiences by flying over the crowds in a harness. The shots throughout the concert film really show off and maximize the 3D effect.
  Bonus offerings include four additional songs.

• “Tron: Legacy” (Disney 5-disc combo pack, $79.98, April 5) offers the 3D version that may be slighter more crisp than the theatrical but sadly that still doesn’t deliver much. In fact, it is so subtle that the extra brightness of the image on the disc with the 2D image of the movie makes that a better experience.
  There are a couple 3D elements worth noting, however, including the menus that are more pronounced than the movie, and even pop out in front of the cursor if you’re watching on a computer. The two 3D trailers for “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “Cars 2” also offer decent 3D.
  Bonus Features (none in 3D): a 70-second teaser for the upcoming Disney XD channel cartoon series “Tron Uprising” looks very impressive and has voice actors that include the actor who plays Tron, Bruce Boxleitner, as well as Paul Reubens, aka Pee Wee Herman. Of the many extras, another notable one is “The Next Day: Flynn Lives Revealed,” featuring mysterious news-type footage filling in some holes about what happened to Flynn and Tron.
  “Tron: The Original Classic Special Edition” has been tweaked and looks better an more than ever, especially the colors which are much more vivid, though the extra clarity accentuates the grainy black-and-white faces of characters inside the game. The light cycles are far more colorful than in the new and much darker movie. Likewise, this original is much more fun in tone than the somber sequel.

• “Jackass 3D Unrated” (Paramount, $39.99, March offers decent 3D considering it is the TrioScopics upgrade of the old-style of anaglyph 3D with the colored lenses. That makes it more accessible to everyone with any kind of TV. Some of the best gross-out and masochistic goofball stunts in 3D are the opening slow-motion mayhem including faces getting bashed, as well as scenes like the one in which the troupe of numbskulls tries putting all manner of objects and body fluids in the stream of a jet engine to see what happens.
  The 3D is only on theatrical release, not the unrated version.

• “Mummies: Secrets of the Pharoahs” (Image, $24.98, March 29) offers strong 3D visual images in the desert dunes and ruins but the informational aspect is so dry and the re-enactments are so silly that the 3D is not enough to recommend this one.

– By Scott Hettrick

There are three versions of the biggest moneymaking film in history, one 9-minutes longer and one 16-minutes longer than the original theatrical release of “Avatar” that was released on Blu-ray in April, which I reviewed then. (None are in 3D — the original 3D theatrical version with no bonus features will be available on Blu-ray 3D for the next year or so only with the purchase of Panasonic 3D TVs and Blu-ray players beginning Dec. 1.)
While you might think the obvious version would be the longest one, actually, that version is probably too long. Very conveniently, the disc allows you to watch only the specific scenes that are unique to the two longer versions. Interestingly, the 16 extra minutes translates to 33 minutes of affected scenes. Here are some differences (none of which add much to the story, so it’s clear why they were cut from the film that already had a running time of 2-hours 42-minutes):

• Alternate opening with 3 1/2-minutes of new footage, mostly scene in which Jake Sully gets into a bar fight before being recruited for the mission. Not at all necessary. And the scenes of Jake being shown his dead brother work far better in the original theatrical version of integrated brief flashbacks.
• Aerial hunt of running creatures on Pandora is pretty fun
• Additional colorful flora on Pandora — lizard-like creatures who light up like purple helicopters/Frisbees
• Couple scenes involving Dr. Grace Augustine’s school where there was a dramatic shooting and killing
• Slightly extended love scene embrace between Jake and Neytiri
• Couple scenes depicting the torching of bulldozers and military squad by the indigenous Na’vi, and the reaction to that provides a little more understanding about the subsequent ruthless attack of the Na’vi.

And then there are two discs full of extras. Here are the primary highlights:

Disc 2:
* “Message from Pandora” is actually an interesting 20-minute tag-along sojourn into the Amazon rain forest with Cameron and his wife Suzy Amis as they meet with locals to try to block the building of a dam.

* “Capturing Avatar” is a feature-length making-of documentary by industry-leader Laurent Bouzereau. Among the most notable elements:

• On-camera comments by the late visual effects guru Stan Winston
• Cameron and producer Jon Landau noting and demonstrating original testing on performance capture technology back in pre-”Titanic” 1995 before setting it aside for ten years and getting greenlight from Fox to start production in January 2007
• Footage of 2006 auditions and screen tests by Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Joel Moore
• Cameron seen explaining to Sigourney Weaver that her character’s original last name will need to be changed to Augustine from Shipley so as not to be confused with her “Aliens” character of Ripley.
• Demonstrations of the evolution of the groundbreaking advances in performance capture technology (sometimes called motion-capture) that allows actors to create every movement of characters presented digitally on screen

* Deleted scenes offer about 45-minutes of additional uncompleted bits incorporated into more than an hour of scenes (details included and demonstrated about the missing effects elements in each). Among the highlights:

• Helicopter pilot Trudy Chacon and Norm Spellman flirting and then caught briefly having sex (no nudity)
• Trudy and others trying to sneak away to initiate a rescue
• Longer introductions to various characters
• Extended explanation by Augustine about the attack on her Pandora school
• A tribal dance
• A lengthy final Na’vi initiation ritual for Jake involving ingesting a worm that induces hallucinations
• A Na’vi warrior showdown fight with Jake just before Col. Quaritch cuts off his lifeline and Jake’s Na’vi body is vacated

Disc 3:
Hours of detailed exploration into every aspect of the movie through 17 on-set featurettes and interactive viewing modes, as well as archives of scripts and a “Pandorapedia” and additional bonus features via Web-connected BD-Live.

3D?
As much as this film pioneered and mainstreamed the new wave of 3D, only 3 1/2-minutes is devoted to the process here in a mini-featurette about the Fusion camera developed by Vince Pace and Cameron. Cameron mentions his love of 3D that began with his 1995 production of the 3D footage for the “T2 3D” attraction at Universal Studios.

– By Scott Hettrick

If that weren’t enough, the movie boasted all the production value and fantasy gadgetry of a James Bond movie at the peak of that franchise since it was produced by the 007 movie producers. In addition to much of the same crew, such as production designers, “Chitty Chitty Bang” also starred the actor who played the iconic Goldfinger (Gert Frobe, who had to mimic his lines from a coach since he didn’t speak English), and featured a cameo by the actor otherwise almost singularly recognized as gadget master “Q.” That unlikeliest of scenarios happened as a result of the story being based on the one and only children’s novel written by James Bond creator Ian Fleming. Oddly, neither Fleming nor the 007 producers ever revisited the genre, but their one foray into that family realm lives on.

Greatly enhancing the legacy of the film is the newly remastered wide-screen version with upgraded 7.1 sound on Blu-ray Disc from MGM/Fox. The colors and image of the 42-year-old movie are as vivid and crisp as any new feature.
Although the bonus feature interviews and retrospectives are almost all the same as the 2003 special edition DVD, they are worth revisiting.
Discussing the scene where he plays a puppet on invisible strings alongside Howes pretending to be a lifesize music box doll, Van Dyke says it was his lifetime ambition to play the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, so this was as close as he could come.
This morning Van Dyke told HollywoodInHiDef.com that he also coveted the role of Willy Wonka in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

The bonus features also include a “vintage featurette” of a rather remarkable discussion by Van Dyke with an apparent gaggle of British reporters from the drivers’ seat of a car three weeks into production on “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” It was shortly after pulling a muscle while shooting a dance number for “Toot Sweet” that left him unable to film any dance numbers for six weeks. Van Dyke politely discusses everything from the somewhat unexpected discontinuation of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (“We all voted” to end it before it got stale, he said) to the impact of TV ratings (“That’s what’s wrong with TV”) to the similarities between the then-recent Oscar-winning “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (lots of dance numbers and his character in “Chitty” similar to his Bert character in “Poppins,” he says).

Also included is a simplistic but mildly enjoyable interactive driving game, a sing-along option, and lots more featurettes and archive shorts and audio recordings, including an outing with the owner of the iconic car of the movie.

– By Scott Hettrick