Full Metal Jackets: Pix, ar It Didn’t Happen

I doubt that it will surprise any of our SteelBook collecting readers to learn that UK retailer Zavvi has continued to unleash a steady barrage of metal case exclusives in recent months. The store has truly taken the crown as SteelBook King. In this week’s update, we take a look at some new animated titles from Zavvi’s Pixar and Disney collections, all in lovely, lovely steel.

We’ll start with Pixar’s holy trinity, the ‘Toy Story’ trilogy.

Toy Story

Available at: Zavvi
Release date: January 13, 2014
Price: £19.99
Region code: Listed as Region B, but Disney and Pixar animation are usually region-free

Toy Story 2

Available at: Zavvi
Release date: February 10, 2014
Price: £19.99
Region code: Listed as Region B, but Disney and Pixar animation are usually region-free

Toy Story 3

Available at: Zavvi
Release date: February 10, 2013
Price: £19.99
Region code: Listed as Region B, but Disney and Pixar animation are usually region-free

While these are all very nice, I’ll have to pass. I already own the three IronPack Blu-ray cases released by Future Shop in Canada a few years back, which will suffice for my purposes.

Although the Zavvi artwork is perhaps a little better, I can’t justify rebuying these Blu-rays just for different cases. Perhaps if the SteelBooks included the 3D versions of the movies (which I still haven’t gotten around to buying), I might make an exception, but that doesn’t appear to be the case (no pun intended).

Planes

Available at: Zavvi
Release date: December 9, 2013
Price: £22.99
Region code: Listed as Region B, but Disney animation is usually region-free

Despite being a spin-off from Pixar’s ‘Cars’ franchise, this year’s ‘Planes’ was not a Pixar production. In fact, it was produced by Disney’s direct-to-video branch DisneyToon Studios. Originally, the plan was to release this straight to DVD and Blu-ray, until someone at the House of Mouse determined that its merchandising would sell better if the movie got the exposure of a theatrical release first. It wasn’t anywhere near the sort of blockbuster that the real Pixar movies are, but it didn’t need to be. Frankly, any money it made in theaters was gravy. It exists primarily to advertise plush toys and sticker books.

The artwork here looks fine, but I have no inclination to buy ‘Planes’ regardless of what type of case it comes in. My Pixar completist impulse is thankfully spared since this isn’t really Pixar.

Again, the Steelbook doesn’t seem to have 3D.

Fantasia

Available at: Zavvi
Release date: February 10, 2014
Price: £19.99
Region code: Listed as Region B, but Disney animation is usually region-free

Now we jump from modern CGI to a genuine classic of traditional animation, the Disney mouseterpiece ‘Fantasia’.

‘Fantasia’ was originally released on Blu-ray in 2010 as part of a two-pack with its lesser sequel ‘Fantasia 2000’. The Steelbook appears to only contain the first movie. I don’t know how much of a deal-breaker that may be for fans, but I’m guessing probably not much of one. (The sequel isn’t nearly as beloved as the original.)

Personally, I’m not a Disney completist the way I’m a Pixar completist. (For example, I passed over Zavvi’s SteelBook edition of ‘The Jungle Book‘.) Because I already own the previous ‘Fantasia’ two-pack, I don’t know that I really need to buy another copy of the movie on Blu-ray. The artwork is pretty nice, though.

13 comments

  1. Andrew

    The Planes case seems lazy/half-assed to me. It’s the same character artwork on the front and back, just repositioned/resized.

  2. Timcharger

    JOsh: “Although the Zavvi artwork is perhaps a little better, I can’t justify rebuying these Blu-rays just for different cases. Perhaps if the SteelBooks included the 3D versions of the movies…”

    The new cases’s artworks isn’t a little better, it’s MUCH better. The old steelcase’s 1 & 2 are just fonts of the title?! And 3 is just a pic of Buzz, if it looked like “Latin Buzz”, that might be better, but the new art is WAY better.

    Don’t get me wrong; I hate double-dipping, too. And I might reach the same no-buy decision as you did. But having 3D would be a kicker for me, too.

  3. Timcharger

    Since I do make fun of your bad pun titles, I should say something nice when the opposite occurs.

    Pix, ar it didn’t…

    Worked for me. That’ll do. Josh, that’ll do.
    🙂

  4. I haven’t bought any Disney Steelbooks yet. I now have three steelbooks that I have picked up in the last month, and I love the format. My issue is with the pound to dollar conversion rate. When Zavi runs sales (like GBP8.99), I will pick them up – that makes the movies cheaper than I can get them here sometimes. But Disney products never seem to be part of the sale. I think Disney movies are overpriced to begin with on Blu-Ray, but with stuff like The Jungle Book just sitting at GBP22.49, that is just more than I want to play.

    BTW, I am sure this will come as no surprise as I generally tend to love what many hate and hate what many love, but I am a HUGE fan of Fantasia 2000. Rhapsody in Blue is probably hands down my favorite clip from either Fantasia movie. (However, Fantasia 2000 also has my LEAST favorite piece – the flying whales).

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