Walt Disney's Fables - Vol. 1

Though its mantle as the dominant force in animation may have slipped a little of late, Walt Disney Fables, Volume 1 recalls the golden age when the studio was capable of producing pure magic. Of the two volumes released this is the strongest, interpreting two well-known tales in inimitable Disney fashion. Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper features a host of familiar characters including Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck, and is an absolute joy: the animation is of the rich, classic nature that made the studio famous and the cartoon strikes the perfect balance between staying true to the original tale and revealing the Disney characters' traits. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, meanwhile, predicts the trend for celebrity voice-overs by employing the golden tones of Bing Crosby to tell the at-times quite dark ghost story. This is the perfect offering for those who continually opine that cartoons just aren't as good as they used to be.

On the DVD: Walt Disney Fables, Volume 1 proves that, while such vintage material will never really be able to compete with the CG world of Toy Story, it still retains an undoubted charm. The depth and colour evident in the hand-drawn cartoons (especially The Prince and the Pauper) is given added resonance by the digital format, and the audio track has also benefited, particularly noticeably on Crosby's rich narration. The extras menu features an interactive game, mildly diverting but leaving the feeling that, at a mere 57 minutes, the package is a little slight on value for money.