In the glory days of VHS, the concept of the "Disney Vault" drove grade-school yours truly up the wall. The thought of having my favorite cartoons from the House of Mouse arbitrarily vanish off store shelves and not come back until years later (with seemingly no improvements) was a silly notion, to say the least. But with the rise of DVD, Blu-ray, and digital tinkering, the idea has become much easier to stomach. The mad rush to snatch up certain movies before scalpers jack up the prices is still a pain, but more often than not, fans can expect to get a fancy new transfer, an overhaul of the audio, or at least some new bonus features when the wait is over. That's just the sort of makeover undergone by Disney's legendary Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a bona fide classic and the first title released under the studio's new "Signature Collection" Blu-ray banner. The film looks and sounds as amazing as ever, and when compared to the recent hi-def debut of Pixar's latest adventure, The Good Dinosaur, it just goes to show that because something is old, it doesn't mean it can't stun your socks off.

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)

In 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs elevated Walt Disney's empire of once-upon-a-time to a new level -- but for a time, there were many who were sure it would never go the distance. As the first feature-length, cel-animated movie, some remained convinced that the public's eyes wouldn't be able to handle watching what was referred to as "Disney's folly," but fortunately, the sensation its debut caused soon quelled those ridiculous fears. This story of young Snow White (voice of Adriana Caselotti) being preyed upon by an evil queen (voice of Lucille La Verne) and seeking refuge with seven little saviors is maybe the most pure of the studio's beloved cinematic fairy tales. Being the first of its kind, the picture sets no time aside to crack self-aware jokes or deconstruct itself; it exists only to realize on film the enchanting simplicity of the sort of tales it's based upon, a mission achieved with flying colors. There may not seem to be as much going on for modern viewers (even I grew a little listless when I originally saw the flick), but there's an undeniable attraction to seeing it play out completely untouched by cynicism. Even if some of the dialogue and plotting seems a bit on the creaky side, there's still much about it that continues to awe us almost eighty years after its release, from the sumptuous art design to what are some of Disney's most timeless songs. Many of the movies it would go on to inspire may be more rich in thematic content and activity, but rest assured that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs retains what few kid-oriented productions can claim: sheer, unadulterated whimsy.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

-Archive recordings of Walt Disney himself discussing Snow White's creation.

-Featurettes covering the film's iconic imagery and the stylistic choices that informed its heroine's look.

-A rundown of Snow White trivia, presented by Sofia Carson from Disney's Descendants.

-A brief rap summary of the film's story.

-Various behind-the-scenes documentaries.

-Deleted and alternate scenes.

-Audio commentary.

-A DVD copy of the feature film.

THE GOOD DINOSAUR (2015)

All eyes were on the fine folks at Pixar as they did something unprecedented in 2015: released two movies in the same year. But whereas last summer's Inside Out raked in both boffo bucks and critical accolades, its comrade The Good Dinosaur was met with so-so reviews and what remain the animation giant's weakest box office earnings yet. So what about this tale of a skittish Apatosaurus (voice of Raymond Ochoa) and a wild cave boy (voice of Jack Bright) attempting to find their way home ring so indifferently with so many? The Good Dinosaur appears to be a nice, calming, cut-and-dry family feature, but that's also what sets it apart from the remainder of Pixar's output. For a studio that earned a reputation for experimenting with settings, stories, and character designs, strangely few chances have been taken this time around. The flick offers up a basic moral lesson about conquering your fears, rounds out the supporting cast with an array of kooky characters, and sees our heroes encounter on their journey many a visual marvel that will dazzle eyes both young and grown-up. If you're searching for a mellow alternative to the sort of frenzied fare the little ones are often served, then you're in luck, but those in hopes of something as transcendent as Pixar's finest will come away let down. Whether it's the overly simplified plot or the jarring contrast between the photorealistic environments and our cartoonishly exaggerated ensemble, there's something about this project that prevents it from clicking with the audience on the same level as a Toy Story or a WALL-E. In other words, The Good Dinosaur looks spiffy and conveys its messages with Pixar's trademark sincerity, but it falls short of ranking as one of the studio's more endearing fables.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

-The Oscar-nominated Pixar short Sanjay's Super Team.

-Various making-of featurettes.

-Deleted scenes.

-Audio commentary.

-Trailers.

-A DVD copy of the feature film.