Rating: 
Summary: It could have been A LOT better, but it's still GREAT Disney
Review: James Earl Jones hosts this "program" featuring the stories of four American Legends: John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, and Casey Jones. John Henry is an all new, or at least, never before seen Disney cartoon, the other three are classics you might remember from your childhood. In all it comes together as a nice little program, and the whole thing with James Earl Jones was a nice touch. I really liked seeing an actual photo of Casey Jones. The DVD was extremely lacking however, and should be selling for around 7 bucks considering the amount of stuff on it. Still, it's not without good points, but let's start with the bad, and maybe the good will make up for it. First off, there are two extras, that's it. One is a very short introduction to Johnny Appleseed by Walt Disney. The other is a pretty lame little DVD game, typical for Disney releases. The games can be enjoyable on some Disney releases, especially the pure trivia ones with video "prizes" at the end, but this game was annoying and pointless. The Paul Bunyan trivia half was okay, but the John Henry part got annoying. With the short feature and only these two extras, the DVD is waaaaaay over priced. Next problem, well, according to the first reviewer, the John Henry short should be in widescreen. Also, as the previous reviewer said, the picture quality of James Earl Jones' segments are totally awful. Then there's the fact that they could have included several more short classics. Pecos Bill leaps to mind, among others. This would have been a nice opportunity for them to give us an unedited Pecos, rather than the one they slaughtered for the recent releases of Melody Time. And my final complaint, well, my copy had a glitch in the John Henry segment. Of all the segments to have a glitch, it would be the brand new one! I had to go through the trouble of exchanging it, only to find the replacement had the same defect. It's right after John is stopped by the Mountain that's in his path during the contest. He looks up and the pixels that make up his face scatter a bit and the sound skips a beat. Pretty annoying. Luckily, it depends upon the player it is watched on as to whether or not the glitch is picked up. A minor disappointment was also the fact that there were no special new previews. You'd think Disney would at least come through with some good advertisements. I was hoping they'd give us the Lilo and Stitch promo featuring Beauty and the Beast, or something like that! Well, enough of the bad, now on to the good. First, I rather enjoyed the James Earl Jones sequences, as badly done as they were. They made me feel rather like I was in Disney World, watching one of EPCOT's cute little educational shows. It also gave some interesting insight into the men these legends were based on. And as cheezy as the set was, I loved it, and it was really cool of James Earl Jones to do it, he was a perfect choice! As for the features, the classics are three faves of mine, who wouldn't love them. And the new John Henry one was great, though I agree with the previous reviewer that they went a bit too far with trying to show the pencil lines. It got to be too distracting and even started giving me a headache, but other than that aspect of it I LOVED the new short! The music was great, as was the character design and the interpretation of the story. A truly beautiful film and I can't wait to see it in widescreen in front of Peter Pan 2. True, I still hope that there is a more difinitive release of all these shorts in the future, not just to get the one in Widescreen, but to get the original credits to all of them. Well, not really Appleseed since it's on Melody Time, but it'd be nice to get a difinitive edition of Melody Time! I'm still not sure that Disney realizes how much its fans care about getting their goods intact! American Legends is not the first time they've cut off the credits and jammed some toons together. After Mickey's Magical Christmas, Snowed In at the House of Mouse, where they did the same thing to Mickey's Christmas Carol and various shorts, I fear this is going to be the new trend. I only hope we do see more of the Disney Treasures collections in the future. I won't hold my breath for Song of the South. Luckily I aquired the VHS. As for the American Legends DVD, while it could have been so much more, I'll take it for what it is. I can't complain about having four GREAT Disney shorts on video, even without the widescreen or original credits.
Rating: 
Summary: Eeuwwwww ....
Review: Make money fa$t -- turn your old cartoon shorts into quick ca$h! This overpriced, lackluster package from Der MausHaus features four animated shorts: "John Henry," "Johnny Appleseed," "Paul Bunyan" and "The Brave Engineer." In between, James Earl Jones hosts dull, eye-stabbing video introductions, all of which look and sound like they were made for public-access TV. Opening and closing credits have been snipped from each short, which will doubtless ensure the wrath of animation purists. Still, you don't have to be an animation buff to get riled at this release.The only new material here is "John Henry," though it's hardly a worthy tribute to the legendary "steel-drivin' man." The idea behind this short is solid, and the folk-influenced visuals are frequently intriguing -- which leads to the impression that, under the right circumstances, this could have been a classic short film. But a compressed running time and obviously rushed animation virtually guarantee a third-rate product. (In the mid-1940s, Puppetoon producer George Pal directed a stop-motion short on John Henry, which earned praise from the NAACP and still holds up to scrutiny. Skip Disney's "John Henry," and see George Pal's instead.) The other three shorts in the program are leftovers from the Disney vault. "Johnny Appleseed" comes from the 1948 package feature _Melody Time_; it practically oozes schmaltz (as well as an insistent work-for-the-common-good ethic that seems vaguely Soviet). "Paul Bunyan" is a sad effort from the late 1950s with mostly limited and recycled animation. The worst of the lot, though, is "The Brave Engineer," a desperate attempt to capture some of the nuttiness of Warner Bros. cartoons. It's dull and hectic, but not much else. Shame on Disney for foisting this tripe on an unusupecting public. _American Legends_ may be the worst video release in the studio's history.
Rating:
Summary: Eeuwwwww ....
Review: Make money fa$t -- turn your old cartoon shorts into quick ca$h! This overpriced, lackluster package from Der MausHaus features four animated shorts: "John Henry," "Johnny Appleseed," "Paul Bunyan" and "The Brave Engineer." In between, James Earl Jones hosts dull, eye-stabbing video introductions, all of which look and sound like they were made for public-access TV. Opening and closing credits have been snipped from each short, which will doubtless ensure the wrath of animation purists. Still, you don't have to be an animation buff to get riled at this release. The only new material here is "John Henry," though it's hardly a worthy tribute to the legendary "steel-drivin' man." The idea behind this short is solid, and the folk-influenced visuals are frequently intriguing -- which leads to the impression that, under the right circumstances, this could have been a classic short film. But a compressed running time and obviously rushed animation virtually guarantee a third-rate product. (In the mid-1940s, Puppetoon producer George Pal directed a stop-motion short on John Henry, which earned praise from the NAACP and still holds up to scrutiny. Skip Disney's "John Henry," and see George Pal's instead.) The other three shorts in the program are leftovers from the Disney vault. "Johnny Appleseed" comes from the 1948 package feature _Melody Time_; it practically oozes schmaltz (as well as an insistent work-for-the-common-good ethic that seems vaguely Soviet). "Paul Bunyan" is a sad effort from the late 1950s with mostly limited and recycled animation. The worst of the lot, though, is "The Brave Engineer," a desperate attempt to capture some of the nuttiness of Warner Bros. cartoons. It's dull and hectic, but not much else. Shame on Disney for foisting this tripe on an unusupecting public. _American Legends_ may be the worst video release in the studio's history.
Rating:
Summary: Very Enjoyable!
Review: Now we don't have the DVD edition, so I don't know about the extras that have been mentioned, but we LOVED this movie. Great traditional tales with great songs (my little one apparantly is incessantly singing them and we've had this video for quite a while). Disney movies that teach some values (without preaching) and hold kid's attention are a welcome addition as far as I'm concerned. Not sure what those other reviewers were expecting, wide-screen or not, remember these videos are supposed to be kid's movies...
Rating: 
Summary: The New House Favorite
Review: Now we don't have the DVD edition, so I don't know about the extras that have been mentioned, but we LOVED this movie. Great traditional tales with great songs (my little one apparantly is incessantly singing them and we've had this video for quite a while). Disney movies that teach some values (without preaching) and hold kid's attention are a welcome addition as far as I'm concerned. Not sure what those other reviewers were expecting, wide-screen or not, remember these videos are supposed to be kid's movies...
Rating: 
Summary: American Legends deserve better!
Review: So, Disney's "American Legends" is out on DVD. What's so special about this seemingly un-special release? Well it includes the short film "John Henry" that was made by Disney's Orlando Studio and has remained there, on the shelf and completed, for two years... At first, there didn't seem to be much publicity about the inclusion of this never before seen film on the new DVD. It was just quietly announced, and even the cover art places the animated Henry below Paul Bunyan, almost hidden
among the other characters. Now, due to the film being attatched to prints of the new theatrical feature "Return To Neverland", an extra sticker reads 'All New John Henry Animated Short, As Seen In Theatres', pointing to the release of 'Neverland'. Could this be a ploy by Disney to generate interest in a seemingly "brand new" cartoon short, or just up the running time on their Peter Pan sequel? Could be both, but my money's on the running time. The DVD, which also includes peeks at 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Winnie The Pooh', 'Atlantis', 'Schoolhouse Rock' and '101 Dalmatians II', features the menu options on the pages of a book graphic: 'American Legends'. Select 'play'and the program starts with a cheap looking, badly shot and very poorly
compressed video introduction by actor James Earl jones. Despite the entire program only running 58 minutes, the bit-rate on these intro links rarely jumps up past 5.0Mb/sec! The eagally awaited 'John Henry' short is first up. Rather annoyingly, the shorts are presented as part of the whole program, with Jones presenting each short. Basically this means that we are still waiting for the definitive widescreen, full version of 'JH', as it's been pan-and-scanned to fit the rest
of the 1.33:1 material here, with it's credits cut and placed in a roll with the others at the disc's end. The 'John Henry' animation itself fits very well into the mix of the other classic Disney shorts - it bares most similarities with 'Paul Bunyan' - with a soundtrack very much in the 'Hercules'/Gospel style. The story tells of the slave John Henry, who is freed and helps forge a railroad, proving himself
against a technologically advanced steam-powered construction engine. In these sequences, there is some amazing light and shadow work, and the animation overall has a very classic look, although it may try too hard to capture the 'pencil line' look of the 60s and 70s - some of the shots expose this technique a little too obviously. As for the original controversy (and reason the film was delayed) in having a white director, Mark Henn, direct a story about predominantly black characters, well frankly I don't know what all the fuss was about! The nine-minute 'JH' is a fantastic short and the supposedly down beat ending doesn't detract at all - in fact you could argue that 'Pocahontas' is more
unresolved. True, in another reason Disney didn't know how to handle a theatrical release, Henry is shown to pass away, but the film soon re-builds itself up to reveal the legacy he left behind, both in the form of a son and, of course, the railroad. The animators at Disney have every right to be proud of this film - it is daring, bold and triumphant in every detail and on every level. The top Disney brass shouldn't be afraid of it at all, and at least it is available in some form, although I'll be glad to see it again in it's complete version on the front of 'Return To Neverland' (probably now the main reason to see that movie)! As for the rest of the 'American Legneds' DVD, the additional shorts included are 'Paul Bunyan' (quite similar in theme to 'JH'), 'Johnny Appleseed' (from the 'Melody Time' feature) and 'The Brave Engineer' - although there are many more tales that could have been included to bump up the running time. The
inclusion of 'Pecos Bill', 'Ben and Me', 'The Saga of Windwagon Smith' would also have been of great interest to Disney fans! What bonus features we have are limited to an 'American Legends' Learning Game, and the original Walt Disney television introduction to 'Johnny Appleseed'. There's nothing extra, although it's always great to see original Disney footage, but I just can't believe the program was so heavily compressed, as it's technically not using even half of the DVD's storage! The 58 minute program actually only runs 54 minutes - there's a four-short film credit roll at the end that makes up the time difference! This title will play well enough for the average consumer's kids, but overall this DVD is a chance for Disney fanatics to own the 'JH' short - possibly the only time we'll be able to, unless that long-ago planned version of 'Song of the South' ever hits stands and they included it as an extra! Don't get me started on THAT one!!
Rating: 
Summary: Disney fails in the most simplest of tasks
Review: The menus are slapdash and the supplemental material is unmemorable. The commentaries by James Earl Jones are informative, but useless and the shorts are NOT shown in their entirety. Disney has done us the favor of removing the opening and closing credits from each short. Admittedly, my criticism of this DVD is probably one only hard-core animation fans will be able to relate to, but I find this DVD to be unacceptable. Maybe in some alternate universe Disney is releasing a 'Tall Tales' DVD, not in some feeble attempt to make money off of patriotism, but because they want to present their classic shorts the way they deserve to be presented. A world where Disney would even include 'Pecos Bill' and not think they'll offend people because he smokes cigarettes(like anyone cares). If you just like to watch cartoons, rent it. If you like to buy this kind of stuff for posterity, it's not worth the DVD it's burned on.
Rating:
Summary: Solid LEGENDS treatment deserved more!
Review: This collection of Disney animated shorts, based on American folklore, is mainly comprised of 3 previously released featurettes (Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan & Casey Jones), along with a new one (John Henry). All of these shorts are linked by segments hosted by James Earl Jones. The concept of featuring American folklore heroes in a full-length film is a very laudable one, given the tenor of the times since September 11, and the segments are very solid. The "John Henry" section is an excellent stylized piece that tells a moving version of the legend with the Sounds of Blackness providing stirring music in the background. The "Paul Bunyan" short is more in the classic tall-tale vein, while the "Johnny Appleseed" section is more on the sweet side. The Casey Jones (called "the Brave Engineer") segment wraps things up on a more slapstick and comedic note. Unfortunately, the DVD could've been so much more. For what this thing costs, the almost hour-long running time is a little too short to be satisfying. Also, there is a suprising lack of special features with only Walt Disney's original introduction to "Johnny Appleseed" and a couple of American folklore themed games being included. It would've been nice to see Disney include 2 more American folklore shorts from its vault, "Pecos Bill" and "Windwagon Smith", in this collection for a more complete film. James Earl Jones' introductions to the shorts are both informative and interesting. While this DVD could've been so much more, given its potential, it's a solid introduction to the world of American folklore that I would definitely recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Solid LEGENDS treatment deserved more!
Review: This collection of Disney animated shorts, based on American folklore, is mainly comprised of 3 previously released featurettes (Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan & Casey Jones), along with a new one (John Henry). All of these shorts are linked by segments hosted by James Earl Jones. The concept of featuring American folklore heroes in a full-length film is a very laudable one, given the tenor of the times since September 11, and the segments are very solid. The "John Henry" section is an excellent stylized piece that tells a moving version of the legend with the Sounds of Blackness providing stirring music in the background. The "Paul Bunyan" short is more in the classic tall-tale vein, while the "Johnny Appleseed" section is more on the sweet side. The Casey Jones (called "the Brave Engineer") segment wraps things up on a more slapstick and comedic note. Unfortunately, the DVD could've been so much more. For what this thing costs, the almost hour-long running time is a little too short to be satisfying. Also, there is a suprising lack of special features with only Walt Disney's original introduction to "Johnny Appleseed" and a couple of American folklore themed games being included. It would've been nice to see Disney include 2 more American folklore shorts from its vault, "Pecos Bill" and "Windwagon Smith", in this collection for a more complete film. James Earl Jones' introductions to the shorts are both informative and interesting. While this DVD could've been so much more, given its potential, it's a solid introduction to the world of American folklore that I would definitely recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Cashing in on patriotism
Review: This DVD was probably created as Disney's quick, kiddie answer to the surging patriotism in the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. As American consumers were buying flags in record numbers, Disney artists were likely tossing through tinny stacks of old film reels, scavenging for old pro-American cartoon clips that could be spliced into a new collection for kids. Only one of the four cartoons on this disk is new. The other three have the familiar look and sound of Disney past, and if you are American, you're guaranteed to have seen these three cartoons more times than you could have counted during your own childhood. I'll forgive Disney for cashing in on our heightened American-ness right now. I recognize our need to feel truly united after an event like the attacks on New York and the Pentagon, and focusing on the stories that define our nation is one way to do that. Disney attempts to give children that feeling of unity with American Legends, stories of four American "heroes" of years past. However, the cartoon selections on the disk are poorly chosen, and the disk itself is overpriced.
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