Review: 'James and the Giant Peach' Blu-ray Full of Peachy Wonder

Inspired by the Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) children's book now spanning generations, James and the Giant Peach was magic on DVD and is even better on Blu-ray as a Disney two-disc combo with both options.

The film was produced by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick, who also lensed Burton's visionary Nightmare Before Christmas and the equally enchanting and weird Coraline from the Neil Gaiman tale. It's not purely animation as there are live-action sequences as well, mixed with stop-motion techniques and CGi. 

An orphan lad named James, his parents lost to darkness, has been at the mercy of his pair of nasty aunts. Then, he rescues a spider, a strangers bestows him with magic crocodile tongues that once scattered in a garden at the roots of a tree result in a giant peach that takes him a special journey encompassing friendship bravery and fulfilling dreams. 

The voice cast includes Paul Terry as James, along with talents such as Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon, Simon Callow, and Jane Leeves with Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margolyes as those creepy aunts, plus music by Randy Newman that balances whimsy, wonder and things getting very strange. 

For children yet to see the film and also adults who missed it in earlier incarnations, this edition is a treat.  As otherworldly as the original DVD release amd even VHS tape was, on Blu-ray the colors and images seem to pop tenfold.

For the most part, many of thespecial features here are similar to the DVD edition and not in High-def.  There's a fascinating production featurette that pulls back on the curtain on what it takes to make this kind of modern-day puppet-ish type of film;  Newsman's "Good News" music video; a new "Spike the Aunts Game" that's fun for kids;  "BDisneyLive!" offering a BD network connection to online ccntent; and a preview of the direct-to-DVD and and Blu-ray Tinker Bell and The Great Fairy Rescue, coming in Fall 2010. There's also a teaser for Tangled, the upcoming new take on the story of  "Rapunzel" due in theaters November 24. 

So, while the extra bells and whistles are engaging and  also useful enough, it still comes down the actual film, and on Blu-ray, just as it was a few years ago on DVD, James and the Giant Peach maintains a sense of wonder than makes for our best children's stories grown-ups can love, too.