Today is a glorious day, dear readers. A grave injustice has been corrected. Today is the day that The Iron Giant is finally getting a Blu-ray release and you can finally own this masterpiece in stunning HD and watch hours upon hours of wonderful bonus material. Warner Bros. has finally seen the error of their ways and the fact that they gave The Iron Giant such a splendid release, it's cause for celebration. However, as we can scratch one film from the list, this day is also a reminder that there are still many films and TV series that are awaiting a proper Blu-ray release and it's time for the studios to deliver.
As with my previous list, from two years ago, this list applies to US releases.
Films
The Prince of Egypt (and the rest of DWA's catalogue titles)
The Prince of Egypt made the list two years ago and sadly, it's still part of it two years later. It's a crime that such wonderful film still haven't received a blu-ray upgrade. The Prince of Egypt is one of DWA's best films (if not the best) and deserves to be seen in the best format available. Just imagine the breathtaking animation in high-definition and you can see why this release needs to happen. Hopefully, NBCUniversal (DWA's new parent company) will see the value of releasing this fantastic film on blu-ray and finally give fans the release we deserve.
Also, while I'm not a fan of any of the following films, I think they too need to be released on BD if only so their respective fan-base can own them. These are:
-Antz
-The Road to El Dorado
-Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.
-Shark Tale
-Over the Hedge
Aardman films (Chicken Run/Wallace & Gromit/ Flushed Away)
Another repeat from the previous list and it has the same culprit: DreamWorks Animation which distributed these Aardman films. Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of Flushed Away but Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit are fantastic films and all three need to be released on Blu-ray immediately.
Walt Disney Animation Studios' remaining films
Two years ago, both Aladdin and 101 Dalmatians were not available on Blu-ray. Thankfully, they are now but oddly, instead of completing the whole canon, Disney's Home Video Division (which is a complete mess) has decided to not release the five remaining films from the studio. These films are: Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Melody Time and The Black Cauldron. Yes, they are not the most popular Disney films but if movies like Home on the Range and Chicken Little can have a blu-ray release, why not these ones?
Studio Ghibli Films
In a span of two years, most Ghibli films have been released on BD and audiences can now enjoy masterpieces like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and even the never-before released Only Yesterday in splendid high-definition transfers. There are only two remaining films awaiting a Blu-ray release and these are My Neighbors The Yamadas which Disney already released it on DVD and now they are just being stubborn and Ocean Waves, a TV film that has never been released on home video in the US. Let's hope GKIDS can get the rights and give it a Blu-ray release just like they did with Only Yesterday. And, if Disney does not want Yamadas, they should give it to GKIDS which has proven a much better partner for Studio Ghibli than the Mouse House.
The Triplets of Belleville and Tokyo Godfathers
Sylvain Chomet's delightful Oscar-nominated film and Satoshi-Kon's underrated classic are still missing a Blu-ray release and distributor Sony Pictures Classic is still as quiet as it was two years ago.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
How many Blu-ray releases can you count for Burton and Nolan's Batman films? At least two if not more. How many can you count for Batman: Mask of the Phantasm? None. Arguably, the best Batman film of all time, Mask of the Phantasm has been mistreated by WB since its initial release. However, one has hope that now that The Iron Giant got its due, this wonderful Batman adventure will follow suit in the near future.
TV series
DC Animated Universe
WB did a great job in releasing a complete set of the campy Batman TV series from the 60's. Why can't do the same for Batman: The Animated Series, which is considered one of the best series of all time? Justice League and Justice League Unlimited are now available on Blu-ray but what about the one that started it all? If WB could restore and release a complete set for the 60's Batman, they can do the same for the animated one (and also for Batman Beyond).
Gargoyles
Perhaps the best series that has come from Disney, Gargoyles deserved a much better treatment than it was given back in the 90's. Disney has a chance to correct that and release the two seasons (we don't speak about The Goliath Chronicles) on Blu-ray so new generations can get the chance to discover and love this wonderful and nuanced series.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
One of the best offerings from Nickelodeon, Avatar is a wonderful series full of compelling characters, epic battles and beautiful animation. Why, then Nick has not release it on Blu-ray? It's a shame we can't enjoy this superb series in high-definition and do epic marathons alongside The Legend of Korra (which is available on Blu-ray). Hopefully, Nick will correct this mistake and deliver a set that all fans can enjoy.
Gravity Falls
Gravity Falls wrapped up its amazing, if all too brief run, earlier this year leaving its big fan-base with nothing more than a few DVD compilations of some episodes. Due to its popularity, I think it's a no-brainer to release a complete set on Blu-ray giving fans the chance to revisit this great series over and over again. However, we are talking about Disney here and the chances we'll get this are pretty slim to say the least.
What other animated films do you think need to get Blu-ray upgrades? Tell us in the comments below!
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