Product Review

This DVD, Hansel & Gretel: An Opera Fantasy, may be the definitive production of one of the greatest fairy tales ever told. With brilliant imagination and technical wizardry, comparable only to Walt Disney's Fantasia, this DVD uses stop-action animation, over 35 hand-sculpted Kinemen dolls (a precursor to claymation), and lavish sets to create a fantasyland of unearthly beauty. Set to Englebert Humperdinck's classic 1893 opera, sung by some of the most acclaimed performers of the time (Anna Russell, Constance Brigham, Mildred Dunnockand Frank Rogier), the film's score, conducted by Franz Aller, won a Grammy Award and is filled with characters of unparalleled charm.

The Kinemen characters featured in the film took over 15 years to develop. Compounded of intricate armatures, a secret chemical mixture for flesh, human hair, magnetized feet and truly human personalities; they are exemplary ''actors,'' able to simulate natural movements of the human body, with a variety of facial expressions that equal the range of humans.

Directed by Michael Meyerberg, this DVD, Hansel & Gretel: An Opera Fantasy, is a masterpiece, combining melodic beauty, a whimsical story, a magical settings, and delightful characters, that will delight both your children and the rest of the family alike with this inventive and original recreation of the classic fairytale.

DVD BONUS FEATURES:
Composer Englebert Humperdinck Biography
''Making Of...'' Featurette
Story Synopsis
Over 30 Scene Selections with Instant Access to Songs
Digital Dolby Stereo Audio
Digitally Mastered Audio & Video
Multi-dimensional Interactive Menus