The Triplets of Belleville (DVD)

It is time for me to change my opinion on The Triplets of Belleville, just a little bit.

Just before this film hit the theaters I had heard so much about it already, about how great it was and how it was better than Finding Nemo, so it is no doubt that my interest was peaked, but once I saw it I was sorely disappointed.

I was irritated by the loud sound effects and their annoyance, and I wasn't able to find any of it funny, certainly not as funny as the audience that attended the advance screening with me, but now with the DVD I have fixed a few of these annoying details.

First off let me give you just a short synopsis on this film. The Triplets of Belleville follows Madame Souza and her bicycle-enthusiast grandson, Champion. Once Champion is kidnapped by mysterious henchmen, an old woman is aided in her search by her faithful dog and three eccentric divas, The Triplets of Belleville.

Now, not only did I give this movie a 'D' when I graded it, but I also gave it an honorable mention in my "Worst of 2003" list, but after watching the movie again in the comfort of my own home I realized that the annoying little sound effects that were so prevalent when I watched the movie at the theater were much better this time around since they weren't so loud. The volume was cranked up in the theater, with so much treble that I now realize really hurt my opinion of the film.

It also helped that I didn't have a bunch of chuckle heads laughing at every stupid punch-line that I was able to actually enjoy that artwork, which I actually did praise in my earlier review.

Along with the fact that I enjoyed the film a bit more this time around I also enjoyed some of the special features on the disc.

One thing to do before watching this film, if it will be your first time, is to watch the trailer included on the disc, it really is a good one adding a bit of excitement before you watch, just as I think this goes for the majority of films on DVD now days.

Also on the DVD are a couple of featurettes, both with writer/director Sylvain Chomet. The first one is a making of feature that is really insightful as it doesn't focus on just one thing too much and really shows you everything that went into bringing this feature to life, and just how long it took.

The other feature is titled "The Cartoon According to Director Sylvain Chomet," which has Sylvain guiding you through what exactly he does to bring his drawings to life. While you won't become a professional animator using this featurette, but you will learn a little more about what goes into it.

As far as commentaries go this film skips the feature-length commentary and has a special section with three commentaries on three select scenes from the film. They are all interesting and it was a good way to go, especially since the commentaries are in French with English subtitles, which would have got annoying for 80 minutes.

The only thing I really didn't like about the DVD was the music video inclusion, which is of the title song for the Triplets and it doesn't use the version from the film, which is really the best version. Just like I didn't like the rendition done at the 2004 Oscars, this one also falls short.

Taking everything into consideration this DVD will appeal to many, exactly as it appealed to me, even after I had such a bad experience in the theater. So I suggest you at least rent it, and you may find yourself wanting to own a copy yourself.