Walt Disney Pictures has now unleashed yet another full-length trailer for the fast-approaching Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time.

This time around, the trailer’s focus sticks most closely to the film’s fabled “Dagger of Time” and its time-reversing capabilities, as well as a little more background for the characters and the to-be-expected romance between Prince Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton.)

Check out the rip-roaring action and effects for yourself:

There you have it. Not a lot of difference, really, but it’s nice to see them pushing the plotline a little more than the first trailer. That one focused more on the spectacle factor, evoked by the film’s massive effects sequences and blockbuster set pieces revolving around the wall-jumping and climbing that the video game made famous.

Director Mike Newell is definitely shaping up to be one of this generation’s more eclectic filmmakers, and he’s most assuredly pulling from his experience directing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for this fantasy epic.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time also stars Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina, and crashes into theaters on May 28.

As always, we want to know what you think! Hit the comments section and tell us your opinion of the new trailer.

Walt Disney Pictures has just released a new behind-the-scenes featurette for their upcoming adventure epic Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time.

The video contains interviews with director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire,) stars Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain,) and Gemma Arterton (Quantum Of Solace,) and legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, as well as showcasing some new footage of the breathtaking medieval Persian world that the filmmakers have created.

Check out the video below:

The film, based on the hugely popular video game, will revolve around Prince Dastan (Gyllenhaal) as he and Tamina (Arterton), a princess from a rival kingdom, band together to stop Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley’s evil Nizam from unleashing what has been referred to as a sandstorm that can destroy the world. In order to defeat Nizam, Dastan must utilize The Dagger of Time, a mythical blade that allows him to control the flow of time, no doubt guaranteeing a slew of awesome CG-effect sequences as the film itself is paused, rewound, and slowed.

Walt Disney Pictures has set the film’s release date for May 28, putting it right into the summer fray that will include Iron Man 2, Robin Hood, Shrek Forever After, and Sex and the City 2.

A new concept image has just been released by Walt Disney Pictures for next year’s upcoming sequel to Pixar’s Cars.

The picture gives us a pretty good idea of what the film’s plot will be, clearly showing the ever-confident Lightning McQueen speeding through the Japanese countryside.

That’s right, racing fans, the Pixar sequel will showcase Lightning (voiced by returning Owen Wilson) and fan-favorite Mater (Larry “The Cable Guy” Whitney) trekking across the globe as part of a worldwide Grand Prix. The film will reportedly take our heroes to Japan, Germany, Italy, France, and England.

Longtime Pixar producer Brad Lewis will be making his directorial debut, taking over from the company’s Chief Creative Officer, John Lasseter, who directed the first Cars to an Academy Award nomination.

Cars 2 was originally scheduled for a 2012 release, but was bumped ahead to just next year, making 2011 the first year to feature two releases by Pixar. Racing alongside Cars 2 will be The Bear And The Bow.

Look for Cars 2 to roll off the assembly line June 24, 2011.

Up is still in my top three films of the year. Even now with it’s release on Blu-ray, the gut-punch still gets me and it’s still a marvelous film to watch. The Blu-ray is also no slouch in it’s pristine presentation of the film, it also features a nice batch of extras that go into great detail about how and why the film was made. In honor of this release, I was able to participate in a virtual roundtable discussion with both Docter and Peterson. Aside from being dressed in obscure outfits (Docter in a bunny suit, Peterson as Amelia Earhart,) both seemed to be very proud of the work they did. They should be as the film is incredible.

Who came up with the idea to cast Ed Asner as Carl?

Bob Peterson: Once Pete and I had arrived at the idea of doing an Old Man movie, the thought of Ed Asner came fairly early on. Good casting at Pixar is an exercise of balance. Woody in “Toy Story” could have been perceived as unappealing when he was jealous of Buzz if we had the wrong voice for him, but Tom Hanks brings such a natural appeal that he balanced any of Woody’s negatives. The same with Ed Asner. Ed’s soulfullness balanced his curmudgeon side. When Ed saw the small statue of his character when he came in to read for us he said “It looks nothing like me!!!” In a cranky (tongue in cheek) way. We knew from that, that Ed was the perfect voice for Carl!!

Other than the trip to South America, what inspired the story of UP?

Bob Peterson: Various things – the lives of our grandparents. For example, I had a grandfather who always wanted to go West from Ohio, but never got the chance. I had the foresight to videotape my grandparent’s home after they had passed 20 years ago. There are the side by side chairs – one soft and one hard which absolutely paralleled who the were as people. Many of our life experiences with our wives and children were put into play in the script, and of course living with our dogs gave us great insight into dog behavior!

Who or what was the inspiration behind Charles Muntz?

Bob Peterson: Charles Muntz in story terms is “Carl Fredriksen at the end of the line.” In other words, if Carl had made it to Paradise Falls without accepting others into his life, then he would have gone crazy, wallowing in his unfinished quest. Carl is represented by a square shape. So as far as shape language, Muntz is a “collapsed square.” He end up having more diamond shapes as if a square has collapsed upon itself. From real reference, we looked at the grand adventurers of the last century including Lindbergh. We looked at Howard Hughes, being a sort of inventor/adventurer. We also looked at photos of Errol Flynn and even the dapper photos of Walt Disney in the 1930′s with his pencil thin mustache.

While Docter was on hand as well, he didn’t answer the questions we gave him. Nor did he answer the question my partner in crime Shane MacDonald of Eye Crave Network, but Bob Peterson was. Shane was gracious enough to let me use his question for this piece, so if you could, give him and his site a visit. I promise he won’t steal your girlfriend.

When you release the final film is it like watching your kids go off into the world? You’ve shaped it, guided along, then you have to let them go and see how they do.

Bob Peterson: Yes. It is interesting watching the movie for the first time at our Wrap Parties with our crew. We don’t ever get to see our movies like a regular audience member because we lived through the creation of the film and see the memories brought forward by each shot and movement we see. When I look at my 14 year old (who I don’t want to grow up and go to college!!!) I see her as a 3 year old at the pumpkin patch, the the 5th grader at the spelling bee.Those memories are there. When our movies leave us we hope we’ve given them enough love and sense to do great things in the world!!

Up is available now on Blu-ray and DVD, but quite honestly, grab the Blu-ray. Better deal, and it comes with a DVD of the film that has some nice extras.

Pretty much, this is my reaction to the Toy Story 3 trailer, at least the beginning of it. Point is, my generation (and I say that with confidence) has grown up with these characters and love them just as much as Andy loved teaming up Buzz and Woody to take down Mr. Potato-head. Pixar knows this, and they’ve embraced that in the story by having Andy’s connection with them lost. Well unlike Andy, most of us still hold that connection, which just makes the first half so gut-wrenching.

Then the second half shows up and lets us know the comedy will be there as well to relief the heartbreak. Maybe I’m in a minority, but I am slightly amused by a Spanish-speaking and dancing Buzz Lightyear.  I’m still still interested to see how much of a role Slinky will be or who will replace him.

The teaser is now in HD here at Apple Quicktime.

How do you review a landmark film? I don’t mean ‘classic’ like, say, Army of Darkness or Bullitt. No, I’m referring to films that pioneered cinema and have had dozens upon dozens of great things already chronicled about them. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs carried impact when it first debuted in 1937, namely because it was the first animated feature film and it didn’t topple over like many nay-sayers predicted. Instead, like all films that stand with the weight of the critical world against them, Walt Disney’s first animated feature made a huge splash that forever changed the landscape of cinema. It’s a safe bet that without this picture, we would not be enjoying any Pixar films and would be left without the prospect of future Disney classics.

But again the question for one comes back to, what can be said that hasn’t already been boasted about this film? There’s nothing here that’s not to love, and this adaptation of fairy tale(s) to the silver screen has become the basis of what Disney is all about. There’s a reason The Queen earned her reputation as one of the most evil characters around. In fact it is socially relevant that her reasons for killing Snow White are no different than the evil popular girl wanting to rub out the new girl for being sweet, innocent, and everything she’s not. Of course it’s tough to find a high school teenage queen who has as stockpile of poison apples at her disposal. She might not be the best one, but she’s the villain all Disney villains for all time will be compared to.

Then we have the lovely Dwarfs who in some aspects have become more popular than Snow White herself. They too have cemented their place as some of the ultimate sidekicks in cinema history. They may be limited individually, and yet we’re still able to find an emotional connection to each one. True, Dopey, Grumpy, and Doc are more prominent, but one feels just as strongly about them as they would Bashful, Sleepy, Happy, and Sneezy. Maybe it’s how their drawn, or how lovable all of them are, or maybe it’s because there’s some expert characterization going on with each of the seven. Whatever it is, it’s tough not to fall in love with these guys.

All this and we’ve yet to mention the main character of this story, Snow White herself. To be fair, she is a little bland but the intent might be for the audience to project themselves onto her. No doubt Disney would better characterize his leads in future films, but Snow White, much like Superman (albiet not as complex) represents pure goodness in the world. Prince Charming represents what every woman wants in her life, and he gets the least amount of characterization, and that shows.

I’ve tried, but I don’t think I’ve really added anything to this film’s already phenomenal reputation. The stellar animation stills holds up to this day and as simple as the story might be, it has and will continue to survive for future generations to come. Maybe it’s not a flawless film, but it’s nearly a perfect one and it belongs in any collection, be it Disney, animation or otherwise.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

The Video

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is presented in it’s original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and without question looks the best it has ever looked, and likely better than when it was first released. All of the colors come in very vibrantly and sharpness was never an issue. The details are all there, and quite honestly it appears as if Walt and his team animated this puppy yesterday. While the super-format might show off animation inconsistencies, who honestly cares when the film itself is the best it’s ever been?

Rating: ★★★★★ 

The Audio

Snow White gets it’s original mono track in tact as well as a DTS-HA 7.1 track that sounds just as stellar as the animation. It’s not without its problems, but the audio is fine and remains centered throughout the film. Granted, we’re dealing with 72-year old audio so I’m more than willing to forgive flat effects and music as well as edginess in the dialogue. But again, the film sounds fine, especially when you kick up the mono track. Personally, I prefer mono to DTS here only because that’s how the film was originally released and it’s the best it’s ever sounded.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Packaging and Extras

Interestingly enough, Disney has done something with DVD release of this film. It’s marketed and released in a DVD case, but it has both Blu-ray discs as well as a bonus DVD disc with some special features – but no exclusive content.

First up is an audio commentary introduced by Disney Vice Chairman Roy E. Disney and features animation historian John Canemaker as well as audio recordings from Walt Disney himself. It’s not screen-specific; while Disney covers the origins of the project and the resentment he held toward the picture, Canemaker goes over the problems with animating the Mirror and more mundane things like naming the Dwarfs. It’s well handled piece and definitely worth a listen as it manages to engage and entertain.

Next up to bat is a feature called “Disney View” which gives the option of putting red curtains or a forest background in the black bar sections as the film plays. While this is nice for kids, I can’t see the thing catching on for adults. Still, at least the red curtains can be appreciated as a nice throwback to times of yesteryear.

Disney has also included the first eight minutes of their upcoming The Princess and the Frog and is designed to get the little ones, and hopefully adults, hyped for the release. In all honesty, it does this job well and is worth a look.

“Snow White Returns” runs roughly eight minutes and features unfinished storyboards narrated by producer Don Hahn and also allows us to see concept for an abandoned sequel to Snow White.

We also get two deleted scenes called “Soup Eating Sequence” and “Bed Building Sequence”. Neither is completed as they feature unfinished animation. Still, they’re nice to admire and look at.

We’re followed with a music video for “Someday My Prince Will Come” by Disney star Tiffany Thornton. Next.

Under “Family Play”, four mini-games are given and they are “Mirror, Mirror On the Wall”, “Jewel Jumble”, “What Do You See?”, and “Scene Stealer.” They’re all fun to play through, and should definitely keep the kids entertained.

An interactive game called “Dopey’s Wild Ride” has you travel through the mine and answer questions about Snow White. Interesting and fun, it’s worth a try.

Next is a whole section dedicated to Disney’s former Hyperion Studios. It’s broken into a number of sub-menus and is recommended for through-viewing from the index rather than through the very pretty hi-def menus. It’s informative and amazing, featuring audio clips, featurettes, and images with various studio personalities and film historians.

“Disney Through the Decades” features prominent Disney faces like Jodi Benson and Roy E. Disney and gives a brief rundown of the history of the company. Even if superficial, it features some nice material.

“Animation Voice Talent” takes us through footage of the animators working with the voice actors, namely Adrianna Caselotti working with animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson. It provides us with info on how the actors got their parts and learn bits of their careers. Worth a look at least.

“Karakoe Sing-Along” is more tuned for the kids as it features the classic “Heigh-Ho” and this can be viewed in the original version or with no singing. The lyrics do appear at the bottom of the screen and bounce along.

“The One That Started It All” takes a look at Disney’s attraction to Snow White and why he chose that story, the film’s success and challenges it faced for getting made. Overall, it’s a nice celebration of the film.

Now I know the Platinum Edition is already out there with some stellar extras (and I also feel that’s why the DVD version skimped on extras) but for my money this is the version to own (obviously) as it does indeed present the best all-around view of the film.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Overall

For the film, there’s not much left to say other than it’s a landmark piece in the Disney library and pioneered animation features that we still enjoy to this day. While maybe not Disney’s best (Lion King or Pinocchio probably holds that distinction,) it’s still arguably their most important work. The Blu-ray has now landed with jaw-dropping visual presentation, good audio, and informative, entertaining extras. Even if you already own the Platinum Edition, this is a must-have in every sense of the word.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

It’s featurette time, but it’s taking the form of “Ultimate Ghost Story” in Robert Zemeckis’ A Christmas Carol. We get a better in depth look on each one of the ghosts that get at Scrooge (Jim Carrey) and why each one is designed the way they are along with brand new clips of the upcoming film mixed in. Also featuring the voices of Robin Wright-Penn, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Bob Hoskins, this 3D Walt Disney Pictures event will storm its way into theaters and IMAX on November 6th. Watch this exclusive piece below:

Walt Disney Pictures and Image Movers Digital’s newest cgi animated feature A Christmas Carol is chugging into theaters sooner than you think. Coming out on November 6th, the Robert Zemeckis directed feature stars actor Jim Carrey. This classic story retold yet again to the masses now has its second trailer. Look down below at it: