Dreamworks' "fowl" take on The Great Escape arrives on DVD in an elegant edition that is sure to please all comers. The picture is stunningly clear, presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen format with rich, textured colors. The sound is Dolby Digital 5.1, offering tremendous depth and clarity. But while these features alone make this a worthy purchase, it's the extras that will have people flocking to the stores. Chicken Run offers a witty commentary from directors Nick Park and Peter Lord and a pair of documentaries. While the documentaries both feature largely the same material, it's interesting to watch the painstaking process of bringing claymation characters to life. There is also a "read-along" feature, which is a storybook retelling of the film designed for younger viewers, as well as the usual trailers, production notes, and bios. Also of note are the dozen "Easter Eggs" hidden throughout the film's menus. Click on any of these to find interesting tidbits on the making of the film. This DVD is one that truly has broad appeal: from animation fans to movie buffs or kids, there is something here for everybody.

Columbia/TriStar's two-disc special edition of Guy Ritchie's marvelous caper film Snatch is an extras-packed digital romp and an appropriate release for a film that wallows so freely in digital excess and charm. Disc one includes the U.K. version, which includes about three extra minutes of footage, available both in pan-and-scan or in its original widescreen theatrical ratio of 1.85:1. The picture is outstanding and looks sharp throughout, with no evidence of any digital artifacts. The color is intentionally desaturated, giving the film a gritty, '70s kind of feel. Though the disc does include the pan-and-scan option, the widescreen option is definitely preferable. The film has been given both an English 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack and a two-channel Dolby Surround option. Both tracks are great, with channel separations and a heavy bottom end that never diminishes the dialogue scenes, though the two-channel option does tend to sound a bit bolder at times. A French-language track is also available. The film also has multiple subtitle options, the best being the translations of Brad Pitt's "pikey" dialogue into English. At one point only a question mark appears during one of Pitt's unintelligible ramblings. Great stuff and very funny. Disc one also contains a "Stealing Stones" option that allows viewers to watch the film with its deleted scenes reintegrated. A diamond icon will occasionally appear in the upper right-hand corner where the deleted scene should go. By clicking the "Enter" button on their remote controls, viewers will then be allowed to view the scene. This option, though interesting, is not recommended since the scenes have been taken from the editor's workprint and the overall picture and sound are very shabby. The same scenes are available separately on disc two. Disc one also contains a commentary track with director Ritchie and producer Matthew Vaughn. The track is fun and relatively informative, though the two occasionally need to be prodded to move things along and/or keep talking! Very loose and informal, so in a way it has its moments. Disc two contains a 24-minute "making of" featurette, which is very enjoyable; storyboard comparisons (including a valuable appraisal of the masterful climactic boxing scene); the previously mentioned deleted scenes (nothing too magnificent); a montage photo gallery; TV spots and theatrical trailers, including trailers for other Columbia/TriStar releases; and more. There are also a few "Easter eggs" to be found on disc two. By highlighting the arrow key, then pressing the upper arrow key on your remote, a yellow exclamation mark will appear in the upper right-hand corner. Press "Enter" and you will be asked if you are easily offended. Whether you press "yes" or "no," you will be witness to a 90-second montage of some of the best profanity in films today. To get to the other Easter eggs, go to the second screen in the extras menu, highlight the arrow again, press the upper arrow key on your remote, and the number "1" should then appear. Press "Enter" on your remote and you will see a 70-second montage of some of the best quotes from the film. Other Easter eggs await you in the filmography section of the disc.

The mermaid comedy classic Splash comes back to DVD in a jam-packed 20th Anniversary Edition thanks to Touchstone Home Entertainment. Presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen picture with brand-new Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, the flick looks and sounds better than ever. Bonus features are where this sucker really scores the points, and it all starts with the "Making a Splash" all-new featurette. Clocking in at 24 minutes and chock-full of interviews new and old, the making-of is a fun and informative look at the film through the eyes of all involved (including a few archival moments with the great John Candy). Also worth a look are the original Ron Howard audition tapes with Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. An introduction by Howard leads you into these interesting glimpses at the stars-before-they-were-stars as they work out deliveries and character quirks in a back-and-forth with the director. If that weren't enough, you also get a group commentary from Ron Howard's gang of partners in crime, including the director himself, his spiky-haired producer chum Brian Grazer, and the hilarious comedy writing duo of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The chat is light and brisk as the track bops its way along, with Mandel and Ganz cracking wise every chance they get, while Grazer proves once again why producers don't make for good commentators -- the "This is Brian" tag that he throws in literally before everything he says gets old really fast! Some would call out the studio for not including a trailer, but that unfortunately seems to be the norm in big discs these days. If you're a fan of the flick and have been looking forward to a better version than the first slim release, you'll flip over this edition.