As with 2002's Treasure Planet, Home on the Range was yet another of Disney's post-2000 animated features that didn’t fare well in the box-office, saddling it with the unfair reputation as the film that helped kill the studios' traditional (i.e. hand-drawn) feature department. That's quite a burden for any single film to bear, and now that a Pixar-led restoration has managed to get things back on track at Disney, the film has finally been given enough chance to appeal to a new generation of reviews in a new high-definition transfer on Blu-ray. Despite its features being presented in standard-definition there's plenty of good old-fashioned slapstick laughs and catchy tunes by the legendary Alan Menken that are sure to give fans and new viewers alike something to love in this “moo”ving tale.

The story begins with the sad news of an old lady’s farm that’s about to be foreclosed, leaving the animals in fear about what’s to come. Instead of panicking, three dairy cows named Maggie (voiced hilariously by Roseanne Barr), Grace (Jennifer Tilly), and the slightly snooty Mrs. Calloway (Judi Dench) decide to take matters in their own udders and set out to capture a yodeling cattle rustler named Alameda Slim (Randy Quaid) and use the reward money to save the farm. Along the way, they run into some competition in the form of a bounty hunter named Rico (Charles Dennis) and his horse Buck (Cuba Gooding Jr.) who threaten to ruin their plan. Of course this leads to plenty of laughs and adventure as the cows and Buck sometimes fight and work together along with some newfound friends to capture Slim and collect the money.

I’m glad that Disney decided to give this movie another chance, as it felt pretty good seeing it again. Everything from the chemistry of the cast, to the fun and catchy soundtrack, make this prime beef of a title a joy to watch. And experiencing this on Blu-ray just serves to make things even more fun to look at it. The high-definition picture makes all of the vibrant colors and the sharp lines of detail really stand out here, as though the film was released recently instead of 2004. The soundtrack is just as exciting as the picture, especially with the great Alan Menken doing the score and writing the catchy songs presented in DTS-HD 5.1 here. The audio makes sure that every Menken written song performed by folks such as K.D. Lang, Tim Mcgraw, and Bonnie Raitt, to the hilarious dialogue come through loud and clear.

Sadly, as with the Treasure Planet Blu-ray release, the special features didn’t get the HD treatment, but they’re still worth checking out. They kick off with audio commentary by producer Alice Dewey and directors Will Finn and John Sanford, who discuss the many changes the film went through (including being a supernatural western called Sweating Bullets at one point) before it was finally released. “A Dairy Tale” is a cute animated short presented in an super-deformed style that has Mrs. Calloway’s telling a rendition of “The Three Little Pigs” with some of the other characters from the movie acting it out. There’s four “Deleted Scenes” that showcase ideas that didn’t make the cut and are introduced by directors Will Finn and John Sanford.

“Trailblazers: The Making of Home on the Range” goes into how the film’s production came about with comments from some of crew, including Alan Menken sharing how he found inspiration for some of the songs and music. Finally, “Art Review” features two crew members that discuss some pictures of the old west they took and how they inspired locations for the film.

As with their recent Treasure Planet release, Disney has done a wonderful job bringing back Home on the Range, as it can finally be seen by a whole new generation of viewers who may not have known it existed. The trio of female leads are hilarious, the music by legendary Alan Menken catchy, and there's plenty of good old-fashioned laughs that make this a treat for those willing to disregard its controversial beginnings and give it a chance to shine on its own merits. If you’re you’re looking for some animated fun with some catchy country tunes thrown in, you’ll want to “moo”ve on down to the general store and get your hooves on this Blu-ray.