While animation fans are most likely familiar with the work of Japanese auteur Hayao Miyazaki through “Princess Mononoke” or his Oscar-winning “Spirited Away,” the anime giant’s previous output has been harder to find.

Disney has released new editions of several of his older films, including his science fiction epic “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” in a handsome, if underperforming, DVD package.

The basic story of “Nausicaa” concerns the young girl of the title and her efforts to thwart the attempts of two warring empires to destroy the great forests and the giant insects who exist there.

The film comes with both the original Japanese language track, as well as a new English dub involving such names as Patrick Stewart and Uma Thurman.

The most interesting special feature on the two-disc set takes up the entirety of the second disc, where the complete storyboards for the film are synced up to the finished film’s soundtrack, including the English dub.

While a look at the effort put into the pre-production of an animated film is fascinating, it is difficult to watch for the entire two hours, especially with the actual film on the other disc.

The features on the first disc are far less ambitious. The original Japanese trailers are included, which are somewhat amusing but rather repetitive.

A behind-the-scenes look at the voice recording done by the English cast is worth a look, but it is over quickly and gives very few original insights. Uma Thurman actually shares the best ideas, as one of the only cast members who also speaks Japanese.

Finally, the disc includes a documentary on Studio Ghibli, the Japanese company behind Miyazaki, but it depends on badly dubbed narration and reenactments of bland situations. It sheds little light on the actual making of any of the films mentioned and quickly turns into little more than a clip show.

Despite the lackluster extras, the DVD for “Nausicaa” can be recommended wholeheartedly based on the quality of the film itself, a movie of towering stature onlyslightly hobbled by a second-rate DVD package.

– Stephen Milligan