Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 4, 2016

1992's Beethoven hearkens back to a simpler time of Comedy when it was life's simple pleasures and its relatable hardships, combined with a couple of goofy villains for some added dramatic value, that made a movie, and made it enjoyable escapism. The film's premise is simple: dog loves family, man doesn't love dog, dog wrecks house, man learns to love dog after the animal, and an adventure, bring the family closer together. It's sweet and tenderhearted, a movie that holds up today as a charming little slice of now-nostalgic entertainment. It also remains relevant and relatable, a timeless little film that's as adorable now as it ever was.

Like father like dog.

A St. Bernard puppy is stolen from a pet store but manages to escape out the back of the van. Hungry and looking for a place to call home, he roams the neighborhood until he finds his opening by way of an open front door at the Newton household, headed by father George (Charles Grodin) whose rules are strict and a dog is the last thing he wants in his home. But the dog sneaks in and and finds its way into little Emily's (Sarah Rose Karr) bedroom. She's ecstatic, as are her siblings Ryce (Nicholle Tom) and Ted (Christopher Castile) and their mother Alice (Bonnie Hunt). George puts his foot down, but when he sees how the family has instantly bonded with the pup, he can't help but say "yes," conditionally. He hangs lost dog posters all over town, but when nobody claims the dog -- which the family has named "Beethoven" -- it becomes a permanent member of the family, much to George's chagrin and, often, disgust. The dog, now a huge 150-pound behemoth, offers nothing but love for the family and nothing but headache for George, but when a sleazy veterinarian (Dean Jones) threatens to tear the family apart, the family comes together to rescue its newest member.

Beethoven is as cuddly as its title character, the ginormous St. Bernard that terrorizes a father while strengthening the bonds of love his family shares. The film finds a rhythm of opposing circumstances, getting a lot of mileage out of the family's bonding with the dog but, on the other end of the spectrum, George's clashes with the pooch and the seemingly relentless comedic attacks on his person as he deals with an abundance of slobber, slime, and mud the dog drops and tracks through the house, and of course at the most inopportune times and in the most inconvenient places. At the same time, the dog brings the family closer together. Happiness and laughter fill the air, which was largely absent under George's strict rules before allowing the dog to stay. Beethoven does more than that. He seems almost aware of the needs of his masters, at one point helping Ryce to meet a boy she likes, stepping in to protect Ted from bullies, and saving Emily's life when she's drowning in a swimming pool. The filmmakers -- and the dog that plays Beethoven -- have managed to not just give the dog a personality, but make him almost human. He doesn't speak, but his understanding of the world around him, whether George's business deals or the needs of the children, seems just a little more heightened than the average pooch. That makes the dog easy to root for and love, solidifies the family's bond with him, allows George's growing acceptance to evolve naturally over time, and makes the mild peril in the film's third act seem all the more dangerous.

The dog is certainly the star of the show. Beethoven is larger than life, cute, cuddly, and bears some striking human traits. He's surrounded by a fantastic collection of human actors who strike just the right chord in all of the movie's moments, from the fun-loving first act to the nail-biting third. Charles Grodin is fantastic in the lead human part. His character is certainly the most dynamic and evolving, transforming from a stubborn no-nonsense father to a man who, over the course of the film, comes to realize what the dog means to his family and what he, too, means to them. The character's depth is gradually revealed and punctuated in a critical, private moment he shares with Beethoven later in the film. Grodin believably grows through the range of responses to the dog -- resistance, reluctance, anger, acceptance, and love -- remarkably well, and the evolving dynamic between him and Beethoven is, beyond everything else, the movie's driving force. The children are lovable and believable in their wants and needs at their ages and their interactions with the dog. Bonnie Hunt's performance as the calming influence mother is strong. The film is further packed with several name actors in secondary roles, including Stanley Tucci and Oliver Platt as a couple of bumbling dog-nappers, Dean Jones as the villainous veterinarian, and David Duchovny and Patricia Heaton as a couple of George's unscrupulous would-be business partners.

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Beethoven's 1080p transfer looks much, much better than any home video version to date, but it's not without its problems. The image appears unnaturally smooth, not to a detail-destroying extent but gone is a grainy, filmic texture, replaced with a clean, somewhat pasty image. Clarity is fairly good thanks to the 1080p horsepower and the image is far from destroyed by its unnaturally smooth state. That said, skin textures are often left looking fairly pasty, same with animal fur, brick and woodwork around the house, grass and tree trunks, and other assorted textures. Colors are fairly robust and enjoy a punchy neutrality that brings the best out of leafy greens and grass, clothing, and background elements throughout the film. Black levels are prone to crushing out the darkest corners of various nighttime shots. Noise, banding, and other problems are kept to a bare minimum. Beethoven has never looked better for home viewing, but that said Universal's transfer leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Beethoven features a passable DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack that doesn't really do much for the film beyond conveying the basics in an agreeable presentation. Without the wider spacing of back channels and the bellowing of a subwoofer, the track maneuvers through very standard stuff, but fortunately, that's all the movie requires. Rainfall and thunder to begin the movie fail to find much range, clarity, or sense of realistic immersion. Music is adequately clear, making use of the available width across the front and delivering notes with enough verve to satisfy any given scene's needs. A few heftier effects manage enough depth to get the point across. Dialogue comes through clearly with a natural center-like positioning.

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Beethoven contains no supplemental content. No "top menu" screen is included; audio and chapter select options must be accessed in-film via the "pop-up" menu.

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Beethoven is a pleasing little reminder of Comedy's better, and simpler, days. It's honest and heartfelt, a cute and cuddly little film that espouses good values and has a lot of fun in the process. The characters are basic but well drawn nonetheless, and the dog is an unforgettable star. Universal's Blu-ray leaves a bit to be desired, though. Beyond the complete absence of supplemental content, the studio has provided a rather pasty, smoothed-down 1080p transfer (which is still a mile better than any VHS, LD, or DVD release) and an adequate 2.0 lossless soundtrack. Recommended on the strength of the film.