5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A slobbering St. Bernard dog becomes the center of attention for a loving family but its vet secretly wants to kill him.
Starring: Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Dean Jones, Nicholle Tom, Christopher CastileFamily | 100% |
Comedy | 74% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French: DTS 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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