Beethoven Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 1, 2026

Brian Levant's "Beethoven" (1992) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by Brian Levant, moderated by filmmaker Douglas Hosdale; new audio commentary by critic Joe Ramoni; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A"locked".

Bad dog

It is tempting to declare that the people who have found serious flaws in Brian Levant’s film Beethoven are not dog lovers. It is also tempting to declare that they lack a good sense of humor. I am sorry, but these would be the only people who would have a legitimate problem with Beethoven, which turned out exactly as its creators envisioned. Of course, it is loaded with ridiculous material in which supposedly rational adults behave in many irrational ways. Of course, some of its humor is too silly. What else can a family comedy whose star is a giant Saint Bernard be? Can anyone seriously expect such a film to make sense?

An objective viewer, who may even be a cat lover, will point out several things that Beethoven does very well.

The baby Saint Bernard and the adult Saint Bernard appear to have been trained very well. I would not argue that the two are greater stars than the beloved collie Pal from the Lassie films, but there is a lot of lovely material where they do impressive things while completely ignoring the camera. This is not easy. The dogs must respond correctly in tricky situations where a lot could go wrong. During the shooting process, a lot probably did go wrong, but Levant and his team very effectively sell the illusion that the two Saint Bernards are as intelligent as the human beings around them.

There is a fine story. Hardworking businessman George Newton (Charles Grodin) is trying to put together and close the biggest deal of his career and be the loving husband and father everyone expects him to be. It is a tough gig, and after choosing the Newton residence to be its home, the Saint Bernard makes it even tougher. It is easy to feel about this guy. The more he tries to meet expectations, the less appreciated he is, and the more miserable his life becomes. Then, his future business partners (David Duchovny and Patricia Heaton) turn out to be crooks, and a shady veterinarian doctor (Dean Jones), dealing with real criminals (Oliver Platt and Stanley Tucci), tricks him into putting down the Saint Bernard. The resolution of the drama may be predictable, but getting there is a lot of fun.

Bonnie Hunt, Nicholle Tom, Christopher Castile, and Sarah Rose Karr might be the hardworking businessman’s biggest critics, but they bring wonderful positive energy, which is exactly what a proper family comedy needs. In fact, this positive energy, not the dogs and everything they do, is the single biggest reason the silly is attractive. Then again, nine out of ten times, all of them react to something that the baby Saint Bernard and the adult Saint Bernard do.

So, what does not work well in Beethoven? I cannot think of anything. More could have been added, but not because something was not done right. For example, there could have been more material with Duchovny and Heaton, and Platt and Tucci. Perhaps some additional material with the Saint Bernard and its old furry friend would have been great, too. However, none of this material would have changed the minds of those who have argued that Beethoven could and should have been a better film.

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Beethoven arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

It appears that there is a mix-up. This release was supposed to be sourced from an exclusive new 2K master, struck from an interpositive. Unfortunately, it is sourced from the same old master that Universal worked with to produce this release in 2016. The visuals I saw on my system had very obvious, basic limitations, several of which are very common on older Universal masters. For example, there is quite a bit of unnatural softness and smearing, affecting delineation, clarity, and depth in various areas throughout the film. On a large screen, the smearing, in particular, can be quite distracting. Color reproduction and balance are quite nice, though certain highlights and select ranges of nuances can be improved. Image stability is very good. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I like the lossless track. I am a bit surprised that a 5.1 track is not offered for this film, but the 2.0 track handless all action material very well. The music, when expected to make a positive difference, sounds great, too. The dialog is always clear, sharp, stable, and easy to follow. I did not encounter any issues to report in our review.

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - this new audio commentary was recorded by critic Joe Ramoni.

• Commentary Two - this new audio commentary was recorded by director Brian Levant and is moderated by filmmaker Douglas Hosdale.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage theatrical trailer for Beethoven. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Beethoven Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It appears that there is a mix-up. This Blu-ray release was supposed to be sourced from an exclusive new 2K master, struck from an interpositive. However, it is sourced from the same old master that Universal worked with to produce the first Blu-ray release of Beethoven in 2016. If you were planning to acquire it for your library, you should probably wait until there is more information about what might have happened during the mastering process.