Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Benji Blu-ray Movie Review

Will you feel love after watching 'Benji' on Blu-ray?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 11, 2018

Benji rightly earns a good name as a simple and sweet movie. It's baked into its era and ingrained into the public consciousness as the little underdog doggie movie that became a sleeper hit when nobody would touch it, out-earning some high profile peers like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Chinatown, and Death Wish in the year of its release. It's basic almost to a fault, minimally plotted and simply defined, but even as the film feels repetitive and plays predictably, its inherent charms, and its lead's charming canine personality, elevate it above its limitations. It's a rare movie that's not particularly great in a traditional critical sense but something of a classic, anyway, thanks to the boundless love and infectious glee that's ever-present with every watch.

Paul and Cindy Chapman (Allen Fiuzat and Cynthia Smith) want nothing more than to take in a stray neighborhood dog they've named "Benji." The children's maid, Mary (Patsy Garrett), is in on the act, actively covering for the children, and the dog, who has been surreptitiously brought into the house. But the children's father (Peter Breck) won't allow Benji to become a permanent member of the family. He's a stray, after all, and there's no way of knowing what Benji might have gotten himself into throughout his life. The kids are inconsolable, but Benji seems happy enough, making the rounds around town, visiting with a police officer and a shop keeper and settling into an old abandoned house he's claimed for himself. But things change when Benji's house suddenly becomes ground zero for a quartet of kidnappers with their sights set on Paul and Cindy, and only Benji can save the day.

Benji's simple plotting lends the movie charm, but it also lends the movie a countering dramatic emptiness. The film's repetitiveness -- the children want to keep Benji, Benji makes his rounds around town -- holds down much of the runtime, and it's not until later in the picture that the kidnapping intensifies the pace and breaks up the monotonous malaise of Benji's daily routine and the children's pining to keep their fluffy four-legged friend. But even then, it's much ado about nothing. The film, and probably rightly, lacks any sort of serious intensity. Writer/Director Joe Camp keeps his movie light, allowing his hero to save the day, and for everything to work out in the end. It's a classic narrative device, approachable and agreeable, one that's pleasant at its peeks and safe even in its valleys. It's an even-keeled picture that favors its deliberate pace and largely harmless moments of peril, keeping the focus always on the dog, even when humans are at the center of attention.

In fact, much of the movie appears from the dog's own visual perspective, and there's not really a scene in the movie that's not in some way directly linked to Benji, whether watching the world as he sees it, while he's the center of discussion, or as a scene unfolds to allow him to maneuver into position to play a key role in the developing world around him. Camp keeps doggie-vsion-type shots to a pleasing minimum. There are only occasional shots of human legs center-screen or looking up at people from Benji's line of sight, but even with the camera turned around on the animal the audience usually enters his world from a nearby perspective, down low rather than five or six feet above, as he would be seen by a person. Between the perspective photography and the dog's charming personality, Benji shows quite a bit of heart throughout the film, and it's impossible not too fall in love with him almost from the outset and certainly as he makes his rounds around town and eventually foils a dangerous kidnapping plot. The dog doesn't appear trained but rather alive, doing his own thing, with Camp simply following him around; for as staged and scripted and simple as the movie otherwise feels, Benji's organic movements and demeanor elevate the movie manyfold above its spartan support elements.

Human performances are dry, partly due to the film's unwaveringly simple script. Beyond Peter Breck, the loving and warm but practical father who has to tell his children "no" when they insist they should be able to keep Benji, the cast largely sticks to line recital with little range. The quartet of villains, at first squatters, essentially, with long-winded exchanges about a can of pudding that has mysteriously moved from where it was left, bring little dynamism to the parts, but at the same time Camp's focus on Benji allows the lesser work to slide when the pooch rightly dominates the screen. Still, the performances and the stilted script mean the movie loses some of its energy for a few stretches here and there, but Benji is always there to bring that smile right back on the face. The movie could certainly benefit from a little bit of trimming, though, even above and beyond its already somewhat condensed runtime.

Benji Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Benji's Blu-ray release is the beneficiary of a brand new restoration and transfer sourced from the original 35mm film elements. It's an honest presentation of a low budget, dated film, and while the results are far from perfect, the image largely pleases given the budget nature of the release. Wobble and dirt accompany the opening title sequence, and the clean-up efforts have come up a little short as various signs of print deterioration, including speckling and stray vertical lines, are present throughout the feature. The presentation does retain a largely pleasing grain structure, accentuating the core detailing that's pleasantly sharp and robust, whether considering natural environments and grasses, clothes, faces, or animal fur. Textural definition and sharpness across the board prove satisfying, whether in brightly lit outdoor locations or the slightly murkier interior at the old abandoned house where Benji and the kidnappers stay. Colors enjoy a healthy, robust presentation, yielding positive saturation and intensity in everything from green grass to clothes. Nighttime black levels reveal honest depth and shadow detail while flesh tones appear accurate. Benji's 1080p transfer may not be perfect, but this is a largely satisfying and filmic presentation.

Benji Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Benji's LPCM 2.0 uncompressed soundtrack obviously lacks any big sonic splashes, but listeners can expect a well-realized presentation of a fairly pedestrian original source. Musical clarity is a bit limited, but separation and spacing are fine with instrumentals wider and vocals more localized near the front-center channel. Basic sound effects enjoy adequate distinction and, as applicable, stage width. Dialogue is clear but lip sync does seem a little off in places, perhaps a result of the ADR process. Examples include Mary's dialogue in the film's first scene and the cat lady at the 44:40 mark.

Benji Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Benji's Blu-ray release features an audio commentary track and a couple of other goodies. A DVD copy of the film and a Mill Creek digital copy code are included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Director Joe Camp and his son Brandon deliver an approachable and agreeable track that offers plenty of insight into the filmmaking process, offering several interesting anecdotes alongside technical details. They cover animal performances, the production history, music, the film's tone, and plenty more. Fans will find this a valuable time investment.
• Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 5:57).
• Photo Gallery (1080i): A few dozen still images from the shoot.

Please note that the included DVD contains special features not included on the Blu-ray disc. They are The Phenomenon of Benji and Benji at Work, a pair of TV specials from the 1970s.

Benji Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Benji gets by on its charm, which is present in ample quantities. The story is simple, the acting is below par, and stretches of the film are dull and repetitious, yet the film proves an agreeable escape because of its cute little four-legged star who stands amongst the giants of animal movie and TV stars from over the years. The film is also hopelessly dated in 2018, but its instantly recognizable star remains a timeless treasure in movie history. Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Benji contains a solid enough 1080p transfer, acceptable two-channel sound, and a good commentary track. Recommended.