Golden Winter Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Golden Winter Blu-ray Movie Review

(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Asylum?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 26, 2012

Times are tough. A family hurriedly moves out of its foreclosed home, leaving their prized Golden Retriever dogs behind. The mama dog heads out in search of help and leaves Rory, her oldest pup, in charge. Unfortunately, the pups become stuck in a room, and when animal control comes along, the officers seize the mother but leave the hidden pups behind. When a preteen "gang" breaks into the house, new initiate Oliver (Andrew Beckham) befriends the dogs, but the rest of the gang has plans to sell them for video game money. Can Oliver save his new furry friends from a life they don't deserve?

Cute, save for the whole special effects mouth thing going on.

Talking puppies, not zombies or killer sharks, are at the center of The Asylum's newest small-budget film. It's geared at very young children who will enjoy watching the adventures of talking puppies and not concern themselves with the awful CGI animal lip movement or generic plot. Still, the cuteness that hangs over the film, the sense of adventure that defines much of its second and third acts, and the heartfelt charm that remains evident throughout will delight the least picky of viewers. It's not a great movie, but it means well and should please its target audience over multiple viewings.

Golden Winter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Golden Winter features a crisp and colorful high definition 1.78:1 transfer. Children will love the vibrant colors, and adults will appreciate the exceptional details, from animal fur to hardwood floors and carpeting textures. The palette often dazzles and impresses with natural stability, from light animal coats to brass doorknobs, from green grasses to brown dirt around the house. Black crush isn't an issue, though a few darker scenes do look a hair washed out. Flesh tones are fine. A few compression artifacts are evident. Altogether, a very handsome transfer from The Asylum.

Golden Winter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There's very little to The Asylum's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack for Golden Winter. People and puppy dialogue comes through cleanly and accurately from the center channel. Light music is a constant across the front, playing jingly Christmas beats, airy score, adventuresome notes, and light dramatic fare all with oftentimes reserved presence but fair clarity. Minor ambience is handled well, primarily in the from of nighttime crickets. It's a sonically unremarkable track, but generally effective and technically proficient nevertheless.

Golden Winter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Golden Winter contains the following extras, typical of an Asylum release:

• Making of Featurette (HD, 7:28).
• Gag Reel (HD, 1:46).
• Previews: Additional Asylum titles.

Golden Winter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Golden Winter isn't the perfect talking animal movie, but it means well, has its heart in the right place, and will please the youngest of audiences who can look beyond the structural and technical flaws and enjoy the basic core story and charm. Good video and audio round out a decent little release from The Asylum. Recommended for the smallest of audiences.