6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.8 |
A dog named Enzo recalls the life lessons he has learned from his race car driving owner, Denny.
Starring: Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Baker, Martin Donovan (II), Ryan Kiera ArmstrongRomance | 100% |
Comedy | 28% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
So-called “cat people” probably need not apply to be a viewer of The Art of Racing in the Rain, since the film is an unabashed love letter to the animal that has rightly (in this unapologetic dog lover’s opinion) been called man’s best friend, in this instance a sweet Golden Retriever named Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner, in a conceit that some may find sweet, and others appallingly annoying). That same dichotomy of responses may in fact be mirrored with regard to The Art of Racing in the Rain as a whole, with dog lovers perhaps more willing to afford the film at least a bit more slack in terms of what others (not necessarily limited only to those dastardly cat lovers mentioned above) may perceive as a way too maudlin and cloying enterprise that features (minor spoiler alert) both canine and human mortality as central plot points.
The Art of Racing in the Rain is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The IMDb lists a variety of Arri Alexa models as having been used on the shoot, and maybe just a little surprisingly, is also showing that this was finished at a 4K DI. There's an appealing naturalness to much of the imagery here, and fine detail levels tend to be nicely heightened throughout the presentation, with elements like Enzo's fur nicely precise looking. There's an absence of any overt grading (at least to my eyes), though a number of interior scenes have a somewhat buttery yellow look which blends well with Enzo's fur color. Shadow detail can be just a trifle lacking in some dimly lit inside material. Some "cutesy" POV shots, especially some taken from cars, look slightly soft at times, something that may in fact simply be perception since things are moving by so quickly. One establishing shot looked like it may have been captured with something lower res like a drone without full 1080p capability, but otherwise this is a very sharp and well detailed looking transfer which my hunch is will easily please fans. As usual with Fox Blu-ray releases, I noticed no compression anomalies of any kind.
The Art of Racing in the Rain features a nicely propulsive DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track that provides quite a bit of sonic energy, along with some well done panning effects, in some of the driving and/or racetrack activity. A glut of outdoor scenes also offer well placed ambient environmental sounds, but even some of the more cloistered interior material can offer discrete placement of individual environmental effects. Enzo's "voiceover" is anchored front and center most of the time, though occasional other dialogue can be more directional. All dialogue and narration is delivered cleanly and clearly without any problems whatsoever.
In a kind of sad bit of "review synchronicity", my wife and I are just now dealing with what seems to be the impending demise of our 13 year old dog. If you're one of those who, like me with my wife and kids and even like me with my own family growing up, always pretty much accepted your pet dog as just another family member, you'll most likely enjoy The Art of Racing in the Rain, despite the fact that you may well be aware of just how completely you're being manipulated by its tale (tail?). I'm splitting the difference here in terms of my official score for the film, since I realize my own built in biases toward loving dogs probably gave me license (sorry) to forgive this film for some of its more trite proclivities. Technical merits are solid and the supplementary package appealing for those considering a purchase.
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