Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Young Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) has trouble making friends in school and when his idol, Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson), is shipped over to Europe to fight the Germans in World War II, his life couldn't get any worse. Sensing his need of a good friend, his mother (Diane Lane) gets him a puppy for his ninth birthday and his life undergoes a transformation. The talented pup helps turn bullies into friends and helps Willie earn the affection of the most beautiful girl in school (Caitlyn Wachs).

Good family films are hard to find, but this is one of the best non-animated one I've seen in years. Granted, I'm a sucker for dog movies, but this has a lot of heart and the relationship between Willie and Skip is genuine and fun. It gets a little corny on occasion, especially when Willie tangles with some moonshiners, but the message of friendship and trust between a boy and his dog overcomes any of its shortcomings.

Video Highlights

• VC-1/1080p encode on a BD-25 disc
• Slightly oversaturated colors
• Amber facial tones
• Soft cinematography

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Very front-heavy
• Dialog intensive soundtrack
• Thunderstorms sound freakishly realistic and open up the soundstage

This isn't the type of movie to show the prowess of your system. That being said, the video is a tad soft throughout (maybe intentionally to fit the 1940s era) and the audio track is mainly dialog driven.

Bonus Materials

• Two audio commentaries
• Four deleted scenes with director commentary
• Theatrical trailer

If you're a dog lover, this is a must-see film showing why dogs are considered man's best friend. The story is heartfelt and the chemistry between Skip and Willie is genuine and will teach your kids how to treat a family pet with respect and dignity. As a parent, I love it when Hollywood invests time and energy into productions such as this. Highly recommended for families.

Release Date: January 4, 2011
Studio: Warner

Movie: 8/10
Picture: 7/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Integra DTC-80.2 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PVA-PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics