Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Chloe a diamond-clad, bootie wearing Beverly Hills Chihuahua enjoys her luxurious life so much she hardly notices Papi, a tough looking Chihuahua who happens to be head-over-paws for the pampered pooch. But when Chloe gets lost in the rough streets of Mexico with only a street-wise German Shepherd to help her find her way home, Papi heads south of the border - joining forces with a motley crew: two humans, a sly rat and a nervous iguana - to rescue his true love.

The initial trailers for this film had me shaking my head and I honestly thought I would completely hate this film. But in the end it wasn’t too bad and actually comes off as pretty wholesome family entertainment. The storyline isn’t much different from other animal adventure films Disney has done but with a bit more modern day flare. I thought the film lost its way a bit when they made it to the Aztec ruins and the tribe of Chihuahuas, which was a bit cheesy compared to the rest of the film. Still, I’m sure the young ones and Chihuahua lovers will enjoy it.

Disney has been consistently putting out outstanding transfers for their newer films and this is no exception. This image has a lot of pop and some of the most vibrant colors I’ve seen since last week’s review of High School Musical 3, which seems to be keeping with the Disney spirit. Detail is excellent and even the CG effects used throughout the film blend in just about perfectly with the live action. Contrast is strong and dimensionality is on par with the best out there.

The soundtrack is presented in uncompressed 5.1 PCM. It is odd how Disney has been going back and forth with PCM and DTS-HD Master Audio lately. This track is fun but not quite as dynamic as I would expect for a newer film. There is definitely some nice range from time to time, but the track sounded a bit compressed from time to time. Surround use is quite good considering the genre and the voice work is great.

Extras are fun and give a bit of an inside look at the film and doing the voiceovers for the animals. You also get some deleted scenes and an animated Chihuahua short that is pretty funny. This title is BD-Live enabled and Disney gives you the ability to add photos to the film to share with friends, a chat feature and a trivia game.

This is a family picture through and through and it exceeds in its likability in that respect. While I don’t think I’ll be re-watching it anytime soon, I’m sure the younger viewers in the house will have fun with it.