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Blu-Ray : Worth a Look
Ranking:
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Release Date: April 28th, 2009 Movie Release Year: 2009

Hotel for Dogs

Overview -

When their new guardians forbid 16-year old Andi and her younger brother, Bruce to have a pet, Andi has to use her quick wit to help find a new home for their dog, Friday. The resourceful kids stumble upon an abandoned hotel and using Bruce's talents as a mechanical genius, transform it into a magical dog-paradise for Friday--and eventually for all Friday's canine friends. When barking dogs make the neighbors suspicious, Andi and Bruce use every invention they have to avoid anyone discovering "who let the dogs in."

OVERALL:
Worth a Look
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
100
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.85:1
Audio Formats:
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles/Captions:
Portuguese Subtitles
Special Features:
Theatrical Trailer
Release Date:
April 28th, 2009

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

How often have you heard a movie described as "fun for the whole family?" And how often have you gone to see that movie, only to go home feeling condescended to and patronized? 'Hotel for Dogs' is not one of those movies -- here is a film that truly works on multiple levels, and, if not elevating the genre, it at least takes enough creative risks that it rightfully earns itself sleeper status. Honestly, 'Hotel for Dogs' was not a film I really wanted to see, but I came away rather won over by its good-natured charms.

Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin star as siblings Andi and Bruce, who live almost like animals under the confined care of their flighty if well-meaning foster parents, '80s rejects Lois and Carl Scudder (Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon, both hilarious). Feeling lonely and abandoned, they "adopt" a lost dog, Friday, hoping for companionship. But the mutt soon escapes, leading to Andi and Bruce being blamed for a crime they didn't commit. Holing up in an abandoned hotel, Andi and Bruce decide to run their own canine orphanage, one filled with elaborate contraptions, designed to take in any dog, no matter how unloved, handicapped or just plain ugly. With the help of a kind-hearted social worker (Don Cheadle), Andi and Bruce are on the verge of realizing their dream of creating the ultimate inclusive family -- if the cops, and their parents, don't find them first.

'Hotel for Dogs' is braver than I expected. What I most enjoyed about the film is that it doesn't just cater to children with doggy fart jokes, or throw a bunch of rapid-fire pop culture references at us, hoping to distract us from a lack of plot. Instead, we get enjoyable and quirky characters, a meaningful message, and a real willingness to go for emotion without being overtly mawkish. There's a lot to enjoy here for adults, from the amusing Dillon and Kudrow (who dream of being hair metal rock gods -- classic!), to the elaborate production design and its elaborate trappings, and Cheadle's committed performance that rings surprisingly authentic.

Of course, 'Hotel for Dogs' sells itself on the dogs, yet even here it doesn't chintz out. I admired that the film didn't smother us with bad canine CGI, or make them dance and sing. Though there is no real star dog here (perhaps there's even too many of them), I found their plight genuine enough to melt my initial cynicism. And even though the obvious parallels between Andi and Bruce, and the "orphans" they adopt in hopes of starting a family, result in a none-too-subtle message, it's a strong one that earns most of the emotional notes it hits. I remain quite amazed that by the time Cheadle arrives to bring it all home, I had fully bought into a sentiment that I thought would have had me gagging.

'Hotel for Dogs' is one of a shelter-full of animal movies that have invaded Blu-ray recently. Just in the past few weeks, I've sat through 'Marley & Me,' 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' and 'Bolt,' to name a few. I found 'Hotel for Dogs' to be the best of the bunch. It's entertaining, full of unique touches, and filled with great heart and memorable characters. It's also well cast and well executed, making it one of the rare family films that both kids and adults can enjoy. Don't let the overflow of doggie pictures scare you away -- 'Hotel for Dogs' is the one to catch.

Video Review

Ranking:

DreamWorks offers a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer (1.78:1) for 'Hotel for Dogs.' It's a nice-looking film, with bright, family-friendly colors and finely-textured imagery.

This new release features a spot-on print, with deep blacks and contrast that only falters a little in the mid-range, with some flatness. The film's color palette is a bit two-faced, with the first half, which features a rundown hotel, a bit too drenched in browns and reds, which dampens other colors. The second half is more vibrant and diverse. Interestingly, nighttime scenes looked better overall, with more depth and richer colors. Sharpness is excellent throughout, with nice visible detail. The encode is also quite clean.

Audio Review

Ranking:

An English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround track (48kHz/24-bit) is provided, and it's better than I expected. The film's sound design is quite lively, and very well presented here.

Surround use is engaging throughout -- discrete effects, animal sounds and some impressive ambiance are heard throughout. Particularly strong are the more action filled moments inside the hotel, and a rainstorm sequence, which rivals any scary horror flick for effectiveness. Dynamics are predictably spacious for a new release, with low bass quite tight. Dialogue is also perfectly balanced. 'Hotel for Dogs' certainly makes its bark heard loud and clear.

Special Features

Ranking:

There appears to be a wealth of bonus features for 'Hotel for Dogs,' and indeed, that's quite a long list of stuff on the back of the box. Unfortunately, like many special editions, the wealth of featurettes is pretty but lacks depth. Still, all in all, this is not a bad set. All video extras are in full 1080 video.

  • Audio Commentary - The fun kicks off with this group chat, with director Thor Freudenthal and producer Ewan Leslie, and young cast members Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin. This is actually better than most group tracks, were the participants talk over each other or just make jokes. All four have something to offer, with nice coverage of the production side, as well as the character and stories. It's also fun to hear Roberts and Austin, who are full of the enthusiasm typical of young actors. A fun commentary.
  • Featurette: "The Making of 'Hotel for Dogs'" (HD, 19 minutes) - The main featurette, all the commentary participants return for the usual on-set interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, but it's the dogs that are the real star of this show. And the stars behind them are the trainers, who here have to work with the actors to get all the action to line up (as surprisingly little CGI was used).
  • Featurette: "K-9 Casting" (HD, 6 minutes) - A closer look at assembling the dogs for the film, which required carefully selecting size, breed, and ability.
  • Featurette: "Bark On Cue" (HD, 5 minutes) - Another cute featurette on dogs, this time looking at the often-elaborate training methods required to get all the dogs to work together in a shot.
  • Featurette: " That's the Coolest Thing I've Ever Seen" (HD, 6 minutes) - Finally, we take a break from the canines to check out the production design of the hotel itself, particularly the various contraptions seen throughout the movie.
  • Deleted Scenes (HD, 11 minutes) - Next up are eight deleted scenes. Nothing here is exceptional, though there is some nice interaction between Roberts and Austin. Quality is strong, with most of the scenes looking close-to-final cut quality.
  • Still Galleries (HD) - There are three in all: "On-Set Action," "Puppy Love" and "Dog People."
  • Theatrical Trailer (HD) - Finally, we have the film's original theatrical trailer in full HD.

'Hotel for Dogs' is a cute family farce, and certainly the best of the 'talking animal' flicks that Hollywood has churned out as of late. This Blu-ray is strong, with very good video and audio, and a fluffy if still-decent spate of extras. Much against my expectations, 'Hotel for Dogs' is well worth checking into.