Old Dogs Blu-Ray Review – Win Yours Here

When you put John Travolta, Robin Williams, Disney, and the word "Dogs" on the poster for a film, you're not expecting something that is going to get trounced by critics. Unfortunately, it's pretty common knowledge at this point that Disney's Old Dogs managed just that. Generally speaking, when making mention of a film's DVD release (and putting out the opportunity to win your own copy), Disney would probably prefer people avoid the fact that the film managed to get nominated for the Razzie Award for Worst Picture of the Year, or that it has one of the lowest freshness ratings on RottenTomatoes.com that I've ever seen.

But, that's apparently what I'm going to do, and I'll tell you why. I think something has gone wrong somewhere with the reviews of this film. While certainly not the best movie you've ever seen, the lens people have used to criticize this film seems to have been rather toward the serious end of the spectrum, whereas the film itself is clearly aiming at a world of zany nonsense.

Having big name actors is apparently a double-edged sword, but moving a few steps beyond something like Santa Buddies shouldn't really open the doors for the sort of intense scrutiny that leads one to believe that critics are laughably giving you to understand that, "well, it's no Streetcar."

Again, it is without question not a great film, it's in the 2-3 star range depending on your age, but some mix of the film's qualities and stars simply made it popular to dislike. It isn't the worst movie of the year (or in the running), simply because you have to be a far more serious affair to be in the running.

It's a screwball effort aiming at family-friendliness, and while you may roll your eyes here and there, it's passable entertainment that will get some laughs. Hopefully it can shrug off some of the misguided negativity thrown at it by those who see themselves as very clever for their ability to tear apart a borderline G-rated film (seriously in Canada it is G).

Dan (Robin Williams) and his best friend and business partner Charlie (John Travolta) are on the verge of the biggest deal in the history of their sports marketing firm when their lives are turned upside down by a surprise visit from Dan’s ex-wife Vicki (Kelly Preston). Vicki has big news for Dan—their ever-so-brief liaison produced twins Zach (Conner Rayburn) and Emily (Ella Bleu Travolta), now seven-years-old and in need of a dad to keep an eye on them for two weeks.

With only high-living playboy Charlie for support, Dan’s bumbling attempts at “on the job training” in fatherhood result in a series of disastrously funny exploits that lead him to a new understanding of what really matters in life. Featuring an extraordinary cast of comedy purebreds including Seth Green, Matt Dillon and Lori Loughlin, Old Dogs will have audiences rolling over and begging for more.

Bonus Features

Old Dogs on single-disc DVD includes:

• Deleted Scenes and Bloopers

A few minutes of fun, though the deleted scenes don't add much. The Bloopers are pretty good, as you might expect with Williams in a film, but it isn't overly long.

•Audio Commentary by the film’s director Walt Becker, producer Andrew Panay, and writers David Diamond and David Weissman

As much as I'm opposed to the ruthless bashing of the film, the commentary is less than stellar. The folks involved take the movie almost as seriously as the critics who pan the film, and while commentary tracks make it look like you're adding a nice bonus, this isn't the sort of film that is really lends itself to this being a truly worthwhile addition.

The Blu-ray includes the same bonus features, plus:

• “Every Little Step” — A new music video performed by John Travolta and Ella Bleu Travolta

• “You’ve Been A Friend To Me” — A music video performed by Bryan Adams

• “Young Dogs Learn Old Tricks”

A few minutes of the kids interviewing Travolta and Williams which is actually surprisingly entertaining.

The Blu-Ray bonus release includes a digital copy of the film.

Own it on DVD and Blu-Ray today!

Leave a comment below to win your very own copy of the Blu-Ray mult-pack release with Blu-Ray, SD, and digital editions of the movie. U.S. only. Winner will be randomly selected on April 9th.

Check out a few clips from the film and the bonuses below.

BLOOPERS

FEATURETTE: QUESTIONS

GOING APE

SIDE EFFECTS

PRISON RULES

DADDY

TRAILER

RU?

© 2010, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

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