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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 1.78:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Sided
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • French: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  Subtitles
    English, French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew, Czech, Greek, Portuguese, English - Hearing Impaired, Turkish, Croatian, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Romanian, Bulgarian
  Extras
  • Deleted scenes - With commentary
  • Theatrical trailer
  • 2 Audio commentary - 1. Director Jay Russell 2. Dog Trainer & Frankie Muniz

My Dog Skip

Warner Bros./Warner Bros. . R4 . COLOR . 95 mins . PG . PAL

  Feature
Contract

In the last two weeks I've watched Any Given Sunday, Cube and Scarface. On the actual day I watched My Dog Skip, I also watched American Psycho less than three hours earlier. At the same time I was arguing with my wife night and day for a week, I was ready to disown my parents and take an Uzi 9mm to the people I work with. I guess this pretty much covered all the bases when it came to paranoia, greed, lust, envy, drugs, obsession, corruption, money, murder and suspicion. It goes without saying that I was feeling like I could do with a little bit of niceness in my world for a change.

Now, I'm the first to admit that when it comes to movies, I like popcorn films, a bit of mindless violence and the occasional dross that doesn't try to engage any emotions. It can be a nice way to offset a hard day at the office, when the last thing you want to do after sitting in traffic for two hours is think about anything more serious than what kind of Vodka you have and whether to take it neat or with lime.

But, when I sit down and watch a film like My Dog Skip, and it makes me wanna sook like a little girl for the last half hour, then maybe -just maybe- there's hope for me yet.

My Dog Skip is based on the true story of Willie Morris. A shy kid growing up in wartime America, he doesn't have any friends and lives a pretty lame-o-brand life as an only child. Desperate to give his some companionship, his folk buy him a dog (Skip) for his ninth birthday. From that point on, Skip changes his life completely, as Willie is finally accepted by his tormentors, discovers girls, finds adventure and learns about life in general.

I wish I had a dog called Skip. I have two cats called Popcorn and Puppet, instead. I've learnt nothing from them. It's time for them to pack their bags and move on, I think.

Sure, My Dog Skip wheels out all the film clichés and then some, and then some more just to make sure it has ripped the old heart strings right outta your body and dangles them in front of your face, but I still loved this film. Call me sentimental, call me doofus, call me good in bed (okay okay…don't call me doofus), but even without the dose of testosterone celluloid I watched before My Dog Skip, I know I really would have liked it's innocent charm just the same.

Give it a chance, because it will put a smile on your face if you just let it.

  Video
Contract

When I find it hard to write anything for the video section, it means that it was pretty good. There are only so many ways to say the picture was warm and inviting, with rich, lush greens and natural, earthy browns and skin tones all had a healthy glow that made the scenery look as though it was ripped straight from the pages of a book on American small town history. The anamorphic print is very clean, with hardly a noticeable blemish to be seen and striking just the right balance of clarity between a crisp image and a soft easy look so befitting the setting of the story.

  Audio
Contract

As much as it is possible for an audio mix to sound "warm" this would be a perfect example. With such as a nice image to work with, the audio complements it perfectly, creating an easy and enjoyable listening experience. The various characters that make their way through the story sound real and engaging, as though firmly placed in the room with you. The sounds of crickets at night, distant rumbles of thunder and the narration by Harry Connick, Jnr. subtly envelope and draw you in to it's warmth and character.

  Extras
Contract

You certainly get an odd disc for your money. The film and the extras is repeated on both sides of the disc, with the only difference that I could find being the audio and subtitle options. I guess you could buy this dvd with a friend and slice it down the middle to get a copy each, but if you break the disc don't blame me. Anyhoo, the extras have two commentaries, first with director Jay Russell who sounds fairly enthusiastic about the making of this film and imparts quite a bit of info regarding just about everything to do with My Dog Skip. The other commentary is from the dog trainer and Frankie Muniz and only runs for around half the movie before signing off and returning us to the movie. The deleted scenes don't reveal anything too exciting other than a subplot that would have removed the focus a little. A theatrical trailer and cast and crew listing (no bio's) round off this package of goods to play with.

  Overall  
Contract

As a counterbalance to the effects of way too much violent and emotionless viewing recently, I have to give My Dog Skip a big thumbs up. It's a nice easy way to spend an hour and a half, with a simple story and pleasing visuals/audio to settle the mind.

I think kids will love Skip the dog, as they've done a great job of giving him a cool attitude and there are enough little moments of slapstick and silliness to keep them entertained, while the oldies will find just as much to enjoy.


  • LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=464
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      And I quote...
    "Put down your machineguns and lawsuits, and settle in for a pleasant evening of family entertainment with little Willie Morris and his even littler dog Skip. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll trade-in your cats."
    - Vince Carrozza
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Sony DVP-525
    • TV:
          Sony 68cm
    • Receiver:
          Sony STR-DB930
    • Speakers:
          Wharfedale s500
    • Centre Speaker:
          Polk Audio CS245
    • Surrounds:
          Wharfedale s500
    • Subwoofer:
          DB Dynamics TITAN
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard Optical
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
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