Plot: What’s it about?
Thomas Dooley (James Belushi) has had a long, successful career on the police force, complete with plenty of memorable adventures. But he plans to settle down, put his crime fighting days behind him, and enjoy his retirement. In fact, he is mere hours away from being officially retired, along with his ever present canine friend, Jerry Lee. As usual, Jerry Lee manages to get his partner into some trouble however, which lands Dooley in some serious hot water. After Jerry Lee led him inside of building to investigate some noises, Dooley senses some problems and radios in for help, though he winds up having to go in himself, after his canine partner charges in. Once the smoke clears, Dooley thinks he’s done some good work, but the feds suspect he was involved, so his pension is frozen. With no money to live on, Dooley and Jerry Lee have to track down the real crooks, or else they’ll be out on the streets!
I like movies with animals, usually even bad ones, but I have never been too taken with K-9, let alone its sequels. This is the third installment and while it doesn’t offer much beyond the usual, fans of the series should find some laughs. I do think this second sequel drops a few levels below the others, especially the original, which had some memorable moments. James Belushi returns once again, but you can tell he just needed the paycheck, since his work here is flat, without much presence. Its fun to watch his interaction with the dog Jerry Lee, but we’ve seen it all before and done to better results. In the end, this is a lackluster sequel that simply fails to entertain enough to be worthwhile. But while the movie is bad, Universal’s treatment is superb, complete with dual Dolby Digital & DTS tracks, so fans should be pleased. In short, a rental is recommended to those interested, but keep your expectations low on this one.
Although I often enjoy the work of James Belushi, he seems bored here and given the material, I can understand the lack of presence. Belushi has shown some spark in recent films, including a number of humorous, memorable smaller roles, but he seems to be lacking whenever he takes the lead, at least these days. His comedic touch remains intact however, so perhaps he just need the right material, which isn’t to be found in this series, I assure you. I hope he can break out of the direct to video realm soon though, as he can provide some solid work, whether in dramatic or comedic based material. Other films with Belushi include Joe Somebody, Taking Care of Business, Red Heat, Salvador, and Real Men. The cast also includes Kim Huffman (Shadowchaser, Lethal Vows), Gary Basaraba (The Last Temptation of Christ, Who’s That Girl?), and Barbara Tyson (Final Destination, Running Mates).
Video: How does it look?
K-9: P.I. is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The image here looks good, though the film’s visuals aren’t too memorable. The print is clean, with no serious defects to report and grain is minimal, so complaints there. I also saw no troubles with the colors, which look bright and free from errors, while flesh tones are warm and natural. The contrast is stark and effective, thanks to well balanced, well refined black levels. As I mentioned, this movie doesn’t have a lot of visual style, but this transfer makes it look as good as possible.
Audio: How does it sound?
In an unexpected, but welcome gesture, Universal has included dual 5.1 soundtracks in Dolby Digital & DTS, though the end result isn’t too impressive. The audio is well presented of course, but this material simply doesn’t have the needed elements to rock out, so the additional DTS option just seems redundant. I noticed no differences between the tracks, so whichever you decide to use, the presentation is the same. The music comes across in solid form, while sound effects are also well placed, though never to a dynamic level. No flaws with dialogue however, as vocals are clean and crisp throughout. This disc also includes English & Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, as well as the film’s promotional trailer.
