‘Marley & Me’ Review (Blu-Ray)

Straight on the heels of the Blu-ray and DVD release of the atrocious Beverly Hills Chihuahua is today’s release of another dog movie, Marley & Me, the winter holiday film based on the autobiographical work of journalist John Grogan. The good news is that, unlike BHC, Marley is a warm and endearing story that everyone in the family can sit around and enjoy.

Don’t be fooled by cute and innocent puppy on the box art; this Marley is straight from the pages of Marmaduke. Journalists John (Owen Wilson) and Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) adopt a Labrador as sort of a training grounds to see if they’re really ready to have a real baby. They quickly coin him as “the worst dog ever” as he’s got a penchant for doing the absolute worst thing all the time. Count on Marley to trash the house or go absolutely ape when there’s a thunderstorm outside. But Marley is one loyal dog and is there for the Grogan family’s best (and worst) moments.

Those going into the movie without knowing anything about it will find themselves wondering if M&M is a comedy or if it’s a drama. Yes, Marley & Me is largely a drama, but it does manage to find a sweet balance between the outrageous antics of the family dog and the harsh realities of everyday life.

Wilson and Aniston turn great performances as the married couple and the film gets a huge boost from Alan Arkin, who plays John’s editor in Florida. His deadpan delivery and subtle humor make for some great scenes. Eric Dane from Grey’s Anatomy also worked well as John’s ambitious and lady-chasing friend.

If you’re a dog-lover, you will also love this movie. But that’s not a requisite; it’s still a heartwarming tale that will touch you just as much as it will make you laugh.

The review copy I viewed was the “Bad Boy” Three-Disc Blu-ray release. The picture quality is superb and the audio is presented in 5.1 DTS HD. If you’re really into the movie (and a dog lover), you might find the “Dog Training Trivia Track” appealing, providing in movie content. The 3 disc release also comes with a DVD version of the movie and a Digital copy. More studios seem to be throwing in the DVD, although I find it unnecessary since I’d either watch the film on my Blu-ray player or on my laptop (with the digital copy).

The release is also loaded with some extras running from your typical commentary and deleted scenes to the shameless cross-marketing efforts from Purina.

*Dog Training Trivia Track
*Dog Training 101 featuring BonusView Video
*19 Deleted Scenes With Director, David Frankel Commentary
*Finding Marley featurette
*Breaking the Golden Rule featurette
*On Set with Marley: Dog of All Trades featurette
*Animal Adoption featurette
*Purina Dog Chow Marley & Me Video Contest Finalists
*Purina Dog Chow Video Hall of Fame
*Gag Reel
*When Not to Pee featurette