The Search for Santa Paws (Blu-ray Combo Pack)
Directed by Robert Vince
Studio: Disney
Year: 2010
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 1080p AVC codec
Running Time: 96 minutes
Rating: G
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English; Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Spanish
Subtitles: SDH, French, Spanish
Region: A
MSRP: $ 39.99
Release Date: November 23, 2010
Review Date: November 16, 2010
The Film
3/5
Robert Vince’s The Search for Santa Paws is the fifth made-for-home video release featuring the talking dogs that seem to be a holiday tradition at the Mouse House. This film, however, is a prequel to last year’s Santa Buddies, and it does not feature the familiar Buddy characters at all. Instead, Disney has pulled out the stops and fashioned a holiday musical film with Santa, his elves, and the talking dogs interacting with New Yorkers who include new owners of a struggling toy store and a group of orphans being psychologically abused by an insensitive foster mother. It’s ambitious (perhaps overly so with several storylines going on at once) and derivative at the same time (you’ll be hard pressed not to see obvious parallels with Annie and Oliver!), but at least the Disney folks aren’t coasting with this latest entry. There are plenty of special effects, a large cast, and a full musical score that actually contains a catchy tune or two. Deck the halls indeed!
Upon receiving word that his old toy maker friend Mr. Hucklebuckle has died, Santa Claus (Richard Riehle) heads to New York with close companion Paws (voiced by Zachary Gordon) at his side to see if his assistance is needed. Once there, however, he’s hit by a car and loses his memory. His magic crystal and bag are lifted by a grifter (Chris Coppola), and he’s separated from Paws. Santa is taken in by the kindly, childless Huckles (John Ducey, Bonnie Somerville) who are now running their grandfather’s toy store and need a Santa, not realizing they have the real thing on hand. Paws, meanwhile, gets taken in by newly orphaned Quinn (Kaitlyn Maher) who along with oldest orphan Willamina (Madison Pettis) attempt to reunite him with Santa. But that task will be fraught with peril since selfish, vindictive foster mother Ms. Stout (Wendi McLendon-Covey) hates dogs and children and does everything she can to make their lives miserable.
Robert Vince directed last year’s Santa Buddies, and this new film is definitely a step up from that, freed as he is by not having to work the overly familiar and somewhat tiresome Buddies (Budda, Budderball, B-Dawg, Mudbud, and Rosebud) into the story (he and co-writer Anna McRoberts scripted the piece and co-produced the movie). Some talking dogs are still present, of course (in addition to Paws we have the head elf’s assistant Eddy voiced by the always winning Richard Kind along with three street-smart pooches who form their own gang), but they’re much less visible this time out with much more attention given to the stories of stricken Santa, the childless Huckles, and the plucky orphans. Yes, you’ll be thinking of the orphans in Annie when those energetic little girls join together in the movie’s best tune “Believing in Christmas” with song, dance, and magic (courtesy of Paws) in their dorm room combining for a fun ensemble routine. Lonely and scared little Quinn is given her Oliver!/”Where Is Love” moment with the longing ballad “Who?,” and the wicked Ms. Stout is a kissing cousin to the ruthless Miss Hannigan from Annie.There isn’t much doubt there will be a happy ending and that some of those orphans are going to conveniently find a home with the Huckles who want kids but have not been blessed with them. But before the story is tied up in a neat Christmas bow, there are dangers to be faced and comeuppances to be delivered. For a family film mostly appealing to the youngest members of the clan, the movie is perhaps a tad too long and a bit lethargic in its pacing. Still, it should please the younger members of the family who likely look forward to these yearly visits with the wise-cracking canines.
Unfortunately, the children are the weak link acting-wise in the movie with none of their work rising much above school pageant level (and that includes Madison Pettis who’s certainly grown in size from The Game Plan but not advanced much in talent). The adults, though, are another story. True, Wendi McLendon-Covey’s witch-like foster mom is one-dimensional mean while the good guys played by Bonnie Somerville, John Ducey, and Richard Riehle are equally one sunny note, but all of their playing is smooth and professional, and as was the case in last year Santa Buddies, Danny Woodburn walks off with acting honors as Eli Elf. Along with Zachary Gordon and Richard Kind, the voice work of Diedrich Bader as the reindeer Comet and Jason Connery, Christopher Massey, and Josh Flitter as the doggie street gang are continual delights.
Video Quality
4/5
The movie has been framed at 1.78:1 and is presented in a 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. The engineers have been conservative with their color timing with the film so that all of those reds and greens look fine but are never overly bright or bloom, and the other festive seasonal colors likewise look a bit understated for a holiday movie. Sharpness is well done, and black levels in night scenes reach adequate degrees of blackness without reaching optimal inky depths. Flesh tones are always natural and appealing. The film has been divided into 12 chapters.
Audio Quality
3.5/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix lets the music score by Brahm Wenger be the most prominent inhabitant of the surround channels with only occasional reindeer flybys and some whooshing magical effects being the ambient sounds that make any kind of real impression in the fronts and rears. Dialogue is solidly recorded and placed in the center channel.
Special Features
2/5
Since the Buddies don’t appear in the film proper this year, there is an interactive animated pop-up book read by Rosebud to the other Buddies about the street gang from this film. It’s in 1080p and runs 6 ¾ minutes.
The sing along mode may be turned on to allow colorful pop-up lyrics to appear on the screen during the song sequences.
A music video of “Deck the Halls” is performed by Disney Channel favorite Debby Ryan. It is in 1080p and runs 2 ½ minutes.
A montage of deleted scenes, many with unfinished or rough animation¸ runs for 11 ¾ minutes.
The disc features 1080p trailers for Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, Bambi, Tangled, Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Fantasia/Fantasia 2000, among others.
The second disc in the set if the DVD copy of the movie with the same bonus features as on the Blu-ray.
In Conclusion
3/5 (not an average)
The Search for Santa Paws is a step up from last year’s Santa Buddies (though this year’s story seems more oriented toward little girls than last year’s tale which seemed to harbor more little boy appeal), but fans of yakking pooches will no doubt have to have this despite lackluster extras and only above average audio and video quality for a high definition release.
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
