Hanna-Barbera is probably best known for their classic cartoons Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Johnny Quest and others. But in the late 1970s Hanna-Barbera joined forces with American International Pictures to bring audiences a live-action adventure entitled C.H.O.M.P.S..
Now Code Red and Kino Lorber have joined forces to bring film fans a this family classic from acclaimed director Don Chaffey on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K scan.
Crime is on the rise and Norton Securities, is going to the dogs. Casey Norton is the daughter of Norton Securities head Richard Norton. Casey's fiancé, Brian Foster is about to unveil a revolutionary new secret weapon that will change the home security game. C.H.O.M.P.S. (Canine HOMe Protection System), the world’s first computerized watchdog! But when a rival security company hears about C.H.O.M.P.S., they hire a pair of prowlers to destroy him. Can Casey and Brian crooks and outsmart the competition? You'll have to see the film to find out!
I remember watching this film as a kid on home video with my parents. This viewing is the first time I have seen this film since that initial time. I forgot how much fun this film really was. This is not a film that is trying to say something profound, this is just a fun, heartwarming family feature, and it will even have you shedding a tear or two.
It is good to note that the original plan was for this film to be a very clean G rated film, but producers decided to add some voiceovers with the nosey dog next door named Monster. In those voice overs he would curse. It was played for laughs, but it is something parents should be aware of.
The cast is truly something special Casey and Brian are played by Valerie Bertinelli known for her time on the original TV show One Day at a Time and Wesley Eure TV fans may remember him as Will Marshall on TV's Land of the Lost. Beyond these two TV favorites the supporting cast is stellar. There is Conrad Bain (TV’s Diff’rent Strokes), Chuck McCann (Hamburger: The Motion Picture), Red Buttons (The Poseidon Adventure), Larry Bishop (The Devil’s 8) and Jim Backus (TV’s Gilligan’s Island).
Don Chaffey directed some amazing films during his career including, Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963), One Million Years B.C. (1966), The Viking Queen (1967), Creatures the World Forgot (1971), Pete's Dragon (1977). But C.H.O.M.P.S. was his final feature film.
Now for this Blu-ray release! The film has been transferred in 1080p in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio the audio is a DTS-HD mono audio. This transfer is from a brand new 2K master. While watching this I know beyond a shadow of a doubt it has never looked better than this. The picture is crisp with no signs of damage and the audio is clear with no hiss or pops. It is a remarkably beautiful looking scan.
Now Code Red is known for great looking transfers but not much additional material on the releases. Well, that is not the case here. There is some really awesome bonus features included on this disc. Go ahead and take a look.
* NEW Audio Commentary with Star Wesley Eure and Co-Writer Duane Poole, Moderated by Film Historian Nathaniel Thompson
This audio commentary is a quite entertaining.
* New Interview with Star Wesley Eure
Here Wesley shares his thoughts on this film. You can tell he holds a lot of love for this family feature.
* Trailers
C.H.O.M.P.S., PufnStuf, Checkered Flag or Crash, Starflight One and Hound of the Baskervilles
* Optional English Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Watch The Trailer Below:
If you love canine features as much as me. C.H.O.M.P.S. is one films that is a must see. Code Red and Kino Lorber have really put together something special here. I highly recommend it! Head over to Amazon and pick up your copy today!
Out of 4 Film Reels (4 being the Best) Code Red/Kino Lorber Blu-ray of C.H.O.M.P.S. receives...
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