Snoopy Come Home appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this single-sided, single-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. After the weak visuals of A Boy Named Charlie Brown, the improved transfer of Snoopy came as a pleasant surprise.
Sharpness only occasionally faltered. Some shots appeared slightly soft. However, those weren’t frequent intrusions, as most of the flick looked nicely delineated. No problems with jagged edges or shimmering popped up, and edge enhancement was minimal.
Source flaws were a major distraction during Boy. Happily, they barely interfered with Snoopy. I still saw some specks and marks, and the image occasionally looked a bit grainy. Poor clean-up work often gave the movie a somewhat dirty look not related to the transfer. In any case, the end result was substantially cleaner than Boy, and print defects created few concerns.
Colors also improved. They seemed somewhat dingy in Boy, and a few shots here were somewhat flat. Otherwise the tones appeared fairly lively. The hues were almost always good, and they sometimes became quite strong. Blacks seemed deep and firm, and the smattering of low-light shots looked smooth and easily visible. The transfer fell just short of “B+” levels, as it consistently satisfied.
One oddity about the transfer: I don’t know if the 1.85:1 ratio represents the movie’s original dimensions. The opening and closing credits came windowboxed and looked to be 1.66:1. I didn’t think the film obviously appeared cropped on top and bottom, though the framing did occasionally seem a bit tight. However, if the movie wasn’t intended to be seen 1.66:1, why would it go to those dimensions for the credits?
While perfectly acceptable, the Dolby Stereo 2.0 soundtrack of Snoopy Come Home wasn’t anything special. The soundfield opened up to a minor degree. Localized speech occasionally came from the sides, and effects decently accurately. A little movement occurred, but not much.
Stereo imaging for the music was unexceptional. The score and songs spread to the sides without much real definition. I wouldn’t call it “broad mono” but I didn’t detect any particular clarity to the placement of the instruments. The surrounds acted to reinforce music and effects to a minor degree and that was it.
Audio quality remained decent. Speech could be slightly flat, but the lines were consistently intelligible and lacked any edginess. Music also sometimes suffered from lackluster high-end, as the tunes and score seemed a little muted. Nonetheless, they were acceptable concise, and bass response was surprisingly good. Effects sounded more than acceptable, as they showed good clarity and passable depth. The soundtrack seemed fine for an older movie, but it wasn’t memorable. Indeed, it wasn’t even as good as the broader mix of A Boy Named Charlie Brown.
How did the picture and sound of this Blu-Ray compare with those of the original 2006 DVD? Both were identical – literally. The 2011 DVD simply repackages the old one from 2006, so don’t expect any changes.
Because of that, extras remain absent. We don’t even get basics like trailers.
At least the movie itself remains winning. Snoopy Come Home has some flaws, but it overcomes those with a warm, moving little tale. The DVD provides surprisingly good picture with average audio. It omits any extras, but given its cheap retail price, it’s worth a purchase.
Note that this release of Snoopy Come Home comes as part of a double-feature with 1972’s A Boy Named Charlie Brown. With a list price of $16.98, this is a great deal, especially since the movies originally retailed for $14.98 each.
To rate this film, visit the original review of SNOOPY COME HOME
