Blu-ray Review: Hachi - A Dog’s Tale

Release Date: March 9th, 2010
Running Time: 93 minutes

The Film

My wife and I recently adopted a dog and have begun to feel that immense bond that forms between humans and animals. For that reason I can no longer watch dog-themed films. I can’t handle the inevitable heartbreak that comes with the stories; it hits too close to home. Marley and Me was one of the saddest films I’ve ever seen, and I have no desire to sit through something like that again. Thankfully Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is a different type of story that doesn’t follow as many of the genre’s stereotypes. Though the Blu-ray content is very thin, anyone who has ever had a true bond with a dog will love the message in Hachi.

Richard Gere stars as Professor Parker Wilson. One day while returning home he comes upon a small Akita. Smitten with the dog’s instant loyalty, Parker takes him home. His wife, Cate (Joan Allen), is not happy with the sudden addition to the family, but their daughter Andy (Sarah Roemer) falls in love with the dog. While searching for the dog’s owner Parker learns from his friend, Ken (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) that its name is Hachi. Soon enough Hachi melts even Cate’s heart as she notices the growing bond between him and Parker. She concedes and Hachi becomes a full-fledged part of the family.

Years later Hachi is fully grown and infinitely loyal. Every day, no matter the season, when Hachi hears the train whistle he knows Parker is coming home and runs to meet him at the station. Hachi’s routine has endeared him to many people, including a station worker named Carl (Jason Alexander) and a hot dog stand employee, Jess (Erick Avari). Even when tragedy strikes the Wilson family and they move away, Hachi continues his unerring, loyal routine, always awaiting his master’s return.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is a deceptively simple story with deeper messages. Sure there are plenty of “cute” moments as Hachi chips away at Cate’s armor, but the film was far less manipulative with its sentimentality than I expected. It’s not Marley and Me but it will still tug on your heart strings. However, it is not all smiles. The story is an excellent look at connection and loss, both human and canine, which feels very palpable. Despite the family friendly rating, the heavy emotions gear it more towards adults who have experienced this master/dog relationship. Think hard about the tone of the film before showing it to younger children.

The acting was a pleasant surprise and far better than most direct-to-video titles. Gere, Allen, and Roemer have excellent chemistry as a family unit, and Hachi fits right in. Having said that, the human characters aren’t the focus of the story—Hachi is. The animal acting is stellar with tons of nuance in the performance. When Hachi starts his vigil you will feel for him every single time. Combined with Gere’s natural interactions with the dog, you don’t have to stretch to feel their undeniable connection.

The only potential “problem” with the film is that, culturally, Hachi does not have the same impact that he does in Japan where he is a cultural icon. The theme of undying loyalty is much more poignant to Japan as a culture, and only hardcore dog lovers may fully absorb the complete message of the film.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 1.85:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. Colors are strong and natural without being oversaturated as seen through the passing seasons. Fine detail is a bit inconsistent. Many shots have excellent depth and close-up textures, but others are noticeable softer. Likewise some minor shadow crush hurts nighttime scenes. Keen eyes will notice occasional aliasing in the lines but it is nothing too distracting. Overall this is a very average transfer, but the film doesn’t really call for anything more.

The audio is offered in an English DTS HD 5.1 master lossless audio mix with English subtitles. The mix doesn’t have much activity for the surrounds outside of a few key scenes, but good directional placement across the front channels keeps it from feeling too flat. The rears are mostly quiet except for some mild ambience or score bleed. Dialogue is clean, and the overall mix is balanced with a few minor exceptions when the piano-heavy score can get somewhat loud.

The Extras

“A Bond of Loyalty” (18 minutes) is a standard making-of featurette with cast and crew interviews. Though it does stray into promotional territory a bit much, useful information is still given about the real Hachiko and training for the dogs used in the film.

The only other special feature is the “MovieIQ” option that accesses filmographies and scene-specific information over BD-Live for a running trivia track.

Previews are offered as well.

Final Thoughts

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale tugs on all the right heartstrings. Though the technical quality of the Blu-ray is fine, the near bare-bones selection of extra content makes this title more suited for a rental than a purchase.