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Dog: The Bounty Hunter - The Best of Season 2

A&E Video // Unrated // March 28, 2006
List Price: $19.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]

Review by Aaron Beierle | posted April 2, 2006 | E-mail the Author
The Movie:

Those who've watched the film "Domino" (based upon real-life bounty hunter Domino Harvey) recently may be interested in the A & E series "Dog: The Bounty Hunter", which was spun off from a special called "Take This Job", which profiled unusual careers. The series follows real-life bounty hunter "Dog" Chapman who, with the help of his family (wife Beth; Dog's brother, Tim; Dog's son, Leland; and Dog's nephew, Justin), tracks down criminals on the Hawaiian islands.

The series jumps between Dog's home life and professional life as Dog takes care of his family both at home and while chasing down the bad guys. Given that it's a profession that one hears so little about (I'm guessing intentionally, as the hunters probably don't want every trick of the trade to get out), it's interesting to see the way that Chapman and his crew operate (although I'm unsure if it's similar to how other bounty hunters work) on a day-to-day basis.

After capturing their target, Dog (who had a criminal past and then went on the right side of the law) and his crew try to get help for the people that they arrest and convince them to try and correct their ways or direct them to places where they can get help. The difference with "Dog" is that the show is able to occasionally get under the situation and show the sadness and tragedy or people who have completely lost their way. Sometimes, the crew run into people who are just plain nasty. Those are the two sides of the characters on the show, as well: they're intimidating folks who are always walking into a potentially volatile situation (and an unpredictable one - the people the crew questions don't always tell the truth, requiring Dog and his crew to play detective) - they can be tough if needed, but they can also show compassion, crack jokes and try to get people on the right track.

Unfortunately for fans, A & E has decided to release the show on DVD so far in "best of" sets instead of full seasons. The episodes included here are:

#19 Baby's Back In Town (4/5/2005)
- The Dog's oldest daughter returns after spending years in Alaska. With another case in the works, daughter Lyssa gets brought into the family business to try and help catch a criminal.
#20 Surprise! Surprise! (4/5/2005)
- The suspect in this case is a heroin addict who Dog and Beth try to talk him into getting on the right path away from drugs. Additionally, it's Leland's birthday and Dog and Beth have plans to pull a surprise.
#21 No Ice In Paradise (4/12/2005)
- Dog takes part in an anti-drug parade and gets honored for his work. Additionally, there's a fugitive to track down who's dealing drugs.
#23 Son of Dog (5/10/2005)
- Dog's oldest son joins the team and the group hunts down a drug user and a dealer.
#25 Brother's Keeper (5/31/2005)
- Dog and crew hunt down an abusive husband whose wife has revoked bail.
#26 Mama's Boys (6/7/2005)
- The crew go to hunt down a fugitive whose mother lies at first about where her son is. In an emotional scene, the crew go to the graveyard where Dog's mother is buried.
#34/35 This Dog Can Hunt (8/23/2005)
- In an hour-long special, Dog and crew head to Colorado to hunt down a long-time criminal.

The DVD

VIDEO: "Dog" is presented in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio by A & E Home Entertainment. The show is shot with hand-held video cameras, but it still looks awfully good, as the show looks continually crisp and clear - also helped by the fact that many scenes take place during the day.

The presentation does show some slight shimmer at times, but otherwise looks crisp and clean. No pixelation or edge enhancement appears, nor are there any issues with the source material. Colors look natural and crisp, with no smearing or other issues.

SOUND: "Dog" is presented in Dolby 2.0, and the audio sounds crisp and clear throughout. Dialogue remains easily understood, with no distortion or other issues. Music (including the Ozzy Osbourne theme track) sounds full and well-recorded, as well.

EXTRAS: A "Test Your Bounty Hunter Skills" game and bios.

Final Thoughts: "Dog: the Bounty Hunter" is a compelling reality show looking into a family who all work in a profession rarely discussed. Although it's disappointing that A & E continues to offer "best of"s with little in the way of supplements, audio/video quality is still solid. Recommended.
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