In what looks to be a film that saw the success of K-9, the film that partnered James Belushi with an Alsatian, Top Dog tries to milk more cash from the same cow by teaming Chuck Norris (of Missing in Action and Walker - Texas Ranger fame) with a shaggy dog that looks like Tiger from The Brady Bunch after steroid treaments.
Detective Jake Slater (Norris) finds himself recalled from suspension, and assigned Reno (the dog) to investigate the murder of Reno's former partner and owner. Neither are pleased with their new partner, and Wacky AnticsĀ® ensue as they proceed with their work.
Uncovering a conspiracy to create havoc across the United States by uniting white supremacist groups all over the country under a single banner, the two unorthodox cops must race against time to uncover the whole scheme.
This is a very plain disc with no extras - understandable for the low budget, low popularity film it is, and yet the disc defaults to the menu rather than just starting the movie. The picture is transferred in full frame 4:3 and is pretty easy on the eyes. Colours are rich, without seeming unnatural, and black levels are deep without sacrificing shadow detail. There are no noticeable signs of artifacting or edge enhancement, and only some occasional aliasing. Force seem to have made good use of the space available on the disc due to lack of extras.
As far as audio goes, we have a 2-channel stereo mix that, while it won't win any awards, suitably accompanies the film. Dialogue is clear, with no particular synching problems, and the effects shots are loud and punchy - especially when it comes time for Chuck to start pounding some flesh.
Personally, I can't understand to whom this film is targeted - there's not enough action for a typical Norris fan, and there's too much violence for it to be the family film that I think it wanted to be. Oh well, it takes all kinds for the world to go around, so perhaps this is more to your liking than mine. Like it or not, the disc contains a good transfer.