Michael's Movie Grade: B
An irresistibly sweet and charming family film.
This movie captures exactly what makes the books and the TV show so near and dear to so many people's hearts. This is a charming simplicity and a lack of any cynicism. This is the type of movie that will make you smile and make the world seem a little brighter when you leave the theater and isn't that just what you want from a film like this. Seeing a social misfit become a hero or a giant red dog bringing joy into the lives of those who need it most or seeing a town of people truly come together because of this dog, is seeing the world the way we all saw in our hearts and minds as children come to life. This makes this story a fantasy that can capture the hearts of not only kids but those who are kids at heart. This movie may not be perfect but this alone made me easily forgive any flaws because in this way it felt like entering these books that I read as a kid.
Despite a fine adult cast, this movie is easily stolen by child actress Darby Camp. In her performance she brings a lot of heart and sincerity to this film. Because of her performance, this fantasy story feels real and personal to us and it is because of her that the emotional moments work so well. We care for her so when we see her heart break, our hearts break a little too.
Like many family movies today, this film is full of humor from start to finish. Because of this there are some real laugh out loud moments, but there are also some jokes that really don't work. Still in my opinion the best jokes make up for the ones that aren't as great.
This movie does however suffer from a boring villain. There is nothing really interesting about this villain or much that will stay in our minds when the film is over. The filmmakers try to use humor to make this character work, but unfortunately the jokes that revolve around this character are the worst ones in the movie. The film is also pretty predictable and anyone who has watched enough family movies can guess how it will end.
All in all this is a delightful movie for the whole family. While it does have some flaws, these are made up for by the film's incredibly charming and sweet nature.
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