BEFORE: So, I'm done with the cat-based films, except for ones about lions, and I'll get to those in a bit. Transitioning to dog-centric films for the next week. There are a lot more animated animals to come, so if you're not digging the blog, please check back in February.
In other news, we were able to feed and bond with the stray kitty in the backyard yesterday. She looks a little plump so she might be pregnant, which means we should probably try and catch her to deal with this situation, before we're awash in kittens. Also, I got the TCM channel back somehow, which is good news for my movie-watching experience, but bad news for the size of my list.
We also watched part of the Giants game while we were out at brunch, and I played that game where I figure out which actor (Jon Hamm, Robert Downey Jr.) is narrating each car commercial. I play the same game with these animated films, to see how many actors' voices I can identify before checking the IMDB. I only got 3 tonight. Maybe I missed my calling, and I should have become a casting agent for voiceover work.
THE PLOT: A suburban family moves to a new neighborhood with their large yet lovable Great Dane, who has a tendency to wreak havoc in his own oblivious way.
AFTER: This is good and simple - no spies, no pirates, no magic rings. Just a dog moving with his family to California, and trying to fit in. Oh, cats and dogs still talk and understand each other, but at least tonight the humans can't hear the dogs talk - because that would not make any sense.
I liked the attempts to get inside a dog's brain, to explain what he might be thinking when he acts up, or barks at someone, or interacts with other dogs at the park. But of course, the movie falls back on human terms to explain these things. And Marmaduke breaks the fourth wall during the first segment, to bring us all up to speed on the family. Furthermore, all of Marmaduke's misbehavior is usually attributed to something else, like a bee on his nose. So he's NEVER a bad dog, because you can't have a bad dog as the central character. Even when his family thinks he trashed the house, it's really because he had his doggie friends over for a wild party. Yeah, none of the other 47 dog owners noticed that their dogs were missing during the night...
There's some message-based material in the film, like about standing up to bullies, and not pretending to be someone who you're not. Oh, and not forgetting your friends when you become famous. And all that's just from Marmaduke's experiences. Meanwhile his owner is learning how to stand up to his boss, how to deal with a "misbehaving" pet, and how to listen to what his children are saying. Geez, there are probably too many messages in the film. Maybe they should have picked just one or two and focused a little.
Still, it's all relatively enjoyable and non-offensive, unless you can't stand dogs farting. Or if you've watched a bunch of talking animal films in a row and you can't help but wonder what it's doing to your brain. By the end of this chain I'll probably think it's weird when the dogs and cats in the real world don't talk to me.
Starring Lee Pace (last seen in "The Good Shepherd"), William H. Macy (last heard in "The Tale of Despereaux"), and the voices of Owen Wilson (last seen in "Behind Enemy Lines"), Keifer Sutherland (last heard in "Phone Booth"), Emma Stone (last seen in "The House Bunny"), Fergie (last seen in "Nine"), George Lopez (last seen in "Valentine's Day"), Steve Coogan, Marlon Wayans and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (last heard in "How to Train Your Dragon"). Oh, and I spotted Jack McGee as the voice of the Dalmatian (inside joke, since he played a fire captain on "Rescue Me") so make that 4.
RATING: 6 out of 10 surfboards
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