Clifford the Big Red Dog (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
Based on Norman Bridwell's popular book series from some 60+ years ago, 'Clifford the Big Red Dog' (directed by Walt Becker) is a light adventure movie that is entertaining enough for kids, but may not rivet adult audiences. As is, it is charming enough to go down easy & occupy the little kiddies for 90 fleet minutes. Darby Camp stars as Emily Elizabeth, a lonely, bullied 6th grader at a posh private school in Manhattan, NY. Her mom, Maggie (Sienna Guillory), must leave town on business & can only come up with her unreliable brother, Casey (Jack Whitehall), to watch over Emily. Thankfully, Casey manages to get Emily to school on time after they stop at a tent full of exotic rescue animals cared for by friendly Mr. Bridwell (John Cleese).
Though she can't have the tiny red puppy that she falls for, she discovers when she gets home from school that he had crawled into her backpack! Mr. Bridwell had told Emily that his growth will depend on how much he is loved. To that, by the next morning, the pup she has named Clifford ... is enormous. Kids will get a real kick out of the shenanigans Clifford gets into. i.e., him chasing a giant rolling ball in Central Park; and rescuing a neighbor dangling from a 4-story building. When Clifford becomes an obsession for the ruthless Lyfegro CEO, Zack Tieran (Tony Hale), who falsely claims ownership of him, Emily's school pal, Owen (Izaac Wang), his father, Mr. Yu (Russell Wong), & her neighbors come together to save her beloved dog. And Emily believes that if they can locate Mr. Bridwell, he may be able to magically make Clifford small again. Hijinks and an expectedly happy ensue.
My only memory of the Clifford books comes from my 2nd grade teacher, Miss Willrich. She was OBSESSED with the series & made us read them all; jury is out as to whether I actually read them for my book reports, haha. But yeah, this is a cute movie, and how can you not fall in love with Clifford, big or small? Darby Camp is adorable, endearing, & carries this film alongside her gigantic furry friend as the ultimate underDOG. Jack Whitehall - who we saw in Jungle Cruise earlier this year - is enjoyably goofy as the clueless uncle and, I bought the sweet chemistry btwn. he & his niece. I also enjoyed Izaac Wang, Emily's kind & funny BFF who helps her along her journey with Clifford. And it's always wonderful to see John Cleese in any movie.
Other supporting players include SNL cast members, Kenan Thompson & Alex Moffat, and Rosie Perez as a vet secretary. I didn't love Tony Hale, who cartoonishly hams it up as the obligatory CEO villain. Also, some humor in the film is too slapsticky for my liking. There are some fantastic special effects employed to create the huge Clifford as he romps through an apartment or the Big Apple, but otherwise, the film is visually flat. As I said before, kids should eat this up. Though I am not the target demographic, and despite me feeling that this is just a so-so piece of cinematic art ... I still see the film's strength as warm, appealing entertainment. And along with the canine fun, the film teaches lessons in love, acceptance & the power of community.
Though she can't have the tiny red puppy that she falls for, she discovers when she gets home from school that he had crawled into her backpack! Mr. Bridwell had told Emily that his growth will depend on how much he is loved. To that, by the next morning, the pup she has named Clifford ... is enormous. Kids will get a real kick out of the shenanigans Clifford gets into. i.e., him chasing a giant rolling ball in Central Park; and rescuing a neighbor dangling from a 4-story building. When Clifford becomes an obsession for the ruthless Lyfegro CEO, Zack Tieran (Tony Hale), who falsely claims ownership of him, Emily's school pal, Owen (Izaac Wang), his father, Mr. Yu (Russell Wong), & her neighbors come together to save her beloved dog. And Emily believes that if they can locate Mr. Bridwell, he may be able to magically make Clifford small again. Hijinks and an expectedly happy ensue.
My only memory of the Clifford books comes from my 2nd grade teacher, Miss Willrich. She was OBSESSED with the series & made us read them all; jury is out as to whether I actually read them for my book reports, haha. But yeah, this is a cute movie, and how can you not fall in love with Clifford, big or small? Darby Camp is adorable, endearing, & carries this film alongside her gigantic furry friend as the ultimate underDOG. Jack Whitehall - who we saw in Jungle Cruise earlier this year - is enjoyably goofy as the clueless uncle and, I bought the sweet chemistry btwn. he & his niece. I also enjoyed Izaac Wang, Emily's kind & funny BFF who helps her along her journey with Clifford. And it's always wonderful to see John Cleese in any movie.
Other supporting players include SNL cast members, Kenan Thompson & Alex Moffat, and Rosie Perez as a vet secretary. I didn't love Tony Hale, who cartoonishly hams it up as the obligatory CEO villain. Also, some humor in the film is too slapsticky for my liking. There are some fantastic special effects employed to create the huge Clifford as he romps through an apartment or the Big Apple, but otherwise, the film is visually flat. As I said before, kids should eat this up. Though I am not the target demographic, and despite me feeling that this is just a so-so piece of cinematic art ... I still see the film's strength as warm, appealing entertainment. And along with the canine fun, the film teaches lessons in love, acceptance & the power of community.