Marmaduke

source: Marmaduke

When I heard 20th Century Fox would be adapting the fifty-year old classic comic strip, Marmaduke, to the big screen I was gleefully entranced in an uninterrupted state of anticipation. We're talking about the same studio that flawlessly reconstructed the dated Garfield and SO last decade Alvin & the Chipmunks to fit into this fresher generation of modernized teen lingo, consistent pop culture references and omitting an occasional bodily humor gag every now and then (every two minutes can be considered occasional, right?). I'm happy to say that this is a worthy new addition to the gang that I go as far as to hold on par with Mike Myer's glorious Cat in the Hat. First of all you have to appreciate the man who helmed it all, Tom Dey, for establishing a brave new look towards the characteristics of a beloved cartoon canine. All he really had to pick was a flashier setting, increase the obliviousness of his human companions, maybe add the most hip pop songs on Billboard's Top 100 during a montage, OH…he also may have also added more ignorance to his personality. But that's okay; out of all the things they could have forgotten I'm grateful they've maintained the premise of destructive, slapstick-reliant Great Dane. Once I saw that pack of computer-animated dogs dancing in unison to "What I Like About You", I realized this would be the most criminally misunderstood thing Dey had ever captured on film since Terry Bradshaw's rear end. Major kudos also goes out Owen Wilson for FINALLY picking a well-meaning dog movie this time around. Marley and Me was idiotically under the impression you could show the shenanigans of a household pet every once in a while, but spend the rest of the time observing serious consequences and responsibilities of owning him. What were they thinking?!?! Kids shouldn't worry about all that – their parents should! Children should be aware that it's okay for a dog to run around wet after a bath, violently flip over masters and succumb to peer pressure for the sake of holding a party. Your mom will take care of it, little guy…until then, point and laugh!!! Not only does Wilson pick a better dog movie this time around, but also voice character too. What America was thinking in making Cars a $200 million hit, I shall never comprehend. It took an admirable, heroic lead who knew his place in society and had his mind twisted around into thinking losing is excusable. Un-be-lievable! Marmaduke on the other hand gives some strategical tips to the youth of our ages to fit in: if your household canine can't squeeze into anybody's $700 Gucci purse, than you should deny all existence of the one you actually own until he does something cool like surfing. You'll never live up to be the next Paris Hilton with that overly strong a backbone, sweety. Marmaduke didn't get the strong box office performance or glowing reviews it deserved. Hopefully it has a better shelf life when it comes to DVD this August. That's right…August. How cool are these producers for putting it from the big screen to TV within a three month period? Really cool, I know. Just goes to show that if movies are as good as the time it takes them to get to stores, than I'd be embarrassed to be attached to Monsters Inc and it's 10 month gap.

Why are people so critical toward dog movies? It's for the family to enjoy together, if you love dogs, and comedy. I've never actually read any of the comics, so I can't compare it. Marmaduke is a huge Great Dane that lives with the Winslow family. They soon move to California, and it gives Marmaduke a chance to reinvent himself. At the dog park, he makes friends with Mazie, Guiseppe, and Raisin. He also makes an enemy with Bosco, who is very controlling and jealous when it comes to his girlfriend named Jezebel. Eventually, he'll have to decide who truly are his friends. It gets a little emotional toward the end. I highly recommend MARMADUKE

Maybe I'm just a bit different (perhaps thats why I liked Marmaduke so much as he's different too!) but I saw the bad reviews and they made me want to see this movie even more! Now I am a sucker for a talking dog movie and this being school holidays in Australia it was the perfect opportunity for my 5 year old son and I to go and see this great talking dog movie. We laughed from the minute it started, we "ooh'd" and "aaah'd" at the cute bits and generally had a lot of fun watching it. I must admit I was expecting a real dud from the reviews but Marmaduke isn't one. It's wonderful for kids and wonderful for any dog owner who finds humor in their canines. If you fail to laugh at a great Dane sleeping in his owners' bed and farting when they embrace then you are a very serious grumpy soul who needs to lighten up. My son is still talking about those farts hours later! Come on, this movie isn't going to win any Oscars and yes its corny, a wee bit predictable but its the sort of kids movie we grew up with. Some kids movies like UP and even Toy Story 3 are too complicated and involved for young children - this simple tale is just the ticket. Love you Marmaduke and all your dog park friends too.

I remember reading the comic strip of Marmaduke when I was a kid. He didn't talk as I recall. But these days, most all of the animal movies feature them talking. This movie isn't as bad as I thought it would be. After reading reviews, I wasn't sure if I should see it or not. But my wife loves dog movies, so I took her to see it. It does have some funny moments. I don't know if Owen Wilson's voice was the best choice, but you get used to it. The movie generally reminded me of something you would see Disney make. It is geared towards kids of course, but I think some adults will still like it too. If this doesn't do that well in the cinema, then I think it will be a hit on DVD or on demand. I have actually seen worse movies than this one. But if you liked Stuart Little, Babe, and other talking animal movies, then I think you will like Marmaduke as well. It is harmless, fun entertainment. And it is cute. My wife loved it.

This isn't a great movie, and knowing this before you go is key. Take your kids, or your easily-offended-with-R-movies mom. Don't take your date, not a date movie. The story is predictable, but that's okay. I found myself laughing at some funny parts, yes, out loud. I give this movie an 8 because it was a nice distraction for my mom. Before going to the dollar cinema, I read the reviews here on IMDb. I went in expecting a 2 star movie, but it's really not that bad. I stayed with it and had some fun with my mom. She didn't cry or fuss or anything. LOL.

I seriously think some users here on IMDb are being undeservedly harsh on this movie. What the motives are, I'm not too sure, but I can recommend some of them to watch the documentary Heckler. Now, back to subject, sorry for digressing, I've seen worse movies get higher ratings at IMDb. Now, I'm not really a fan of Owen Wilson or movies that have animals talking, but I feel this movie is at least a high 4 to low 5, in keeping in line with other movies reviewed on IMDb. I voted 5. I watched 2 movies - namely, Thomas the cool mule and that Aussie Ted movie that I would rank at 2 - 3 each, but not this movie. This movie is not brilliant or the best kiddies movie out there, but it's good, clean family fun. That's all I expected when I took my kid to watch this. And he enjoyed it. Unlike those other 2 movies I mentioned earlier.

Marmaduke is the adaptation to movies of the cartoon of the same name. The story is about 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. Marmaduke is mainly intended for little kids, some adults may enjoy it others might feel light a living hell. The movie has some funny moments and others are kinda foolish. The CGI to make the animals talk are nothing out of this world but decent enough. The story is a little predictable. The cast of voices are the best thing with Owen Wilson as Marmaduke, Fergie as Jezebel, Kiefer Sutherland as Bosco and George Lopez as Carlos. We also have Lee Pace and Judy Greer as Phil and Debbie Winslow, Marmaduke's owners and William H. Macy as Pace's boss. In conclusion, Kids will love Marmaduke and for one strange reason I enjoy it. So if you have children and a very big patience, take them to see this movie. If not well its your choice.

Don't know why so many people have a downer on this.I took my 7yo and 3yo boys to this and they really liked it! I thought it was OK, not great but OK easy to watch. Now is that not what a kids film should be? Too many people out there think they are experts, just relax man and watch the movie. Instead of writing crap about every film, it's unfair as myself as a parent checked the reviews for this. I am pleased I ignored them as I have my suspicions about a lot of these reviewers. This is a long line now in poor reviews which turn out to be decent movies. End result the kids had a good time watching a nice gentle movie with some laughs-get over yourselves.

Marmaduke is a great family movie for viewers of all ages. I went to see it with my 19 year old daughter and we both enjoyed it! Of course we are dog lovers and maybe a little biased. The movie centers around Marmaduke and his human family, the Winslow's. The family is moving from Kansas to California for a job opportunity that Phil Winslow was presented with. Marmaduke struggles to make new friends and to find somewhere to fit in just as the two older Winslow children, Barbra and Brian, who encounter these very same issues. They all miss their old lives and friends back in Kansas but they eventually adjust and want to stay in their new home. The filmmaker does a good job at portraying Marmaduke as human-like as possible and captures the typical mischievous Marmaduke that you would remember from the comic strip. He jumps out the bath tub flinging water throughout the house, drags Phil, eats food off the counter, has a party and trashes the house, chews up shoes, and farts in bed. All classic behavior for Marmaduke. What I liked most was the human-like behavior that was displayed by the animals. Marmaduke's party has to be one of my favorite parts of the movie. There are dogs jumping off the roof into the pool, spraying silly string, and there is one dog sleeping on the front lawn. Typical teenage behavior. Another good scene is Marmaduke and Jezebel having a romantic evening at the junk yard. They are sitting on a blanket, sharing a jar of peanut butter and Marvin Gay's "Lets Get It On" is playing in the background. Hysterical! The dialog between the dogs is very cute and creative. There are many one-liner's that incorporate dog behavior and their likes and dislikes in some of their conversations. In one scene when Marmaduke is forced into a surfing competition he tries to calm himself by thinking happy thoughts of open meadows and peeing on everything. Typical dog behavior. There was also a scene when Mazie was showing him around the dog park and telling him about the various dog cliques. She described one group as rich snobs that think their fleas don't bite. Too funny! The overall animation of the film was pretty good and created a believable effect of animals taking to each other. However the scene at the end of the movie where the dogs are dancing in the park could have been a bit better to make their actions look less computer-generated. The movie Scooby Doo had similar issues. Regardless, I still love both movies.