Rated: PG
Directed by: Walt Becker
Story by: Justin Malen, Ellen Rapoport
Based on the Book Written by: Norman Bridwell
Music by: Justin Malen, Ellen Rapoport
Starring: Darby Camp, Jack Whitehall, Izaac Wang, David Alan Grier, John Cleese, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Sienna Guillory, Russell Wong.
Emily Elizabeth (Darby Camp) has just moved to New York with her mother, Maggie (Sienna Guillory). Emily’s the new girl at a posh school. On a scholarship. The last thing she wants is to stand out.
When her mother has to leave town for work, she leaves Emily with her Uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall). A happy-to-lucky individual now living out of his van who, ‘thinks green M&Ms are a vegetable.’
When uncle and niece see an Animal Rescue tent, Uncle Casey’s instinct is it’s a great idea to go in. So they probably shouldn’t.
And that’s when the magical and lovely Mr. Bridwell (John Cleese) introduces Emily to a small red puppy.
He’s so cute and tiny.
But they’re not looking for a pet and Emily’s mum would not be happy. And neither would the super of the building – No dogs!
To which Mr Bridwell replies, ‘Best time to find them is when you’re not looking for them.’
It’s all a bit lovely.
I didn’t think I’d be taken with this animated red dog. But the way his tail keeps wagging happiness and those expressive brown eyes kinda got me.
Emily really needs a friend, but Uncle Casey is adamant, ‘I’m not going to fall for your little girl powers!’
But somehow, the little red dog makes it into their hearts. And home. Because it’s magic, right?
And with a single tear of love and a wish for the small red puppy to become big and strong so the world can’t hurt them, what was small and cute becomes enormous and, Clifford, The Big Red Dog.
This is a film about growing up, with a little magical help to stand up and be confident mixed in with the funny antics of a big red puppy knocking over everything, chasing large balls with people running inside them and the asides from Uncle Casey who sees the sloth as his spirit animal.
The film’s a blend of the animated dog with human characters in real world settings with, sneezes-in-the-face reactions and well-delivered lines that I found surprisingly funny.
I enjoyed, Clifford the Big Red Dog more than I thought I would, originally thinking the humour would be targeted at a much younger audience. But there’s some ticklish humour here for the adults (the uncle saying he doesn’t wear deodorant because why mask our natural musk?!) and some mad, nasty sheep that’s just funny for everyone.
It’s not all rainbows and butterflies. There’s a big corporation trying to invent big food to feed the world so of course they want to pull apart the magic that is Clifford to find out what makes him so big.
They can’t win though. Because it’s love that makes him big.
It’s just one of those kind of movies.
And there’s a nice message there for the young kids as well, ‘The people who are unique? They’re the ones who will change the world.’ Good fun.