Review: MARMADUKE

Based on the comic strip, MARMADUKE is the latest family-friendly, beginning of the summer offering from 20th Century Fox. The big, lovable Great Dane finds his voice in none other than MARLEY AND ME’s Owen Wilson. After receiving a job offer from organic dog food president Don Twombly (William H. Macy), ambitious father, Phil Winslow (Lee Pace), uproots his Kansas family, along with Marmaduke and the loopy, family cat (George Lopez), and moves them to the O.C. What person, and canine, wouldn’t want to leave the midwest for a house complete with a pool, a million dollar ocean view and a big doggie door?

The “Duke” is living large in Southern California, but finds hanging with the four-legged friends at the dog park where Phil now works won’t be easy. Being a bumbling fool of a dog, he fits right in with the mixed-breed pack of made up of tomboy, Peppermint Patty-like Maize (Emma Stone), nerdy Raisin (Steve Coogan) and jittery Giuseppe (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). No matter how hard Marmaduke tries to be part of the popular crowd, he’s constantly hounded by the park’s Alpha Male, Bosco (Kiefer Sutherland) and his minions, twins Lightning and Thunder (Marlon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr.). Added to the story is the love triangle between Duke, the pure-bred Collie, Jezebel (Fergie), and Maize. Even a surfing competition and subsequent pooch party at his family’s home to prove he can run with the pedigrees goes awry and Phil banishes Marmaduke to a stormy night out in the backyard.

Just when Marmaduke feels all is lost and runs away, an outcasted English Mastiff and true hero of the film, Chupadogra (in his baritone voice, Sam Elliott), comes to rescue and reminds him of the love of his family. Marmaduke is even more determined to return home when he walks by a slew of tv’s in a department store window playing, what else, the 1957 Disney movie, OLD YELLER. MARMADUKE is filled with all the usual doggie cliches and director Tom Dey offered every treat available to the visual effects department ensuring that every furry pet in the film walk, talk, and even ride a wave via CGI. Young and old, this film will appeal to every animal lover.

From 20th Century Fox, the studio that brought you CATS AND DOGS, G-FORCE, ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA, RACING STRIPES…you get the idea, MARMADUKE is rated PG for rude humor, including a farting dog, and language. The film has a running time of 87 mins. and will be in theatres on Friday, June 4th.

Canine-Friendly Rating: 3 paws out of 5