Review: ‘Marley & Me’

Travis:

Look at that face. Just, look at it! How can you possibly resist? OK, so I figure some of you are cat people… fine. I like cats too, but Marley is a Labrador and labs are awesome! I grew up living next to a lady for a couple of years who bred and trained Labradors and they have a special place in my canine-loving heart.

With that said, I am going to tell you that this movie [really] is about average, a mostly run-of-the-mill romantic comedy with equally happy and sad parts. However, it’s Marley who steals the show and makes this movie worth seeing. Hey, now look here you cat lovers! If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. Go watch ‘Garfield’ or… something?

Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston play a young newlywed couple who begin their lives together as two journalists at the peak of their youthful, vibrant existence. About four years after the get married, Jennifer (Aniston) starts hinting about kids so John’s (Wilson) eternally single friend suggests he get her a dog to fend off the mommy bug for a while. At first it works, as Marley proves to be more than enough for the couple to handle on his own. Marley chews and/or eats just about everything you can think of and more. He’s energetic, playfully obnoxious relentlessly untrainable. [I’d like to see Caesar Millan take on Marley.] But, the instinct does eventually win out and they have their first [human] child.

Family life, for better or worse, children, careers, mid-life crisis, love and sex… all of these themes run through the film which does a decent job of giving a well-constructed story we can follow and relate to in believable terms. I cannot emphasize enough though, just how significant Marley is to the story. Thankfully, the story is not told from Marley’s point-of-view and even more importantly… NO! Marley does not speak or take on any unrealistic human traits. This is a realistic story about realistic lives. You’ll laugh (a lot) and cry (most likely) and leave the theatre pleasantly satisfied.

[Overall: 4 stars out of 5]

Ram Man:

I am a dog lover. I have had one ever since I can remember. So I felt it manditory to go see the new Christmas movie ‘Marley & Me’. I had never heard of or read the book on which the film is based, so I went in with a clean slate.   Marley & Me stars a loveable lab named Marley (after they late singer Bob Marley)   that is bought by a newly wed couple played by Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. Wilson and Aniston are strickly supporting cast for the dog who steals the show.

John and Jennifer Grogan get married and move to sunny Miami. Both journalists get jobs at competing newspapers. After a few months on the beach Jennifer decides she wants to have kids. John isn’t ready for that, so on the advice of a friend, he takes Jennifer to pick out a dog. This to get her mind off of kids for the near future. They go out to a local breeder and find a cute labrador , the runt of the litter, and buy it. During a bonding session with John, the dog reacts to a song on the car radio by the late Bob Marley. John then names the dog Marley.

Marley soon begins to eat anything in site, dog food, answering machines, furniture. Marley is kicked out of obedience school (conducted by Kathleen Turner doing her best Jabba the Hutt impression) and labeled the world’s worst dog by John. I can relate. I had a great Dane, Maggie, that my father had to have and brought home one evening. Maggie was a cute puppy……Puppy! The problem was that she grew…and grew…and grew. But maggie still thought she was a puppy, even when she would come bounding down the hallway and leap on to my back (all 110lbs) and almost knock me out. Marley is the same way, a fun loving dog that wants to be the center of attention.

Soon the eventual thing does come and John and Jennifer start having kids. So now Jennifer must become a stay at home mom and take care of all of the kids Marley included.   I am not going to spill any of the details about the end of the film. I am only going to say, “if you are a pet owner or dog lover, it would be a crime to miss this film.” Marley & Me will stir up those memories of pets you once owned or make you think about what your dog is getting into while you are sitting in the theater watching this movie! Either way, Marley & Me is a wonderful holiday movie for the whole family. As they say on all the billboards around town..”Heel the Love”

[Overall: 4.25 stars out of 5]

Quin:

Finally! Marley and Me, a movie that represents the book properly, has made its debut in theaters. It took forever, it seems, with so many movies based off books coming out that should have left out that line “based off the book.† I loved this realistic adaptation of a writer named JoshGrogan (Owen Wilson) and his wife (Jennifer Aniston ) as it takes you on a journey on how life cannot be executed by plans, but just by moments that occur. The feature focuses on their dog Marley who is the devil incarnate, but as the movie progresses you see that this dog is maybe something more of a lifesaver. I have no criticisms of this movie. I felt it had the right mix of humor and sadness while keeping the movie at a realistic level. I give this movie a 5 out of 5 because… who doesn’t love a great film with a great dog?