Marmaduke (2010)
By Roxanne Downer
I’d like to meet the person who had the not-so-brilliant idea to turn the long-running Sunday comic, Marmaduke, into a not-so-brilliant long-running film of the same name. I’d sic a Great Dane on them.
Owen Wilson voices the big, furry guy himself, written here as an outsized adolescent dog who’s too old to be the cuddly puppy and too young to stay out of trouble. But Marmaduke gets a chance at reinvention when his owner, Phil Winslow (Lee Pace), is hired as a marketing executive at a California-based organic dog-food company. He decides to move his whole brood–which also includes wife Debbie (Judy Greer), three kids, and a sassy cat (George Lopez)–from Kansas to the O.C.
Phil’s new boss, Don (poor, poor William H. Macy), likes to show his commitment to the pooches by conducting business barefoot at a local dog park (ew!). There, Marmaduke is introduced to the world of doggie hierarchy. Bosco (Kiefer Sutherland) is the pure-breed top dog, with the lackeys (Damon and Marlon Wayans) and the pretty collie girlfriend (Fergie) to prove it. So the slobbering Great Dane is left to run with the outcast mutts, Raisin (Steve Coogan), nervous Guiseppe (Christopher “McLovin” Mintz-Plasse), and tomboyish Mazie (Emma Stone). That is, until he has an idea that gets him in with the “in-crowd” and invited to all the cool canine keggers. Predictably, though, he loses sight of who he is in the process.
Director Tom Dey should be credited for assembling a cast that is much better than this movie deserves. Except for George Lopez. After Beverly Hills Chihuahua, this is exactly what he deserves. Everyone else is completely wasted and quite possibly wasted. There must be some explanation for why the gifted Bill Macy agreed to be in this insipid tripe.
Like most films aimed at the under-10 set, Marmaduke is long on morals about loyalty, the importance of family, and staying true to yourself even if you don’t fit in. But the uninspired script, cobbled together by Tim Rasmussen and Vince de Meglio from the plot of every other talking-dog movie and a few ABC afterschool specials, is short on just about everything else. Most notably, laughs.
The lil’uns will probably get a giggle or two out of Marmaduke’s mischievous habit of passing gas when his two-legged family members least expect it. If they’re young enough, they might even enjoy the CG doggie surfing and Dance Dance Revolution competition. Their parents, though, will be groaning for the whole dismal affair to come to an end.
At just 88 minutes, Marmaduke is actually pretty brief but be advised that it will feel seven times longer than that. Damn dog years.
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This Marmaduke movie review is copyright 2009 Small World Marketing and Shane Rivers. This Marmaduke review should not be reprinted without the permission of the copyright holders.
This movie review of Marmaduke expresses the opinion of the author only. Other Marmaduke movie reviews are available online, and some of those might or might not express different opinions on the movie. Like those other Marmaduke movie reivews, this Marmaduke review is intended for the entertainment and education of the reader. This Marmaduke movie review is provided as is with no warranty or guarantee implied.
I love the cartoon character but, couldn’t be more disappointed in the movie. They took away everything Marmaduke stands for, and made no effort to match up the other characters. Just guessing, I’d say some very dull geeks put it together. What happened to his everyday life at home, and in the neighborhood? Since when does he spend his days in the park? The movie showed no imagination at all. I have to say, if they couldn’t do it right, they shouldn’t have done it at all.