Danger Dog
Rexxx the Canine star of movies, such as The Fast & The Furriest, ends up lost when a parachute stunt goes wrong and he ends up in an unfamiliar town. It is there that he meets Shane (Josh Hutcherson - Bridge to Terabithia) the lonely and rebellious son of fire-fighter, Connor (Bruce Greenwood - National Treasure: Book of Secrets), who is always in trouble for cutting class. Despite not a best of starts Shane adopts Rexxx and quickly comes to realise that his canine is a good fit for the firehouse especially when an arsonist overwhelms the crew leaving Rexxx and Shane to save the day.
One thing I have learned when it comes to children movies, if they don't grab me in the first 10 minutes they will never grab me. Now I don't mind so much as I am long past the age where children movies such as "Firehouse Dog" should entertain but it doesn't stop me watching them. What bothers me is what passes as family entertainment as "Firehouse Dog" is at times questionable in what it thinks is acceptable for a young audience.
But before I get to that we have this mix of cliche with canine as we have Shane a moody kid due to something which happened to his family and then we have Rexxx the super clever dog. It is simple stuff as despite not having the best of starts they end up becoming best friends with Rexxx finding life as a firehouse dog to his liking. But it then adds on a children's mystery crime story so that Shane and Rexxx can save the day by capturing an arsonist.
Now this mix of canine and cliche is often amusing with scenes such as Rexxx skateboarding or evading the dog catcher. But there are times when I question whether it goes too far in trying to be funny with scenes such as one featuring Rexxx pooping in a pot of stew to referring to burps as mouth farts. It is not just the jokes as the whole opening with Rexxx as the prima donna doggy super star is so over the top it is annoying. Of course kids will find it all amusing but for parents it will not just be annoying but at times questionable.
What this all boils down to is that I can see how "Firehouse Dog" would be fun for children but as an adult I found it hard work right from the start with some questionable choices when it comes to what is acceptably funny.
Tags: Dog Movies
