Review by Justin Bateman
Stars the voices of Owen Wilson, Emma Stone, Kiefer Sutherland | Written by Tim Rasmussen & William Di Meglio
UK certification U | UK RRP £19.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 88 minutes | Directed by Tom Dey
Marmaduke, in case you’ve never read the comic strip, is a Great Dane and pet of the Winslow family. In this live action/CGI film version, the Winslows move from Kansas to California for the increased job prospects of high-flying marketing executive Phil. But this is really the story of Marmaduke (Owen Wilson) and how he fits in with his new canine pals in the O.C.
The history of comic book to big (or this case small) screen adaptations is not exactly littered with successes. Even some of the funniest and most likeable characters simply don’t translate from the page – and if Garfield didn’t work (and it didn’t) then the likelihood of the more safe and sedentary comedy of Marmaduke succeeding was always going to be a stretch.
Another problem is that the rise and rise of Pixar (and as a result Disney et al) means that films for kids are now expected to work for both children and adults. This is great for cinemagoers but often less so for filmmakers. As you can probably tell by this lengthy introduction, Marmaduke isn’t one of the modern breed of kids films. The jokes are weak, the characters (both human and animal) are two-dimensional and the script is obvious.
Having said that, its heart is in the right place, it’s got a plot that makes sense and even if it doesn’t say or do anything remotely new, it’s perfectly inoffensive. I realise that’s not a massive recommendation but in a world where the likes of Sex and the City 2 and Space Chimps 2: the Return of Zartog exist, Marmaduke is glossily produced and will doubtless entertain young kids with its surfing, dancing and, oh yes, talking dogs.
EXTRAS ★★ Being a 'triple-play' there's the Blu-ray, a DVD and digital download version. As far as special features go you get a fairly standard selection of behind the scenes extras, to wit: Puppy Marmaduke and Kitty Carlos home movies (03:27) – a few short clips shot of the dog and cat in their informative years playing around the family home; Marmaduke Mayhem! Gag reel (02:40) – surprisingly few doggie foul-ups in this blooper reel; Deleted scenes (09:27); Cowabarka! More surfing dog fun (05:17) – Behind the scenes with the dog surfing scenes; Canine Casting (02:49) - does what it says on the tin.