Movie Reviews

Review in a Hurry:  An unofficial remake of Doc Hollywood, about what happens when a Hollywood star dog is stranded with a boy and his firefighter dad in a small city. The redemption is all too complete and pat, even for a kid flick.

The Bigger Picture:  Can a pampered Hollywood dog that wears a hairpiece and acts like a brat on the set of his movies find redemption through small-town fire rescue? I'm not kidding. That question really is the setup for Firehouse Dog, and, yes, it is answered.

Diva dog Rexxx's life is turned upside down when he falls splat into a small city during a botched movie stunt. The locals don't recognize him; they call him Dewey. They call him a mutt. But guess what, dear viewers? It turns out that Rexxx isn't the only one who could use a little tough love. Yes, humans have problems too, particularly a smart-but-won't-apply-himself boy named Shane, played by the ever affable Josh Hutcherson.

Rexxx and Shane meet when the boy's trying to get away with ditching school. Naturally, Shane hates this mutt, but oh do we sense that said mutt might be just what this motherless boy needs.

Okay, we don't "sense" it. Everything about humans in this movie is spelled out. Ah, if life were so simple. Shane's dad (Bruce Greenwood) is a good man—chief of Engine 99—but he's not dealing with his bad problems: Engine 99 is set to close in a few days.

You have to feel for director Todd Holland, whose dark sense of humor so appropriate for his tenure on The Larry Sanders Show seems stymied here. Firehouse Dog won't put you to sleep—especially when the arson plot finally kicks in. It also won't go down in the books as one of the great canine movies of all time. And it would be far more enjoyable with commercial breaks.

The 180—a Second Opinion:  Innocent family fare that deals with single parenting, small-town corruption and the power of furry friends is hard to come by these days. Thank you, Firehouse Dog, for reminding us that you really can tell a story without sex and sarcasm!