Alright, so today, we are going to be diving into a family film that was made by Paramount Pictures, and had help being made by other movie companies like Scholastic Entertainment, and Entertainment One. Not only that, but this particular family film was based on a series of children’s books that were made throughout the decades, likely due to people, especially children, loving the main red dog character in this series. You guessed it. Based on the Clifford book series, the movie is live-action/CGI film, Clifford The Big Red Dog.
Plot: When a twelve-year-old female named Emily (Darby Camp) adopts red dog named Clifford from an animal shelter, she grows to love the dog dearly. But mishaps begin to occur, as certain other people are on the hunt for this one of a kind dog. With the help of her uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall), and her good friend, Owen (Izaac Wang), will they succeed in keeping Clifford protected, and safe from harm?
Well, what can I say in regards to this film? First off, I remember reading a few of the Clifford books as a kid, as well as watching some of the Clifford TV show, if I recall correctly. For reasons such as these, along with this film being one of the rare to fewer family films that was NOT animated, to be released in recent years, I was very interested in seeing Clifford The Big Red Dog just to see how it would compare. Well, what can I say? First off, even though there were some changes for this film in comparison to the books, and likely even the TV show, this film is surprisingly really good, and heartwarming. Yeah, it may have been a strange idea to have certain cliched villains in this film that were at least okay. Not to mention that there is this lazy person in the film that doesn’t feel motivated enough to get a real job, or even a real home. Other than aspects like those, however, it is intriguing as to how good Clifford The Big Red Dog really is. Anyway, as far as the CGI design on Clifford goes, the animators did a great job on the CGI design for the dog. Would the CGI on him been just as great if this film had been released in previous decades, say the 1990s, or even the 2000s, or 2010s? Maybe, maybe not. Oh, and another thing that I would like to mention in regards to that. I’m sure that even if Clifford The Big Red Dog had been released in any of those previous decades, it may have likely been just as good, if not better. However, it was probably for the best that a film like this didn’t get released until this year. I mean seeing as the US especially has been through some really difficult problems, particularly over this past year, as well as Hollywood starting to make films that will cave to certain groups more often than not, the audience definitely could use some lightheartedness, and a film that really makes one feel good in the end. I mean if you liked family films of this kind like 1999’s Stuart Little, or 2015’s Paddington, I can guarantee that you’ll also really like 2021’s Clifford The Big Red Dog. There is humor (clean humor for the most part), likable characters, especially when it comes to the relationship between Emily, and Clifford the Dog, and a fun score by John Debney. Oh, and did I forget to mention the really great acting, from Darby Camp, Jack Whitehall, and many more, including John Cleese? Yeah, he’s in this film too as the owner of the animal rescue shelter. Just likely many other films that he’s in, Cleese helps bring a really special charm to this movie. And the story, despite feeling a little cliched at times in certain aspects, is also really good. Adults, and kids alike will also love this film for it’s beautiful messages about friendship, caring for people, or animals, that may be unique, and the whole des about how those people that stand out, and end up being different from others, can really change the world. Yes, that is a device that has been used in other movies. However, the whole concept of being yourself, and not being afraid to be different from others around you, seems to somehow be a big standout in this particular film.
And that’s my review for Clifford The Big Red Dog. In a day and age where family films haven’t seem to always be quite as great, it’s great to see film like this film be released. It it is heartwarming, engaging, teaches really good lessons, has likable characters, and is an overall really good story. Whether you have kids, or not, or even if you’re a kid yourself, Clifford The Big Red Dog is a must see. Especially when it comes to the idea of being different, both kids, and adults will enjoy this film, and hopefully see this film as a reminder that none of us should be ashamed of who we are. Definitely see Clifford The Big Red Dog, and you will hopefully enjoy it a lot.
Final Grade: A
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 