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The Vow

A saccharine and paint-by-numbers slice of romance, which is largely boosted by the appeal of its two leads.

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (3D)

The under-utilised 3D adds little to this prequel, which only serves as a sore reminder of the brilliance of the original films.

Any Questions For Ben?

The talented bunch of actors ably cut through the surface gloss, but it’s tough to remain invested in the plight of the self-absorbed lead.

Shame

It starts off as brutal but arresting stuff, and the two lead performances are scorching, but disappointingly dissolves into a case of tragedy for the sake of tragedy.

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Marmaduke (Film)

by Karlie Jeffrey | June 28, 2010 13:54 | Edited June 28, 2010 13:57

Despite plenty of slapstick humour to keep the kids entertained, this film about a giant talking dog fails to deliver any clever or lasting jokes.

Some people like standing out in a crowd and others are forced to. Marmaduke is the latter. At nearly a metre tall, Marmaduke (voiced by Owen Wilson) is a Great Dane struggling to fit in and it isn't just because of his size. He is clumsy, hungry and always getting himself into trouble. So when he makes the move from Kansas to California with his family, he sees this as a fresh start. Although the OC is not all it's cracked up to be and Marmaduke must rely on his friend Mazie (voiced by Zombieland's Emma Stone) to teach him about the doggy gangs, family pangs and how to be on his best behaviour for his owner's boss Don Twombly (William H. Macy).

 

Based on the classic cartoon which appears in over 600 newspapers in 20 countries, Marmaduke is a film that has real life animals moving their lips when they ‘talk' and also features the voices of Fergie, Kiefer Sutherland and George Lopez (who plays a cat with attitude). Director Tom Dey (the man behind Failure To Launch and Shanghai Noon) has created a simple and sweet story with plenty of slapstick comedy and fart jokes to keep the kids happy. But these days, thanks to the subtle humour that can be found in the Shrek and Toy Story franchises, adults have come to expect a lot more from kids' films and that's where Marmaduke doesn't deliver. While Wilson does a sweet job with Marmaduke, the jokes are just too obvious and clichéd. That's not to say that you won't find them funny (especially if you have a big dog) but they just won't stay with you.