Marmaduke
Director: Tom Dey
Cast: Lee Pace, Judy Greer, William H Macy and the voices of Owen Wilson and Keifer Sutherland
Releasing in cinemas: 1 July 2010
Rated: PG
Even this dog has its day
This is a live action
adaptation of the popular cartoon character created by Brad Anderson and
which has been in world wide syndication for over fifty years. It’s
another of those films that uses clever CGI effects to make it appear
as if the animals are actually talking, 
a
device used previously in films like Garfield, Cats And Dogs,
and Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
Here Owen Wilson provides the acerbic voice for Marmaduke, the slobbering Great Dane with a penchant for causing trouble and accidental disasters. Marmaduke acts as the wisecracking narrator here, and also talks non-stop to his animal pals.
The story opens when his master Phil Winslow (Lee Pace, from the quirky tv series Pushing Daisies) moves the family from Kansas to California to secure a lucrative advertising contract with a major dog food company. While Phil is busy working the cracks begin to show in his family.
Meanwhile Marmaduke is finding his own adventures, especially when he runs afoul of Bosco (menacingly voiced by Keifer Sutherland), the Rottweiler that dominates the local dog park. There’s also something of a complicated three way romance as Marmaduke becomes involved with both Mazie (Emma Stone) and Jezebel (Fergie) and has to choose between the pure bred collie and the street wise mutt.
Tom Dey (Shanghai Nights, Failure To Launch) directs in lacklustre fashion, and the film is generally inoffensive and mildly amusing. There is some slapstick humour here that will appeal to younger audiences, and the lively animal antics will entertain. There is even a dog surfing competition that has to be seen to be disbelieved!
A solid vocal cast has been assembled to provide the speaking voices for the dogs, including Christopher Mintz-Plasse (from Superbad and the recent Kick-Ass), Steve Coogan, Sam Elliott, Marlon and Damon Wayans, although most of the dialogue consists of obvious dog-related puns and puerile double entendres. George Lopez provides the voice for the Winslow’s hapless pet cat Carlos. The supporting cast wastes a fine actor like William H Macy in a fairly thankless and rather embarrassing role here as Phil’s boss.
Marmaduke is ultimately a fairly bland and pedestrian film that will appeal to younger audiences, but adult audiences will find that the boredom factor kicks in pretty early.
Greg King
Read more of Greg King's reviews at filmreviews.net.au