LIKES:
The Pace: The books are not the deepest bits of lore, always meant to capture attention with the colorful illustrations and superficial fun. This live adaptation manages to keep that fun going, using the imagery to entertain, while also allowing time to enjoy the simplistic story set before it. There is little dawdling and identity politics in this movie, and instead just trying to give you an adventure with a unique dog and his loving owner. Kids will love the fast paced nature of the film, and parents should be happy that they get out of the movie a bit faster than your typical film. However, it should be noted that the movie also gives time to appreciate aspects of the film, at least to the children's book level quality.
The Story:
Clifford's story is certainly simple and fun, and like many movies of the modern era, instilled to teach the younger generation. A few important life lessons are illustrated in the movie and preaching the message we got hit with during the election. Charming, well versed, and presented in a straightforward manner, Clifford's human cast is ready to raise awareness to these issues. Yet, the biggest part of the story I loved was just the core tale of the girl and her love for the dog, and that heartwarming element makes you feel good, assuming you can get past the preachiness of it.
The Comedy, to an extent:
Clifford is a kids oriented film, and that means the comedy is following that suit as well. For kids, the antics are most likely going to result in the theater or room erupting in laughter, while for parents there are going to be spare moments of actual laughs. Yet, there are times where the forced line, timing, and the joke itself are funny and will appeal to the more mature palette. The child like nature in my heart also got some laughs out as well and I absolutely felt a third of the movie I chuckled in.
The Cute Factor:
It's a family fun film, with the level a 1 or 2 at most for being too much viewers. Clifford's safe waters amplify and rely on you being drawn in by the cute factor, and do not shy away from feeling like the book's they are based on. Puppy antics are the heart of the cuteness, but there are some other things that deserve a nod from me in this film. The neighborhood factor is charming and adorable, giving vibes of Sesame Street that help establish that extended family friends. Emily's relationship with a few of her friends also is wrapped up in a nice little bow, and holds a relevant factor to me, which once again amplifies the awe factor I held for it. Again, it's family friendly aspect that are enjoyable, and I absolutely think this will be a high factor for the intended audience.
The Animation/Dog:
The star of the show is actually the one who is not alive, the CGI dog that is Clifford. While he is not the goofy, big eyed dog made famous in the books, the Labrador look suits him well and the puppy element kept in theme with the dog. I fell in love with the design of the puppy, and impressed with the details that they manage to add in this movie. His animation was smooth, the physiology executed perfectly, adding those touches of whines, moans, and barks that the canine animal kingdom thrives in. And yet, they also added a human quality that pets seem to have, helping to give Clifford more character to fall in love with. He was utilized well, for both storytelling and comedy, and the commercialism of him delivered 110% for this reviewer. Kids will fall in love with the titular character, and hopefully the older group will appreciate the work that went into him.
DISLIKES:
Predictable:
While the story is in line the books, it does not mean we needed to be devoid of a little extra flare factor in the movie. Clifford's adventure holds little surprise, and you can discern the story in about twenty minutes from the start. I did not need anything dark or super complicated, but I think we can all agree that adding some layers could have elevated the audience range a little more.
The Antagonist
Kids movies have shown great villains in the form of Scar, Xibalba, even Maleficent. Clifford did not give us that award winning bad guy, instead generic poser who did little but overact and talk like a snide business man. The weaker antagonist made for impasses and obstacles that could have again livened up the movie. It led again to scenes lacking suspense, and a very G rated experience that did little for the older audience member like myself. Again, kids should be okay, but trending towards the preteen era, may see diminishing returns compared to other classic kids movies and makes it a little boring unfortunately.
The Acting:
I get it, this is not meant to be the Academies, but more effort could have been used to up the game a little bit. Clifford's group is certainly not the worst acting bunch, but there is much to be desired in the young cast that I hope to see evolve in future works. The lead role has moments that are touching and really show the potential, while other times are forced acting that fall back into uncomfortable direction that I don't think they intended. The second child star was okay, and he hits points that will have younger audience members cackling in glee. Yet, the direction of the character is a bit haphazard, uneven, and inconsistent that needed some toning down to be the character I think they wanted. As for the adults, they do some things very well, but again most of them are very one dimensional, super annoying at times, and so forced on comedy that again you need to have the kid state of mind to fully appreciate it. John Cleese is the exception to the rule, and he delivers his wacky, wizard role to fine perfection and balance that I had wished we had more of him.
The Stunts/Action:
Highly geared towards kids, the adventure/exciting parts are cute, and there are times that it certainly delivers maximum impact on the dream of having a giant puppy. However, there are other times where the stunts are super silly, vaudeville like moments that are about being clumsy oafs, with overdone falling and overacted hits. Cute and funny as it is, it's excess takes away from the other moments of the movie I think they wanted to achieve. Had these been geared with a little more suspense, and having that adventure style without the intrusion of these wacky antics would have been fantastic to really make these moments the most fun.
Super Preachy In The End:
As the ending is winding down, the emotions are running high, and there is a fun adventure moment to try to close the adventure out with, we get the final moments of the movie in a big speech. Emily makes the political speech to offset all the stuff she had done, and it is super preachy to the extent of getting caught up in the in your face moments that movies are becoming. It was cheesy, and lacked the finesse and majesty that I think they were envisioning when designing the final moment. Again, I like the message, I like the heart, and the intent, but the execution was sort of lost to the overdramatic flair that they had it come out.
The VERDICT:
Clifford's real life adventure has the heart and soul of the books, and is perfect for the goal of making family fun at the theater. I loved the pacing and energy, had fun with the cute jokes and atmosphere, and appreciated the heartwarming nature this movie brings in the short run time. Clifford is the star of the show by far, and the CGI dog captured much of my attention in design, movement, and character and my highest selling point for this film getting a view. Yet, the movie is geared towards the family environment a little too much, and gets a little ridiculous and over the top to lean away from older audience members. The antagonist is minimal, the excitement diluted by over silly moments, and the story's simplicity leaves it lacking the full growth I had hoped to find in this film. A theater visit can be fun, but if you have been subscribing to Paramount+, then you'll be just fine at home watching this film given the quality, though I would like it to make enough money to get another shot at a sequel, because I love that puppy.
My scores are:
Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 7.0.
Movie Overall: 5.5.
