Marmaduke review

The miracle of CGI has created a monster, an unwelcome tidal wave of talking-animal comedies. Now, with the novelty of watching lips move on animals wearing dangerously thin, Owen Wilson lends his likeable voice to a Great Dane called Marmaduke. In a film based on the inexplicably long running and rarely amusing newspaper cartoon.

It’s a real challenge to stretch a one joke comic strip into a feature length story. So the film predictably relies on all the familiar elements of a standard family comedy. A success-hungry father drags his reluctant family and troublesome pet dog to a new life in California, where his demanding boss keeps him too busy to notice his unhappy children. Meanwhile, our canine hero has to deal with doggy social cliques, love interests and a pedigree bully in a new park.

The most magical films are those which have the power to enchant children and adults in equal measure. Unfortunately, Marmaduke panders aimlessly to both audiences and rarely satisfies either. A few misplaced pop culture references won’t keep mum and dad interested and young kids will likely grow grouchy at the surprising lack of silliness. It’s impossible to avoid unflattering comparisons with the wealth of wonders that Disney and Pixar have gifted to the world.

The most confusing thing about Marmaduke is that the film seems frequently targeted at teenagers, the one demographic guaranteed to avoid watching it at all costs. Marmaduke’s journey of self discovery, as he loses sight of his real friends in an effort to fit in with the popular dogs, is borrowed heavily from classic teen movie Mean Girls. Different doggy breeds are an easy analogy for high school social clichés but it’s not that relevant to an audience of toddlers and grownups.

It’s surprising how much vocal talent has been lured into this film. Kieffer Sutherland, Emma Stone, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Sam Elliot all do their very best with mostly recycled material. But even Owen Wilson’s resilient charms can’t disguise a lack of genuine wit in Marmaduke’s constant narration. The film’s real problem is that the essence of almost every joke is the same. It’s all supposed to be funny because the characters act like people but really they’re dogs.

Twenty years ago a genuine talking dog would have been a must see attraction, but sadly they don’t impress anyone in a world where meerkats sell us insurance on TV. Pigs, Gerbils, Chipmunks and Chihuahuas... they’ve all talked and shamefully we’ve listened. But it’s not enough anymore, unless they have something new to say and Marmaduke doesn’t.

If you’re looking for a film that allows you to combine your mutual love of dogs and Owen Wilson you’re better off sticking with your Marley and Me DVD.

Monsters vs. Aliens

DreamWorks animation studios can claim credit for Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and the phenomenally lucrative Shrek franchise. Despite having persistently lagged behind Pixar in animation techniques and Oscar acclaim, DreamWorks’ bright, unashamedly childish efforts have brought them inconceivably vast box office success. Shrek 2 is the 10th highest grossing film of all time and made $919.8 million at the cinema alone. The DVD and Shrek 2 merchandise are estimated to be worth a further $800 million. Just one film about a green ogre with a suspiciously Scottish accent made DreamWorks nearly $2 billion. No wonder they’re starting production on Shrek Goes Forth with greedy haste. But first they aim to take a technical leap past Pixar with Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D.

You have to admire the cheerful simplicity of any title which manages to capture a film's plot and playful spirit in just three words. When aliens attack Earth, a desperate President turns to a crackpot general W.R. Monger and his ragtag team of monsters to save the day. The monsters and their foes of robots and alien clones are all joyously ripped straight from classic sci-fi B movies. The prospect of watching them duke it out for the fate of the planet is appealingly silly and unpretentious.

Like most of DreamWorks’ efforts, the film’s vocal cast sparkles with unquestionable A-List calibre. Reese Witherspoon is typically endearing as Susan, a young woman whose wedding day is ruined by a meteorite which turns her into the towering 60 foot ‘Ginormica’. With much of the film focusing on her struggles to accept her newfound monstrousness, this character could easily have been irritatingly timid and hysterical. Luckily, Witherspoon’s trademark plucky charms translate well to animated form. The rest of the cast also seems equally well chosen.

Taking a rare break from all Jack Bauer’s bad days, Kiefer Sutherland clearly enjoys playing the gruff and battle hungry general W.R. Monger. Likewise, Hugh Laurie revels in the chance to show off his rare comedic gifts as a Mad Scientist turned into a cockroach by an experiment gone deliberately awry. Seth Rogen feels strangely typecast as BOB the likably brainless and indestructible blob. His attempt to romance a bowl of jelly is perhaps also one of the films funniest moments. Meanwhile, skyscraper sized bug ‘Insectosaurus’ just might be the most adorable thing to ever terrify on the big screen. Arrested Development’s Will Arnett plays Neanderthal fish-man ‘the missing link’, while political funny-man Stephen Colbert fulfils the secret wishes of many Americans by playing the President.

Recent 3D Movies have ranged from the sublime Nightmare Before Christmas re-release, to the ridiculous Spy Kids 3-D. The concept had previously found more consistent success in theme park rides than feature films; remaining a novelty rather than establishing itself as a filmaking norm. Perhaps, new technology and the recent wave of successful 3D movies, finally marks the real arrival of a new dimension in cinema. The added depth and sense of motion compliments the playful cartoonish action of films like Monsters vs. Aliens. Of course there’s a couple of scenes where things fly off the screen into the audience, startling kids and parent alike, but such tricks are sparingly used. Overall, 3D is less jarring and distracting for animated films than it often seems to be for live action.

Considerable time and effort has clearly been put into Monsters vs. Aliens with evident visual and casting success. However, my one major reservation would be that the action focused plot is quite insubstantial for more grown-up audiences; the film really has little to offer beyond a traditional "it’s okay to be different" moral. Unfortunately, the sophisticated brilliance of Pixar efforts like Wall-E and Ratatouille has permanently raised expectations for children’s cinema. Compared to the endlessly re-watchable magic of those films, Monsters vs. Aliens seems disappointingly simple and ironically two dimensional. There is just enough silliness and action to cling to an audience’s attention once, but certainly not much to merit a second glance. It's good... it's just not Pixar good.

A link below to the history of 3D for all those who prefer to know how magic tricks are done...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Cinema