The comic strip character of Marmaduke wasn't exactly calling for a motion picture. But give a film a recognisable name and you can sell anything. Marmaduke follows the adventures of a dog and his family as they move from Kansas to California. The dog is a little prick. He purposefully causes problems, such as ruining the house, hurting people, and making a mess. He enjoys acting this way. He breaks the fourth wall and talks to us but we don't care. I don't want to hear from him. He sucks. Early on Marmaduke farts and says he is juvenile. That's the film in a nutshell. It's filled with a voice cast hoping they wont be recognised and that you'll leave before the end credits. Obviously Wilson and Sutherland are unmistakable, but I think the rest should be named and shamed. Steve Coogan, Emma Stone, Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Hand your heads. As Marmaduke and co go on a series of adventures, in one of which Marmaduke turns into a raging racist and starts hating on half-breeds. Unfortunately he doesn't go the way of Voldemort. Meanwhile the humans are involved in a very dull plot involving marketing for an organic pet food company. Pace plays the kind of father who is constantly beaten down. His family would rather he risk his job and look for their dog instead of going to an important meeting. The comedy is atrocious. I keep hearing the argument that this is for kids. Then why does it reference dozens of adult films? Almost Famous, Midnight Cowboy, The Elephant Man. These are just a few stolen lines that make no damn sense at all. There's also two drug references. This is really scraping the bottom of the barrel, with outdated and simplified lessons on life, and a sudden climax involving a road collapsing. It was horrible.
Review of Marmaduke
