Clifford the Big Red Dog – Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021)

Directed by: Walt Becker | 92 minutes | adventure, comedy | Actors: Darby Camp, Jack Whitehall, Izaac Wang, John Cleese, Sienna Guillory, Tony Hale, David Alan Grier, Horatio Sanz, Paul Rodriguez, Russell Peters, Keith Ewell, Bear Allen-Blaine, Tovah Feldshuh, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Ty Jones , Russell Wong, Siobhan Fallon Hogan

Family movies like ‘Clifford the Big Red Dog’ (‘Clifford the Big Red Dog’) tend to be a bit oversentimental. The issue of good versus evil is also often portrayed in a rather black and white way. In the case of ‘Clifford’, we see a very virtuous high school girl named Emily Elizabeth (a well-cast Darby Camp), who is being bullied at school. Her single mother Maggie (a very negligible role of Sienna Guillory) is not well off. It takes effort to cough up the rent of the apartment – with defects and a nasty landlord – every month.

When Maggie has to go to Chicago for work for a few days, impulsive Uncle Casey (played with the right humorous undertones by British stand-up comedian Jack Whitehall) comes to babysit Emily. One day, on their way to school, they stumbled upon an animal circus/curiosity cabinet run by an eccentric gentleman, Mr. Bridwell (appropriately played by John Cleese). This draws Emily’s attention to a very special dog, with a very special color. Emily begs Uncle Casey for the dog, but he doesn’t give in. When the dog appears in the apartment as if by magic, the great adventure begins.

Clifford has grown more than a little the next day, causing hilarious mishaps in the apartment. The dog is suddenly a very striking appearance in New York City, which many parties are chasing: the police, but especially ‘bad guy’ Zac Tieran (Tony Hale), the CEO of Lifegro, a company that tries to make a profit from genetics. manipulated animals.

Can the kids (Emily get help from fellow student Owen, a fun role by Izaac Wang) with the help of the friendly neighborhood shopkeepers and Uncle Casey, to keep Clifford from creepy Tieran? To ask the question is to answer it, but that should not spoil the fun.

Despite its predictability, the film is entertaining enough and there are some nice supporting roles in the cast, such as American stand-upper Russell Peters who plays the ‘magical’ neighbor Malik. What friendship and love is not good for! Emily emphasizes in a speech at the end of the film that everything that is ‘different’ should not be immediately excluded. And another thing: If you’re NOT looking for a pet, Mr. Bridwell has something special to offer.

Very suitable for the target group, with all the trimmings: a smile and a tear and an endearing dog in the lead role. The CGI with which Clifford is brought to life is not equally convincing everywhere, but that is for the faint of heart.