While Clifford the Big Red Dog is not the greatest kids’ movie I have ever seen. I must admit there was something fun and charming about this movie. The movie is directed by Walt Becker who after directing the last installment in the live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks series does have experience with this kind of thing.
How to Stream or Download Clifford the Big Red Dog
You can stream and watch the film on Paramount+ or get it from a digital store when it is available for stream or for download. Click on the Download button at the end of the review
The Movie Review
The main star of the movie is Darby Camp who plays Emily, Darby Camp is one of the most talented child actors out there at the moment. Emily is sent to live with her weirdo uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) as her mother is out of town on business. If you are not a fan of Jack Whitehall’s shtick, then this movie is not going to be something you enjoy as he is cranked up to 11 for this movie!
Casey takes Emily to a magic animal shop where she meets an adorable little red dog that we know as Clifford. Clifford when he is really small lacks the cuteness that we come to expect from him in my opinion. Thankfully, a wish is made and Clifford becomes big as we would expect.
The thing is, a giant red dog running around New York is going to get attention and this is where the villain comes in. Tony Hale plays Zac Tiernan who runs a genetics company and they want to capture Clifford to run tests and try and profit off him. Emily and her best friend, Owen along with Casey do what they can to try and save Clifford.
The movie is very silly and the cast are clearly having an awesome time. I got a real kick out of Kenan Thompson being Clifford’s vet. The movie is clearly aimed at younger, preschooler-aged children, but I do think older kids will get a few laughs here too. As the movie is about a giant dog, there is a fair bit of “butt” humor which from the reaction I was hearing in the theatre I was in, kids cannot get enough of.
The slapstick kind of comedy that is here is done pretty well, but as I said before, Jack Whitehall I am sure will be unbearable for some people. Overall, the story has enough charm and heart to make even the grouchiest of adults crack a smile or two when the kids are forcing them to watch this.
One thing we do have to talk about is Clifford himself. The CG is done very well and Clifford looks real, as a matter of fact after seeing the movie the first thing I did was look online to see if it was all CG! The thing is, he has a very realistic look to him which is rather different and dare I say, not quite as cute as the animated Clifford we all know and love. Still, it is done very well and apart from being giant and red, he looks real!
I do not think Clifford the Big Red Dog is going to go down as a classic kid’s movie, but it is decent enough. I sure as heck have seen a lot worse and for the roughly 90 minutes my niece and I were in the theatre it was fun enough. I think younger kids are really going to eat this up and like I said, you could certainly do a lot worse!
