It seemed inevitable that the greatest of the Great Danes, Marmaduke, would get a movie to call his own.
And now that animators can make dogs “talk” via computer manipulation the die was cast.
But the reason why “Marmaduke” is an agreeable time for parents boils down to Owen Wilson, the appointed voice of the comic strip canine.
Wilson’s laid back vocals set the tone for the new film, out now on Blu-ray and DVD. Expect more than a few dog puns and some hijinks aimed directly at the kiddie demo, but “Marmaduke” is sweet enough to make do as family entertainment filler until the next Pixar film comes along.
Our oversized hero’s life in Anywhere, Kansas is uprooted when his owner, Phil (Lee Pace) moves the family to Orange County courtesy of a job promotion. The new turf suits Marmaduke fine, especially when he meets a band of mutts who instantly embrace him as one of their own. But Phil’s new gig isn’t as simple. His demanding boss (William H. Macy, striking the right note for such a minor role) wants him to land the big Petco account – or else.
Meanwhile, Marmaduke falls for a purebred named Jezebel (voiced by pop star Fergie), upsetting the dog’s pack of equally pure pups. But what about Mazie (voiced by Emma Stone), a mutt who clearly digs our hero?
“Marmaduke” labors when it focuses on the humans in the story. Pace is appealing as Phil, but the subplots involving his children are so shopworn they’re barely given enough screen time to register as cliches. And the Marmaduke/Mazie love story is robbed from “Some Kind of Wonderful.”
But Wilson’s line readings are often a pleasure to hear, and he makes even the plodding dog puns forgivable.
The film’s action finale actually registers, a tribute to director Tom Dey (“Failure to Launch”) who decides suddenly not to approach the film in a paint-by-numbers fashion.
The Blu-ray extras include some dog audition clips, a gag reel, deleted scenes and more footage of Marmaduke and pals surfing. The best part of the extras package is realizing how much computer tweaking went into the film. Yes, the animators had to adjust the dogs’ mouths to make them “speak,” but it’s clear other upgrades were used to make Marmaduke an extra handsome doggie. Even canine actors are subject to Botox-style enhancements, apparently.
(Photo: The new film “Marmaduke” brings the popular comic strip canine to the big screen. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
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