Clifford the Big Red Dog

Clifford the Big Red Dog
Starring Darby Camp, Jack Whitehall, Tony Hale, Sienna Guillory
Directed by Walt Becker

"I wish we were big and strong and the world couldn't hurt us." This was the prayer uttered by young Emily Elizabeth after she acquired the unique red puppy she named Clifford, and it's a prayer that resonates deeper now than ever before, especially through the eyes of a child. In a world today filled with fear, anger, and sheer hopelessness, there has to be hope that we can overcome all the negativity and get to a point where we're big and strong, and the world can't hurt us, right? It's something that we're all looking for nowadays, and "Clifford the Big Red Dog" manages to pull us all away from our fearful lives and enjoy a fun, light-hearted family-friendly film that hits the nostalgia for adults and the generic slapstick comedy the kids can enjoy as well.

Emily Elizabeth (Darby Camp) attends a prestigious school, but is on the lower end of the wealthy totem pole, resulting in her getting picked on by the rich, bratty girls in the school. Every day is a struggle for her, but she manages to maintain a smile through the tears, as she lives in a decent apartment with her mother Maggie (Sienna Guillory). When Maggie gets called away for business, she reluctantly brings in her slacker brother Casey (Jack Whitehall) to watch over Emily, and Casey thinks it'll be easy money since Emily is quiet, and has no friends. One day they find an animal rescue tent at a carnival run by the nice, sweet Mr. Bridwell (John Cleese), and it's there Emily finds a cute red puppy. She wants to keep it, but Casey forbids it, saying his sister will kill him if it happens. Still, the puppy manages to stow away in Emily's backpack, and she convinces Casey to keep it. Naming it Clifford, Emily falls asleep with Clifford as she wishes they would both become big and strong.

The next morning Emily wakes up to find Clifford has indeed gotten bigger and stronger, as his height now reaches the ceiling in her room. Casey fears that his sister will literally kill him, as they try to keep Clifford hidden - but the big pup keeps getting himself into shenanigans that draws the attention of the townspeople, including Zack Tieran (Tony Hale), the owner of Lifegro, a genetics company that's trying to make animals bigger. He wants Clifford to test and see how he managed to get so big, leading to a cat-and-mouse pursuit with Emily, Clifford, Casey, and Emily's only friend Owen (Izaac Wang). Along the way Emily learns the true value of friendship and finds that Clifford is bringing out the best in others - as well as herself.

Clifford was an idea dreamed up by Norman Bridwell, and the first children's book was released back in 1963, and has maintained a following from generation to generation, with the most recent book (Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah) being released in 2015, a few months after Bridwell's death. The story of the gigantic lovable pup and his owner Emily Elizabeth has moved countless children and parents for decades, sparking the imagination and the importance of love, friendship, and acceptance. "Clifford the Big Red Dog" is the first "live" adaptation of the book series, and while the animation has a lot to be desired, its message isn't lost in the translation: we're all different, and those differences should be celebrated rather than insulted.

While this message gets lost in the sea of antics, that's the point of the film. "Clifford" is essentially a series of shorts where we find the lovable big guy doing what puppies generally do - but at such a great height, it draws more attention than needed. Innocently chasing what he thinks is a ball (which is really a ball with a man inside), sitting on expensive items, and throwing people around like rag dolls attract the attention of the community, which puts Clifford in danger of being rounded up for genetic study, because nowadays every villain is a tech genius. The film doesn't really add anything new to the story, but in a case like this it doesn't need to - it just needs to entertain and provide a fun escape from the terrors of reality, which it manages to accomplish.

Thankfully director Walt Becker didn't make Clifford capable of talking, but in also doing so it relegates him to the background for most of the film in favor of the unique family dynamic surrounding him. This is also a good thing, as the animation of Clifford has a little to be desired, as to me he reminded me of those Nintendogs in the mid 2000s. While he provides the fun antics and wild ride, the story is rooted in a deeply moving narrative concerning a bullied girl who doesn't have a lot of friends, and how her love managed to turn Clifford big in accordance to her prayer, but also in a more philosophical way making herself bigger in the process, being able to stand up to bullies and defend that which she truly loves. It's moving in all the right places, and provides enough antics and hijinks to keep the children entertained, while the parents reminisce on better times.

Providing a much-needed escape from reality, "Clifford the Big Red Dog" isn't a stellar film, but it does achieve its goal in proving that we're all different and our differences need to be celebrated - even if our differences is a big, giant, lovable red pup.

The Score: C