Turner & Hooch

My boyfriend loves this movie so I watched it and I laughed. Hooch acts exactly like our dog- big and messy and destructive. Tom Hanks was very convincing as a meticulous detective and Hooch is a hoot as a dog that can rattle him.. All in all this is a good movie to watch on a rainy afternoon like we did.

TURNER AND HOOCH teams Tom Hanks with an unlikely murder witness: a slobbering junkyard dog named Hooch. This is an okay film for another one of Hanks's underachievers, and is actually an entertaining one to watch. It's not the dog that K-9 was. The story here is much better, the chemistry is much stronger and the movie doesn't try as hard. Certainly Hanks's most underrated film, and highly recommended for people with pets in their home.

3 out of 5

Tom Hanks is an obsessive-compulsive cop who takes in a filthy, slobbish French Mastiff when it's the only witness to a murder. Basically The Odd Couple with a dog. It's predictable and formulaic to the bone, but hits a strange nerve that allows us to overlook its shortcomings and appreciate the sweetness of the ride. Hanks is largely to thank for that, at the top of his game very early in his dramatic career. Though a few not-so-surprising supporting actors pop in from time to time, (Reginald VelJohnson as a policeman? What a shock!) it's almost entirely a one-man show that sails beyond expectations on the merits of his lone performance. In fact, the closest competition is Beasley the dog, who's absurdly emotive and personable throughout the film. He and Hanks make for a great team, as silly as that might sound, and it's easy to tell that a lot of their best scenes were ad-libs that miraculously avoided the cutting room floor. Funny, bittersweet movie magic that really has no business being as entertaining as it is.

It's not a great film but it ain't no dog, either.

"Turner and Hooch" does its own take on the cop-buddy genre of films. In few others, though, did one of the buddies ever have as severe a drooling problem as Hooch.

Hanks, in one of his last few comedy roles before aiming strictly for Oscar-calibre movies, is perfection as a neat freak cop teamed with a pooch that would be a calamity no matter whom he was with. When this dog marks his territory, the whole neighborhood notices.

If there's only one problem I had, it was the ending. I won't say anything about it, for the uninitiated, but all I will say is I wish it would have ended differently.

But besides Hanks and hound, there are other good parts, such as the observances of the unique characters in the town, the extent of damage a mastiff can do, and what kind of a cop carries a Dustbuster in his car. Oh, and the Lancelot Link discussion.

Seven stars. And if you ever own a mastiff, get thick doors.

I remember loving this movie as a kid, and watching it recently, I must admit it aged pretty well (except for the music and the hairdo of the leading actress). I laughed several times at the antics on display, mostly because of the interactions between Tom Hanks (Turner) and Hooch. Hooch, the dog, is a special effect in itself. He's initially so ugly, I thought he was some kind of unique bastard dog, but it turns out there's an actual breed. Who would have thought? So initially ugly, so big, yet turning out so lovable and actually handsome with his sad face and droopy expressions, once he cleaned up and didn't slobber too much.

We have Tom Hanks at the height of his comedy career (before he turned too serious) giving a very energetic and enthusiastic performance despite playing a serious, by-the-book, neat freak. For me, there was actual chemistry between him and the dog. That scene where they "talked" in the car was hilarious. The other actors weren't bad but weren't notable.

Other scenes where the dog made a mess or was particularly disgusting were to be expected, but they were enjoyable nevertheless, mostly due to us expecting Hank's reactions and him actually delivering. Sure, he was a bit over the top sometimes, but it worked. The actual police action stuff was less interesting and pretty standard for the times. The movie was also a bit sad a few times, but I think that made the movie more memorable. For me, this film remains a reference, even today, in terms of dog-comedy movies.

Rating: 7 out of 10 (Very good)