Zeus and Roxanne

I was depressed when I saw it, and it cheered me up. Silly - in the best possible sense of the word. Guttenbuurg and Arquette are ideal as the parents; the kids are perfect; the villain is fun; and the dolphin is beautiful - but Zeus, the dog, really steals the film. Watch and enjoy with any kid you know - especially your boyfriend (tee-hee).

There are very few movies that I can heartily recommend to others, but I have no reservations about suggesting "Zeus and Roxanne". If I had grandchildren, I would buy this one for them; we could watch it together without any awkward moments. That alone makes this movie a gem. The characters are pleasant and appear to be normal people who behave respectably. There is no degrading language which so often spoils other movies that I might otherwise have liked to recommend to others. I am not ordinarily an "animal" person, but I do tend to smile where dolphins are concerned. This is probably because they exhibit traits that I would like to see in myself. They present a totally positive image and are therefore a significant part of this good-feeling cinema work. Even the canine in this movie is not annoying, but very appealing. I usually watch mysteries, but "Zeus and Roxanne" is a very pleasant change of entertainment atmosphere. I wish that I had the ability to personally thank all who are responsible for bringing this film into my home today on TV! Since I can't, I'll just ask God to bless each of you in a special way.

I got "hooked" on this movie while I was waiting to pay for a clock radio at my local electronics show. They had "Zeus and Roxanne" playing on a big screen tv by the cashier's area. The movie had just started and I watched a great scene of animal antics where Zeus the dog creates mayhem in the neighborhood through his obsession with chasing a cat. I've always been a sucker for movies featuring animal antics, and this one is chock full of them. It reminded me of the old "Flipper" tv shows, only with a somewhat more exotic locale.

The story line is that a widowed composer and his son and dog (the aforementioned Zeus) move into a house on some Florida Key (actually filmed in the Bahamas). By chance their neighbor is a marine biologist and has two daughters. Anyway, Zeus and the cat bring father and mother together, which leads to Zeus discovering Roxanne, a dolphin raised in captivity that the mother biologist is trying to re-introduce into a dolphin "pod." Zeus and Roxanne can "talk" with each other, leading to attempts by a nasty "animal-unfriendly" scientist to want to use Roxanne for his own selfish ends.

Sure the plot is contrived and filled with obvious gags, etc. but at least it has an interesting and environmentally correct theme, and the animals do a great job of keeping the movie visually interesting. I particularly enjoyed the way the camera shots were laid out so that viewers get an "animal's eye view" throughout the movie.

Unlike many "art" films, this story at least makes sense, shows people (including children) doing worthwhile things and being nice to each other. Another plus is the use of minority actors in non-stereotype roles.

I should say a Very Light Romantic comedy, this is pretty much a kids picture that some adults might enjoy. Guttenberg is getting some down time in the tropics from his musical career, Quinlan is there on her marine work, they flirt with each other as dog Zeus plays with Quinlan's dolphin subject Roxanne. I'll watch Quinlan in any light comedy, I think she's just great, and with a nice tan she's even more gorgeous. Guttenberg plays his role well also but of course the real stars are the animals which steal what show there is. The bad guy is just a little too bad for me (but might amuse the kids), for which this gets docked some but the scenery is wonderful and I can think of worse movies to waste my time on.

You are never too old or too young to be cheered up by Zeus and Roxanne. Steve Guttenberg and Kathleen Quinlan have surprisingly electric chemistry together. But Roxanne the dolphin and Zeus the dog light up the sky with their fireworks. The kids are great too. But, a movie like this needs a worthy villain. Although I never heard of Arnold Vosloo before, he does a marvelous job playing Oil Can Harry to Steve Guttenberg's Mighty Mouse.

Sure, it's far-fetched. It's supposed to be. Just relax and have fun.