Oh Heavenly Dog

This is one of the best things that Chevy was ever involved in. Although ninety five percent of his participation was only his voice, as he was killed off early in the movie, I thought that the movie was good, solid entertainment. Almost without exception, I've always seen the film badly panned by most critics and movie reviews, but I was really pleased to see that most folks who took the time to comment on IMDb were highly complimentary and reaffirmed that I was not wrong on this one. Maybe you just need to have a bit of imagination and a real love of animals, particularly dogs, to get all there is out of the movie. See it, enjoy it and then comment. Don't let poor reviewers keep you from the fun!

I saw Oh, Heavenly Dog! At the movies when I was 14 years old in 1980 when it was a new theatrical release. I remember everyone of all different ages in the theater seemed to really like and enjoy it. I just bought the DVD for Christmas for my adult son and me to watch. We really enjoyed it, and will watch it again soon to watch the background scene activity. I enjoyed it even more almost 44 years later. It's charming and funny and Benji is adorable and Chevy Chase is likable and pairs well with the wonderful Jane Seymour. The story is actually not bad at all, and it should've been a way bigger box-office hit. Do NOT listen to snobby film critics-this gem of a film is a genuine winner. It's perfect to just chill out and eat popcorn. I wish more movies like this one were made today. I also enjoyed watching this movie for the nostalgia-It's practically a period piece now, with rotary telephones and non-high tech kitchen appliances, furniture, and late 70s-1980 wardrobe and fashions. Some of the jokes are corny, but SOooo much fun. Treat yourself and find this movie streaming or on DVD. It's definitely worth a watch. 8/10.

One of my favorite dog films of all time and it still is to this day. None of those Kidd dog films, come close to this classic. It begins with an American Private Detective(Chevy Chase) who is living in London, is murdered while on a case. When he gets to purgatory, he is told that in order for him to get into heaven, he must go back on earth to solve his own murder. But becomes surprised he has to go back in the body of a cute dog(Benji). He does not like it, but makes the best out the rough situation. He gets help from a beautiful writer(Jane Seymour) who is writing a book on the case. Chevy Chase and Benji are perfect. Chases voice over and Benjis reactions are funny to watch. A fun comedy mystery to enjoy for a lifetime.

For the third Benji feature film, director Joe Camp decided to head far out into left field. After two films told from a dog's perspective and that consisted mostly of Benji running, it was a good move to do something drastically different, and it produced a film that matches the first one in quality.

The first unusual thing that Camp did was to hire three stars who were big box office attractions in 1980--Chevy Chase, Jane Seymour and Omar Sharif. The previous two films featured unknowns.

Next, he made Oh Heavenly Dog essentially a human story. The film really hinges on Chase's character, Benjamin Browning, who becomes a pawn in a relatively complex plot of deceit. Camp displayed an affection for conspiracy-like action/thriller subplots in the two previous films, but here that becomes the primary focus, and because of this, the script is better written and paced.

The criminal aspects of the first two films had something of an odd fit within films that were essentially geared towards young children (as did the plethora of untranslated Greek in the second film), but in Oh Heavenly Dog, Camp aims for a combination of an older, tween and teen crowd as well as adults. This is made quickly apparent in another unusual feature--a strong sense of humor, Chevy Chase-style. There are implicit gay jokes and lots of sexual innuendo jokes here. There is also very natural sounding, light profanity. And less humorously, but also more adult, there is a bit more violence.

Even more left field for a Benji movie in 1980, Oh Heavenly Dog quickly heads for the fantasy genre, and through this, Benji becomes and remains something of a fantasy character. It's a move that's completely unexpected, plotwise, but it works remarkably well. Camp's purely fantasy settings and characters are very entertaining and even a bit charming.

Because of the plot and Chase, and maybe somewhat as an intentional move directorially, most of Oh Heavenly Dog plays like a typical Chase detective film, like Foul Play (1978), or like the Fletch films (1985 & 1989) that came later. I hadn't paid much attention to Chase for awhile--I was one of the people a bit turned off by his off-screen behavior, as evidenced in his interactions with the Howard Stern Show, for example--but Oh Heavenly Dog has reawakened my interest in him, because he's excellent here. It's reminded me of how great he was in so many other films, even including later ones like Man of the House (1995).

And what a coup Camp managed in getting the music he did for Oh Heavenly Dog. Paul McCartney's "Arrow Through Me", one of my favorite solo songs of his, fits the film perfectly. Euel Box even gives us orchestral variations on it throughout the film. Camp also managed to get a couple Elton John songs, and used Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition for an art gallery scene. The music helps support an already fantastic film.

Around the time Chevy Chase had hit it big with Saturday night live, he started to get movie offers. So after sharing the screen with Goldie Hawn in "Foul Play", we who would see Chase voicing the thoughts of everyone's favourite show-time pooch at the time; the lovable Benji. "Oh Heavenly Dog" is a comedy murder mystery that sees Chase as a washed-up detective that's murdered and then is sent back down to earth in the form of a dog to uncover who killed him. So would you class it as a Chase vehicle? Not really. Would he go far for being in it. Probably not. However the dry humour and the presence of Benji (who's quite well-trained and steals nearly every scene)… just fitted snugly with Chase. Maybe minor, but passable. The story plays out like a lively comic strip, where it's all about investigating the clues from a dog's point of view and also getting into mishaps within a London / Paris backdrop. Quite foreseeable plotting, but nonetheless amusingly undemanding. Along the way the lovely Jane Seymour finds herself caught-up in the web and Omar Sharif is at his seedy best in trying to cover everything up. The cast kind of keeps a straight-face throughout. Also the buoyant sounding music soundtrack is an odd assortment of choices. Perhaps better remembered for nostalgic reasons, but "Oh Heavenly Dog" is an admirable little comedy fantasy.