Benji: Off the Leash!

Good family movie...includes domestic violence--though not graphically--against people and animals, which make it a cut above some animal comedies. I guess sometimes the animals ARE smarter than we humans..we are just too proud to admit it. But, this is a worthwhile watch...you will "boo" the villains( some of whom, ironically, morph into heroes before the end), root for the good guys...and it fairly well works itself out in the end. A lot of human actors prefer not to work with animal actors because animals steal the scenes. But this is a dog--or several dogs--having their day, and it is a bit of a romp, joyously as well as tragically. Mostly for kids, but worthwhile watching.

What an adorable movie! Anyone who walks away unaffected by these amazing dogs or the story has no heart. This time around Benji has a new sidekick and has to avoid a pair of bumbling dogcatchers, all while trying to rescue his sick mother from an evil dog breeder.

This is the perfect movie to take your family to without worrying about inappropriate content or language. This movie is funny, heartwarming and actually touches on serious topics that both adults and children can think about. The movie is never preachy yet it definitely has a message; this isn't your typical, brainless summer drivel. There's something for everyone here. I'd recommend this movie without any hesitation.

Can you believe? A film you can take your mom to? Yea!! Funny, funny, funny.....then you cry with happiness at the end. There is Benji, of course, but now he has a dufus sidekick named Lizard Tongue (you will see why when you see this great animal!) who stirs things up and causes all kinds of funny mayhem. And, there is a bird who will make you laugh until your side hurts. And, a nice young man who is trying to help Benji save his mother from a bad situation in a puppy mill. (That is the teary part.) It all adds up to entertainment with a purpose....to make you happy and make you feel good about going to the movies. The story is engaging and the scenes are beautifully shot. I hope many people get to see the new Benji.

Benji Off the Leash! is no one-trick-pony. The film should win audiences of all ages and defrost even the most hardened canine-phobe. Both the movie and the mutt are that good.

Movies targeted for family trade often seem designed by committees hoping to lure all demographics. Happily, Benji Off the Leash! attains purity in every sense of the word; unlike many films of any genre, it reflects a unified vision. Benji producer/director/screenwriter Joe Camp has not stooped to conquer.

In direction, story construction, camera-work and performances both human and canine, Benji Off the Leash! is the best of the Benji canon. Its two-legged hero is Colby, a stalwart youngster who loves dogs. Its two-legged villain is Colby's harsh father, whose appropriate last name is Hatchett. He runs an illegal dog mill and mistreats all beings, both two-legged and four-legged.

Colby and Benji have parallel plights, dealing with the rescue of loved ones and strong maternal bonds.

Benji Off the Leash! has serious undercurrents, but it never turns grim. The film's canine comic foil is a character named Lizard Tongue, whom Benji befriends and then probably wonders if making friends with the rascally Lizard Tongue was a wise move. Two goofy dogcatchers and one eccentric recluse provide the human comedy.

As before, Mr. Camp films the canine scenes from the dogs' perspectives, and the desire to reach out and touch is irresistible. Benji interacts gamely with Lizard Tongue, a chatty parrot named Merlin and even a cow. Don Reddy's cinematography exquisitely captures each moment.

With eyes born for movie camera close-ups, Benji is a female mixed-breed terrier, three and one-half years of age. She is a wonder-dog, but she doesn't hog the show. As played by Shaggy, a dog from the south side of Chicago, Lizard Tongue is also one formidable scene-stealer.

Two-legged stars also fare well. Nick Whitaker has the essential soulfulness for Colby, while Duane Stephens has some hilarious bits as the goofier of the two dogcatchers. Mr. Stephens also sings a lilting "It Had To Be You" over the closing credits. Neal Barth relishes each moment as town eccentric Zacharia Finch, fond of improvising quotes from phony sources.

Calling a movie "the best of its kind" often has a condescending tone. In the case of Benji Off the Leash!, no condescension is warranted. This Benji's a beaut, for all ages. Woof.

Benji Off the Leash!

I took my granddaughter to see Benji, Off the Leash yesterday and was reminded of the fun movies I used to go see as a child. Disney, Kurt Russell, Fred MacMurray, Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette. While Benji gets the credit in the title, the story is really about how our lives are intertwined and the wrongness of hurting others (especially animals) for any reason. My granddaughter and I also discussed how you can't always assume to know a person until you really get to know them. For example the two "bumbling dog catchers" turned out to be the nice guys, showing tremendous love and compassion for "Puppy's" mom.

I had the op to meet Joe Camp and Benji this past summer at CBA. The sweetest dog EVER! I was given a card with her paw print, which I put in a scrapbook for my granddaughter. These are the movies our childhood should be made of...not the basic trash we see everywhere else.