Marley & Me: The Puppy Years

Who on Earth was this aimed at??

The original film was not overly suitable for children (to be fair, it wasn't good for anyone - a terrible film), but to then make a straight to DVD sequel just reeks of a cash-in on the first film.

This has very, very little to recommend it and barely deserves recognition.

Every review I've read for this movie has failed to actually review the movie and just complains that its not the original Marley and Me.

To clarify, this movie is NOT supposed to be connected to the original other than the fact that it contains a puppy version of Marley as the main character. The acting is decent, but don't expect Hollywood star grade acting (which you shouldn't because the film contains no-named actors). The story is cute and is sure to sit well with your kids. The film and audio quality are good, but there's no fancy special effects or anything flashy to make it stand out. There are a couple scenes that will be funny and enjoyable to people of any age, but for the most part this is directed towards children. Overall, this would be a great movie to rent for your kids if you need to keep them occupied for a while, but definitely isn't worth buying!

For everyone who has came on here and wrote a horrible review for this movie... I don't think you understand that this is a Children's movie!! If you enjoyed the original 'Marley & Me' thats great, but this is NOT a sequel to it. This is the "puppy years" which shares ONLY the name, "Marley." Which is for kids.. I read the original "Marley" book and enjoyed the original movie. Before renting "The puppy years" I knew it was for children, so I was not surprised nor disappointed.. All I did was read a review for it before I rented for my DAUGHTER! My 4 year old liked it. She also likes the "Buddies" movies. If your CHILD likes the buddy movies then they'll probably like Marley & Me- the puppy years!!"

Let me begin with an apology to the people reading this. I am only giving this 1 star because you can not give it any lower. I also wish to apologize from the American people to the Author of Marley and Me, we are sorry that Hollywood has done this to your story.

Now with that said, why why why why why why..... why would you take a wonderful heartfelt movie like Marley & Me and try to milk it like a cash cow. This movie, which I sat through because my wife rented it for our children, was the worst thing I have seen in my life, and to date I have viewed about 7,000 movies, 5,240 of which we own. (okay we have no life) Marley is not a talking dog movie, you want a talking dog, go watch Scooby Doo, Marmaduke or the 1 million Air Bud movies and puppy sequels.

I sincerely wish Hollywood would stop doing this to movies, making useless sequels after sequel trying to get a buck. Yes, this was a direct to video movie, but it should have been freebie for walking into Wal-Mart. I can see the greeter, "Hi welcome to Wal-Mart, here's your free crappy movie, and a fork to gouge your eyes out after viewing it." I know they will never make any money to cover the coast of this movie, I am sure it is headed straight to the dollar store in a few weeks. I admit I watched it, we rented it from Family video (no way was I buying it, or even considering buying it at 15.99 at Wal-Mart, we had a free rental and the only thing it cost me was my time. Of which I am considering suing the studio for reparations for that. When even my 5yr old says 'dad this movie sucks can I go play" you know it is bad, this kid made me sit through Rango... twice which for all of the ways it annoyed me, she loved it. Regardless, if you are considering seeing this, please do not... you will beg for a mercy killing before it is over... This movie is definitely one of the ten signs of the Apocalypse. If this is any sign of the rest of the crap to come out of Hollywood in the near future, I am praying that the world will end like the crazy preacher guy was saying earlier this year in November... at least that way, we can not be tortured anymore with this kind of garbage. Really who gave this movie the okay... who said let's waste money and time, and all the respect our studio may still have... let's make a nonsensical kiddie version of Marley and me and call it the puppy years... That person was on some serious drugs... as were the people who said okay let's do it... here's your money...

Because we were fans of the original Marley & Me starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, we thought this might be a fun follow-up. Unfortunately, this direct-to-video spin-off feels like nothing more than a shallow cash-in on the success of the original.

Instead of the heartfelt family story we loved, this film presents a flimsy setup: Marley as a puppy being left with a new family while the original characters are "away." The plot then shifts into an implausible competition storyline where the young dog is expected to perform feats of training far beyond what makes sense for a puppy.

The attempt at humor often falls flat. A grandfather character is reduced to clichés with false teeth and repeated jokes about wrinkles - a portrayal that feels demeaning rather than funny. On top of that, the film insists on making every animal "talk," complete with forced, cutesy voiceovers that quickly become grating.

One of the most unpleasant elements was the portrayal of the rival miniature pinschers, whose trainer outfits them with electric shock collars played for laughs. Watching this was extremely uncomfortable rather than comic.

The film also leans on broad stereotypes for its villains, with heavy-handed caricatures instead of credible characters. None of it adds charm or wit; it just feels lazy.

Where the original Marley & Me had warmth and genuine heart, this spin-off feels hollow. The animals deserved better, the audience deserved better, and the result is a joyless, uninspired film that misses the point entirely.