Robby (Billy Unger) and his mother lost their beloved father-husband nearly a year ago. He was a police officer and he died pursuing some thieves. Robby remains sad so his mother decides to take him to visit his dad's partner, a police dog, who is staying at a kennel, unable to resume his duties, out of grief as well. Although unusual, Robby is allowed to adopt Cop Dog Marlowe and take him home, as the officers believe he is permanently skittish. This does brighten both Robby's and Cop Dog's life. However, Cop Dog behaves strangely whenever the two of them go near a woods, where Robby's Dad perished. Could there be clues to the killers at that location? Before they can discover this, nevertheless, Cop Dog perishes in an auto accident. More sad, sad news it is. Yet, when Robby blows his father's dog whistle, Cop Dog is back, as a ghostly helper to keep hope that the killers will be brought to justice. Will they? This is not exactly a cop-out of a movie but its not great. The script is uneven, despite some good elements, and the action unfolds very slowly. There are no major stars but the actors do an okay job, especially the bumbling "killers" who resemble the Home Alone guys in brain activity. All in all, if your family likes dog movies and wants a suitable flick for everyone, this is an acceptable choice. But, no one will probably stand up and cheer at the end.
