Beethoven 4

In this installment of the apparently endless "Beethoven"-series, Beethoven, the bad-behaving dog gets switched with another, well-behaving dog owned by some rich folks. Laughing already, kids? Now think, what hilarious consequences can this have?What's the first thing you thought about? Yep, it's in this movie. Now think of a second thing. Yep, totally in it. If you can think of a third thing, you're able to write a better screenplay, which means nothing. In the meantime, some bad guys try to do some thing of some sorts, probably get a job in a better movie, like "Home Alone 7" or "Kazaam", but the dog saves the day or whatever. Look at what Judge Reinhold is willing to do to pay his bills these days. Or better yet, don't. Lassie would turn around in his garden.

"Beethoven's 4th" is the kind of movie that makes one wonder what the point was of the film, other than cashing in one something that once was.

Judge Reinhold returns to the role of Richard Newton, seen in the 2000 straight-to-video (and rightly so!) "Beethoven's 3rd" flop. Julia Sweeney, once famous for her place on "Saturday Night Live," reprises the Beth Newton Persona, and there are two very bad-acting children in the film, also.

This awful sequel deals with Richard Newton watching Beethoven for his brother (once played by the much-better Charles Grodin) while they go on a family vacation. Unfortunately for both Richard and the audience, the millionth time Beethoven drinks out of the toilet bowl it makes everyone a bit mad, so they take him to training class, where he accidentally switches places with a rich man's (Matt McCoy) Saint Bernard without anyone noticing. When Rich Man's dog comes back to the Newton's, they are astonished at the fact that he is finally obeying his masters...the only problem is that now Beethoven is over at the Rich Man's House, caught with The Rich Man's Snooty Daughter and the Quiet Elderly Butler. How will Beethoven ever get back?

Quite honestly, I couldn't care less whether Beethoven makes it home or gets run over by a steam-roller. Let's put it this way: I really enjoyed the original "Beethoven" film written by the King of the Eighties, John Hughes. The second was a bit contrived, and was cashing in on the original a bit, but it still had its moments. This mind-numbingly bad sequel, however, is a follow-up to an already mind-numbingly bad third installment. By this time, I've seen so much Beethoven I don't really care what happens.

Perhaps if Charles Grodin was in it I'd still enjoy the series.

Perhaps if the script was intelligent and witty, and not the equivalent of EVERY family film that comes out nowadays, I'd like it.

Just perhaps.

But somewhere along the line in this world of cashing-in on superior originals, "Beethoven" lost the charm, wit and talent it once had and is now a snore-fest. Really, it went from a pleasant and enjoyable family comedy to a kids' movie with dumb dialogue, dumb situations, dumb characters, etc...the whole dumb works. It's almost like it's a whole other film series.

Or is it?

"Beethoven's 4th" gets 1/5 from me--it's weak, pathetic, has lost its charm (two sequels ago), and is filled with kiddie-film material and ultimately no intelligence whatsoever. The film execs who gave the go-ahead on this one were looking for one thing: Money.

Avoid this flop and see an intelligent family film, like 2001's "Monsters, Inc." That movie was good.

This one isn't.

1/5 stars -

John Ulmer

Although rather less elevated than some of the previous Beethoven movies, I did appreciate the rather transparent themes of the film. It was impeccable that no part of the plot was left to imagination or surprise. After all, the fourth title of the series has quite a lot to live up to. I must however, be quite honest and admit that when Mrs. Newton stood in front of a mirror in one of the opening scenes in an outfit of mustard yellow, and said to Mr. Newton, "It makes me look fat! doesn't it?" I sided with her rather than her husband. She did look a bit like an overstuffed Twinkie. Imagine my sheer joy when Beethoven slobbered all over it, proving once again, that he is an irascible central character to the plot, with obviously, finer taste than many viewers would give him credit for.

I rather appreciated that every nuance of the film was explained very plainly, or over-explained, as it gave the viewer time to possibly catch a brief nap and still be fully informed upon awakening. As I said, it was very possible, without being clairvoyant, to guess that when Beethoven, the rather "ill-mannered," or "working class," dog, was shown juxtaposed against Michelangelo, the "well-groomed," and "civilized," dog (who, by the way, lived in a mansion and wiped his paws on doormats), somehow, the two would end up switching places, with amusing mayhem as the consequence!

I was especially intrigued when Mrs. Newton, in a subtle bit of foreshadowing, exclaimed, believably, as I saw it, "There's no house in the world big enough for that dog!(in reference to Beethoven)" I also appreciated the fact, that the next shot portrayed Michelangelo sitting in his king-size bed in that giant mansion of his. It didn't keep me guessing, but yet, assured me that said mayhem would ensue. The only thing I truly pondered was the method of the switch. Unbelievably, it was during a scene where Beethoven chased a cart of hot dogs down a sidewalk in a park, while simultaneously, an attempt was made to kidnap Michelangelo in the same park that the two were mixed up.

The said plot gave the Newtons time to finally relax a little, with a well-behaved dog around. Unfortunately, the other family, The Sedgwicks (and in this case, "Sedgwick" is not the name of a wealthy household's butler, but the name of the couple themselves)find that Beethoven's antics, in fact, rid the household of it's overly-stuffy atmosphere, and bring the family closer together. Unfortunately, Michelangelo's good behavior is almost too unnerving for Beethoven's real owners, though the children think this is because of the fact that they've secretly enrolled Beethoven in obedience training classes. Luckily the two dogs are switched back during Beethoven's graduation ceremony, which must have been quite a task to film.

The whole class of dogs have red graduation caps on, and it's quite an affair. "Everlasting," is the word Mrs. Newton herself would use, I'm sure, if she were to describe it. However, Beethoven foils Michelangelo's would-be kidnappers in the end, recovering $250,000 for the grateful Sedgwicks, though wreaking havoc on the carefully contrived dog graduation. The two are switched back without the knowledge of the owners, who in the end, pull their cars up to the same stop sign at the same time, in one final shot.

Though the movie seems fairly cut and dry, I wanted, for a moment to review the themes. If you happen to be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, remember that money cannot buy you the closeness of family. Alternatively remember that sometimes a neat and tidy house is less important than the love and nurturing of pets, however large and cumbersome they might be. I happily give this film two stars out of ten, although I am uncertain whether I will watch, "Beethoven's 5th" anytime soon. I'd say that that particular film is probably on the same priority list as, "Home Alone 3," or as a friend of mine would call it, "Some Kid Somewhere Snowy Does The Same Thing All Over Again." Thank you so much for reading.

If Ludwig Van Beethoven had lived to see such artistic genius be created with a character with his name, he would have wept of joy. For this film is so sweet that i'm gonna crap myself. an incredible performance by digby the talking dog as beethoven is just one of the many highlights of this event. Beethoven seems to start acting strange, he's not up to his usual schemes, and judge reinhold (in an incredible performance as the father) wonders what is wrong. They soon find out that beethoven has been switched by a better fartknocking dog. The sorrow that the family goes through is shocking and unbelievably real. I also think Rob Shneider would be excellently cast as the father, or any role. Also the film did not have as many fart jokes as i would have hoped for. We all know that what holds together films is the fart jokes, and i believe that Rob Schneider could have provided enough fart jokes for our satisfaction. But despite the lack of Rob Schneider and fart jokes, this movie was a great ride with an ending so powerful that it changed me as a human being.

Like I said before, my cousins and I had a Beethoven night, I was looking forward to the sequels, but after the sadness that was the third Beethoven, I had something even more to look forward too. Somehow, Beethoven is still with the brand new Newtons, I guess George, Alice, and their kids were looking for some kind of good excuse to get rid of Beethoven.

Basically, Beth and Richard want to get rid of Beethoven due to poor habits of drooling and destroying, but the kids want to keep him so they secretly take Beethoven to obedience classes. But Richard finds out that Beethoven inspires him to create his best art pieces ever. There is another family who is more wealthy and also have a St. Bernard, Michaelangelo, and kidnappers want him so they can get a ransom, not that much money if you ask me, but Beethoven and Michaelanglo get mixed up when they're both outside and end up with the wrong families.

Beethoven's 4th is a pretty sorry excuse for a film, but it was a little better than the third Beethoven movie. My cousins really enjoy these films, so like I said before, these films must be doing something right. For a family film, it wouldn't be too bad, but for me, this was a pretty silly movie.

3/10