Marley & Me: The Puppy Years

The other reviewers are right. This movie could be better.

For starters it does not have the same tone of the original "Marley" film. OK whatever it is meant for different audience - that of young children. But if you are going to keep to the character of the original "Marley" keep to the character. The whole point of the Marley story is that other for some basic things such as not going to the bathroom in the house he is UNTRAINABLE!!!! To suggest that two 13 year olds who are untrained as dog trainers can train an untrainable dog doesn't even make sense.

Then you have two 13 year olds acting like they are five, particularly the boy. A 13 year old boy having to convince his mother that he is old enough and responsible for the responsibility of a dog is laughable. Thirteen year olds are not responsible, but they are not completely irresponsible either.

Then you have the evil characters. This is a film not a comic book. Even if this film is meant for children, let's try to be at least somewhat believable.

I did like the actor who played the grandfather. He was very likable.

:((((

We turned this movie off after watching it for about 3 minutes. I even called Redbox and got a refund on the movie - which I have never done before.

It starts off really weird with characters that were not even in the previous movie. Marley is being watched by this neighbor boy and his mom thinks he "her son" is a screw up. Their acting was terrible.

Once Marley started "talking" - we turned the movie off. Marley is played by a real dog but his mouth is animated. It looked really cheesy. If Marley's mouth won't have been animated, we would have probably watched it of another 3 minutes or so.

This movie is meant for kids ages 4-8.

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.

Marley is back for more swaying fun, and this time he does the talking! That's right, "the worst dog in the world" has a frisky voice and an attitude to match. Join Marley for his mischievous puppy years, as he and his summer pal, Bodie Grogan, wreak havoc at a neighborhood dog show. Marley outwits Dobermans, Shepherds and Collies, stealing hearts in his unique and adorable way. Get your paws on "Marley & Me: The Puppy Years" and fetch big laughs for the whole family.

I didn't understand the purpose of this film, since it has nothing to do with the original Marley, in fact, I understood, slot hunting, raising money using the original title, however, I imagine, that must not have been successful, the film is more of the same about children's puppy films... Bobinhos, cuddly and boring...

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!