DVD review: Marmaduke **

Marmaduke ** 

Stars: Owen Wilson, George Lopez, William H. Macy, Kiefer Sutherland, Fergie
Director: Tom Dey
Rated: PG
Runtime: 87 minutes
Comedy/family

The world’s best-loved Great Dane makes the leap from comic strip to the big screen — and while kids will love it, adults will go barking mad. Hollywood clearly hasn’t learned its lesson after the abomination that was Garfield and its dire sequel — this family ‘comedy’ is light on laughs and plot.

A hybrid of Look Who’s Talking, Marley And Me and Beverly Hills Chihuahua, it features an all-star cast, some of whom are renowned for this kind of tripe (George Lopez) but others really should know better (William H. Macy).

Basically, a suburban family moves to California with their large but loveable Great Dane Marmaduke, who causes chaos wherever he goes.

The teenage pooch finds fitting in with the fourlegged friends at the dog park as tough as starting at a new high school, with just as many cliques and bullies.

Life gets even more complicated when his romantic interest is sparked.

Two sequences really sum up how cringeworthy this movie is — one sees a park full of dogs perform a High School Musical-style dance routine, the other has Marmaduke surfing.

Children will love the talking dogs and cats but adults will struggle to raise a smile.

Watch if you liked: Garfield.