Gwinnett Daily Post

Marmaduke, the super-sized dog who never fit in, finally finds a place where it’s OK to stand out in Fox’s movie. 

EDITOR’S NOTE — Film Fans features local residents reviewing the film of the week: “Marmaduke.” Want to be a Film Fan? E-mail features@gwinnettdailypost.com.

4 out of 4 stars

I liked “Marmaduke” because it is funny and he is talented. The movie is like being in doggie land.

This movie is about a dog named Marmaduke who moves to California. He meets two girl dogs and two groups of dogs at the doggie park. Marmaduke gets into trouble when he hangs out with the cool dogs and his girlfriend and doesn’t pay attention to his real friends, the mutts, and winds up alone. But at the very end, he said he was sorry and got all the dogs to dance together.

The funniest parts are when Marmaduke gets a bee on his nose and runs around, and when he has a party.

I think this movie is OK for kids 6 and up because there are scary parts with a killer dog, but he turns out to be a homeless dog and friendly.

This movie is not too long or short. It is just right. Parents will be laughing their heads off.

— Mady McCullough, 9, Statham

3 1/2 out of 4 stars

This is a very entertaining and quite funny film for children and some adults.

Owen Wilson’s talent continues to shine through and this is a prime example as the voice of the star canine — Marmaduke. The movie has a nice story line and provides a plethora of life lessons to many children and parents. I’m quite surprised it has received many poor reviews as it has been misread by many who I guess are in the fast lane and have no patience for such fare.

The movie asks the critical question, “Do you care for others and love your family?” and this is expertly done through our best friends. While not perfect, as in the poor casting of Bill Macy, the movie has enough of everything to be a real winner. Despite the reviews by some, this movie deserves an audience and those who are easily swayed will miss a lot.

— Rick Wright, Auburn

3 out of 4 stars

“Marmaduke” is all about a dog trying to fit in. He betrayed his friends and learned from his mistakes. His owners also learned what a family is. Since the dad was trying to make things better for his family, he was always working. He also didn’t consider Marmaduke as part of the family until Marmaduke ran away. George Lopez played the voice of the cat and was really funny.

This movie should have been rated G5 for General Admission — no one over 5 years old, because anyone under 5 years old would love it. It didn’t have all those adult references disguised as jokes, so that was good. The little kids in the movie theater were laughing loud and clapping. They seemed to really enjoy the film.

— Bryce J. Wright, Lawrenceville