Customer Reviews

Beethoven [VHS]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was one of my favorite movies as a kid and now even as an adult I see all the magic that made me enjoy it when I was younger. After watching this movie even the person in your family who is not an animal lover will want to go out and adopt a St.Bernard!

It starts when Beethoven is just a puppy by narrowingly escaping a pet store robbery Beethoven wanders the streets until he enters the lives of the Newton family. After Emily Newton the youngest member of the clan awakes in the morning to see a cute little fluffy St. Bernard puppy in her bed "I dreamt I had a puppy and my dream came true." George and Alice Newton are besides themselves on what to do with the dog- they can't keep it is George's first reaction. It will ruin the yard, destroy the house, it will grow to be enormous, and then it will die and we'll have to replace it and start the whole process all over again. Well George despite, being an a non-dog person decides to keep it for the sake of the kids "It's just temporary" he says. But, soon Beethoven the lovable St.Bernard becomes a member of the family- dealing with all childhood crisises from bullies and to first crushes- as this happens he also gets REALLLY big creating huge messes that George Newton reluctantly puts up with! Well, Beethoven is a very special dog with a remarkable love for his family sensing danger for the Newtons from saving George from the finical ruin of his company to the near death drowning of little Emily. But, suddenly Beethoven finds himself in the grips of an villianious vet who wants to use him to test out a new gun anumition on- only problem is the Newton family isn't going to give Beethoven up with out a fight! Even George loves the creature now.

This movie made my eleven year old host sister roll over on the floor with laughter. And seeing it made me want to go out and adopt a St.Bernard puppy. Charles Gordin is HILLAROUS as the anti-dog loving George in this movie his facial expressions and tone of voice reminded me of my dad's dealings with our family pet. Charles Gordin totally carries this movie. The animals also make this flick really endearing-

All in all this is a movie to rent or buy to watch with your kids over and over again! The perfect choice for family movie night.

Beethoven DVD

Beethoven is a comedy about a family with a Saint Bernard dog and all the trouble the dog gets in to. A laugh-a-minute.

Highly recommended for the entire family, especially dog lovers.

Gunner April, 2008

First, I gotta admit to my partiality towards St. Bernards in particular and big dogs in general. So, naturally, my review of this film is somewhat skewed in that direction. Still, I think it's a wonderful film, even in the context of "family movies." And like the title of this review says, it's a wonderful oasis from all the other movies out there that seek to anthropomorphize animals, rather it just portrays a dog being...well...a dog. Refreshing. Grodin does a good job, I'd rank it somewhere between "Midnight Run" and "The Great Muppet Caper." And whoever trained the big lug that was Beethoven deserves due credit, too!

I used to watch "Beethoven" when I was was young, and I was watching it today. We have this and "Beethoven's 2nd" on video, but I agree that "Beethoven" may not be for younger children but I really, really love it.

It's unfortunate that Beethoven hasn't become a classic because I remember back in the day it was an *extremely* popular family film. You see 20 years ago, comedies pertaining to dogs and cats wasn't yet beaten into the ground to the point of being predictably bland so the viewers were able to better appreciate them. Perhaps that explains why this film isn't considered a classic- there's too many similar types out there these days.

Anyway, I'm not the biggest fan of Saint Bernards because they slobber a lot and actually strike me as the kind of dog that can suddenly turn vicious without giving warning (perhaps I'm wrong about that- hey, every dog is brought up differently) but when they're puppies it's impossible to deny just how adorable and surprisingly small they are. I really enjoy the puppy segment in the beginning, especially the perfect timing of Beethoven hiding in a trashcan at just the right moment so the dognappers couldn't find him. Oh, and we can't forget that biker chick who walked into the pet store looking for something suitable for her personality only to have a certain... disgusting incident happen, hehe.

This is the kind of well-written family movie where numerous scenes remain extremely memorable to me over the years, so the entire film flows with so much great humor and perfect timing. Who can possibly forget the scene when the husband/father walks through the front door, sees muddy dog footprints all over his floor and carpet, and ventures upstairs only to be the victim of the greatest slobbering surprise of his life! Nowadays I realize they exaggerated the amount of slobber flying around in every which direction, but back in the day I thought this segment was quite realistic, haha. A similar incredibly funny segment that will probably make you laugh uncontrollably is when Beethoven hops into bed with the husband, unbeknownst to him, and Beethoven starts licking his face. He believes it's his wife doing it, lol! Perhaps a mildly inappropriate moment, I admit.

I definitely do not like the one scene with the bad guy walking up to Beethoven's doghouse and deliberately trying to get Beethoven to attack him so he has a good excuse to put the dog down. I know when the movie was being written the actors were actually playfully teasing the dog (and you can tell because Beethoven is wagging his tail the entire time) but to me it looks frighteningly realistic like animal abuse. Also the scene where the camera is positioned through a living room window showing the little girl of Beethoven's family falling into the swimming pool and nearly drowning while the babysitter is occupied playing the piano and totally unaware what's taking place outside is VERY uncomfortable for me to watch. Another unintentionally realistic moment.

Other memorable scenes include those two business people who not only get a spitty-tasting glass of lemonade, but receive a chair-flipping (and perfectly timed landing) adventure of a lifetime, haha. Oh, and the bacon-stealing scene at the kitchen table is great too.

The film is incredibly brief though, at just over 80 minutes. It felt so much longer to me back in the day.

I don't know, Beethoven just seems like such a perfect comedy to me with no flaws. I wish more people agreed.

This is just one of the many films that I've enjoyed watching as a kid. Now, I can see that it really is a very good family film. Beethoven is likeable as the Saint Bernard that is raised into a middle class family. At first, everyone in the family begin to love him. The father, however, begins to find the dog to be a growing irritant, and a distraction from his job. Beethoven's relationship with the son and daughter are adorable and sometimes very hysterical. The villains of the film come off as very two-dimensional and very unsophisticated. I guess the main reason is because that this is a family film, and not a Stanley Kubrick-like thriller. But bland villains aside, this is a lovely film that doesn't seem to age after every viewing.

This movie is fun for viewers of all ages. There are a couple of questionable scenes, but I would not have a problem with children watching this movie with me. (I noted in other reviews that I believe parents should always watch movies or TV programs with their children.)

I'm used to Dean Jones as the hero of countless Disney live action films. Here, he plays the villain, and does a chilling job with it.

I would highly recommend this comedy, especially if you want something for the whole family.

This is a Grrrreat movie!!I love the part when the crazy babysitter is singing and Beethoven saves the little girl from drowning in the pool! You will fall on the floor laughing!

I got this movie for Christmas back when I was 7 and fell in love with this movie. Now I am 14 and I stil love this movie. It is about this St. Bernard named Beethoven who finds a home. The kids and mother like Beethoven but the father doesn't. It also involves an evil veterinarian that kidnaps dogs and then does illegal experimentations on them. It may be a little dark for younger kids but it is heartwarming and funny. I think Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt did an excellent job with their roles as parents of 3 children. I wish I had a St. Bernard like Beethoven even though he drools and makes a mess in the house. I would recommend this movie to anybody. see it!!! and buy it!!!

From the moment I saw that adorable Saint Bernard pup, I was captivated. I came away wanting a Saint Bernard of my own! Over the years, I've been reluctant to see this movie thinking it would be unredeemably silly. Instead, I found it to be an amusing family film about a very intelligent dog whose presence brings a family closer together. It's very funny and light-hearted. I would recommend this film to anyone.