Customer Reviews

Good Boy [VHS]

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Owen has had to move around all of his life. He is a loner and desperately wants a dog for a friend. He works hard walking the neighborhood dogs to show responsibility. Finally his parents give in and Owen goes to the pound to chose his dog. However, he finds that Hubble, the name he gives him, is not the normal dog. He has been sent here from the dog star Sirius to check on the status of the dogs on planet earth. After all, they should be ruling man, not being his best friend.
Due to an unexpected happening Owen is able to understand what Hubble is saying, along with all the other dogs that have been in his charge. It's a giggle a minute as the dogs voice what we as humans have only imagined they might say, your children will love it.
There is a problem though, The Greater Dane is coming to earth to see how well the dogs are ruling man. What will happen when she finds out this is not the case?
"Good Boy" is a happy lighthearted movie that is great family entertainment. Although it maybe a bit predictable, it will still leave you with a smile and a good feeling inside. I recommend it.

So cute! So funny! And the DOGS are plain delightful. After sitting thru HORRIBLE kids' films - like Scooby DON'T - I was worried I wasn't going to like this. BOY was I wrong. The kid is great. The story is fun. Molly Shannon was quirky and sweet. The guy from Scrubs - too cute. Almost the ENTIRE cast is FAMOUS! TV and Movie Stars!! How often can you say that! Even that Dog Catcher is the same guy that's on MADtv, right? (The out-takes of him in the dogpound made me and my kids LAUGH like crazy! Too bad they got cut from the film... they are a riot.) I wish this movie got more attention when it came out. Too often we parents don't have a choice but to sit through crude and tasteless humor. This film does what Disney films used to do when WE were kids! 5 stars! Over and OVER again!

I wasn't expecting much from this DVD, but when I sat down to watch it with the kids, I couldn't help but smile!

The *plot* of the movie is quite clever and the everyday references to dog owners are fantastic. For example, you think you are walking the dog, well...the dog is walking you, etc. Just fantastic.

It's nice to know there is a great movie out there that the entire family can watch, even if you have a cat in your lap! A definite must watch.

This was a really a cute movie that I enjoyed (age 58), as well as my 10 yr old grandson! Lots of belly laughs throughout, and a clever story. As a family movie I rate it 5 star.

Here is a wonderful, beautiful, delightful movie that conjurs images of "E.T" and "Beethoven". It's a wonderful break from flaky action-figure heroes and animated Barbies. Owen adopts a unique terrier who is actually from the dog star Sirius. He tries to make the "Earth Dogs" look like they are in control of humans, since that was their mission, and his owner, "Owen" happily goes along, not wanting all the dogs in the world to be sent back to Sirius for retraining. But when two bullies change that, Owen and "Hubble" must convince the Greater Dane that dogs belong on earth. I laughed and cried during this film, and I came out with a new revelation of how precious dogs are to us.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys fairy tales. Liam Aiken does a fantastic job of acting and the movie is touching and warm hearted and funny! I definitely enjoyed it throughly and am glad I own it on DVD.

I put a 4-star review up here for the theatrical version. For the DVD, I'm lifting it to a 5-star review. I think any film that entertains and moves a person as this film does, EVEN WITH THE FIFTH VIEWING, deserves special recognition. Yes, I picked up the DVD the first day it hit the stores, after having seen the film 4 times at the theater. The only drawback to the DVD is that it doesn't use the original widescreen format past the opening credits. Everything else about the film and disc deserves praise, praise, praise.
First, the film itself is a delight. No matter what my mood to start with, after the first 20 minutes or so I always get completely into the film and by the end of it I am always feeling great about people and the world (and dogs!!)
Second, Liam Aiken (Stepmom, Sweet November, I Dreamed of Africa, Road to Perdition, The Rising Place, Law and Order) is the star of the film and gives a PERFECT performance in both comedic and dramatic ways. He has such a wide range and the character is a round, fully realized, interesting, and sympathetic one.
Third, if you forget for a moment any other films with similar themes, you should perceive that the director did a very fine job here. The film's pacing is good. It's loaded with gags and details to savor both on initial and later viewings, and even if not all the gags work for some audiences, I don't think there are any missteps so serious that they would actually diminish the enjoyment of the film.

Fourth, the script is compassionate and very moving and heartwarming and basically recalled to me what it is about really good films that makes me love the cinema.
Fifth, the DVD is loaded with great extras. There are 6 minutes of deleted scenes that are absolutely great! There is audio commentary available during both the deleted scenes, and during the full feature film (with director John Hoffman, star Liam Aiken, and co-star Molly Shannon). There are documentaries about the making of the film, about dog training, bonus features and gags about the dogs.
There are even two HIDDEN features to be found on the second "Special Features" menu screen. Clicking to the very top reveals a new option called "Bark!" that when selected shows us an absolutely riveting film clip from Liam's audition in which he gives an all-out tearjerking version of the "Please keep the dogs on earth" plea. Surely there is an Oscar in this actor's future!! Then, clicking to the left of the menu reveals a "Woof!" selection showing Liam receiving a surprise gift dog from the "Good Boy!" crew during a staged scene they set up for him.
This is a delightful film and the DVD provides so much material for viewing and re-viewing. Buy it now!!

Compassion is a tough-sell in today's movie marketplace (within the "Culture of Fear"). 70% of the product in the theaters is packaged around the industrial ingredient of violence. One of the alternatives provided to modern audiences that don't want to be abused with antisocial content is to swallow one's adult pride and try to regress to one's youth and check out this type of film. It's not perfect, but its heart is ultimately in the right place. Yes, I know... too many bathroom jokes. It really didn't need any, but they put them in there all the same. On the other hand, seeing this film has reminded me what gets people into films in the first place...a sense of wonder and sharing and sympathy and sensing that maybe others really do have similar basic human needs as ourselves...before we're trained to think that everything on film has to be about violence and rebellion and, uh, you know, other crude content. Enough disclaimer. Underneath all of the gags and marketing, the main thing about this film is that it shows compassion. Isn't that more important than anything else in the theaters right now? Isn't that more important than identifying where this theme and that one has been done before in "E.T.", "Cats & Dogs", etc.? Gotta vote with $$$ though. When Matrix clones fill the multiplex screens with their ridiculous mayhem and insidious cynicism, I made sure that my $$$ was more carefully spent, by seeing this film for a second time, and enjoying it even more than I had on the first viewing. But programming runs deep. How many adults would dare to see a film like this and admit that it had good things in it... things that outweigh its flaws. I hope that the producers and Hollywood in general notes that this film succeeds NOT because of the crude gags but because of the sentimental themes underlying it. Sometimes, the stories told with children are really addressing the most basic human feelings after all. And don't most people really want some order and stability in their lives? That's what this film is all about, and I happily turn away from all the cynicism and mayhem and counterculture for each pleasant 90 minute viewing of this modest yet ultimately successful little film. May we have more films like this, and with that greater quantity to choose from, some of those efforts will prove to be true gems! I have to add that the mixture of trained animals, special effects, and human actors is very impressive. The focus of that mixture is an outstanding, nuanced, earnest, humorous, and moving performance by the film's central actor Liam Aiken. (Is it possible for a youngster to be nominated for a Best Actor award when his performance appears in an imperfect comedy film?? No one would probably be so bold, but then I've never considered the subject before seeing this. I think the range of performance here was much wider and contextually more difficult to pull off than the Osment-nominating "Sixth Sense" performance! Director Hoffman also deserves much credit for his critically underappreciated accomplishment here. Did no one recognize the enormous technical difficulties and performer demands in making such a film? I suppose since "Babe" came out first, everyone takes such things for granted now.)

I loved this movie. I think it's one of the best kid movies I have seen this year. I hope lots of kids get to see this movie.
The dogs are great, the voices fit each dogs perfectly. My mom really liked the movie too. She said she would buy this movie when it comes out on DVD.

I possibly watched hundreds of movies, and this one is surely one of the most delighful movies I have ever seen. I watched it with my dog Sultan, and he loved it as much as I did. The story is interesting and amuzing, the characters simply adorable. It touches your Heart, pleases your senses, and relaxes your mind. Could you ask for more? I would recommend this movie to everyone of all ages. You could see it again and again and it won't tire on you because there is Real Joy at its core. It aims to share this Joy with you, and it couldn't do a better job. Bravo!!!