- Why I Watched This Film

I actually know the dog in the movie, Osko, and his trainer, Harry Ramos, who operates South Jersey K9 Solutions in the South Jersey/Philly area.

- Positives

This would be a good movie for kids. The plot is cute. Kelly Rutherford does a great job, and Rainn Wilson (Dwight Shrute from The Office) has a few appearances and performs the narration.

If you do not know, this movie was worked on heavily by groups of kids from Boys and Girls Clubs throughout New Jersey. And I believe the profits from the film benefit those groups.

I enjoyed watching the dog's scenes, because I know what goes into that sort of training, and it was fun to watch a dog I know on screen.

- Negatives?

Mario Lopez only makes a cameo appearance, if that is a deal breaker for you. The movie is more for kids than adults, though adults can enjoy it, too.

- Final Thoughts

Worth a watch with your kids. If you are interested in obtaining one of Osko's puppies, you should contact Harry Ramos. I know several of them, and they make excellent family protection dogs.

This movie moved very slow. I didn't think we would make it through the first half. The second half did pick up, but still wasn't enough to hold the entire family. The reason for giving 3 stars instead of one...our 8 year old son enjoyed it. There were a couple of words that weren't "family friendly", filming was odd, and only cameo appearances by the main names mention as stars (Mario Lopez and Rainn Wilson-who did narrate the film).

This film is so much better than you think it might be. There is a sweet charm to the proceedings. The adolescent cast is top notch and clearly enjoying themselves throughout. It takes place in the 80's and feels like an 80's movie, with a great 80's soundtrack to boot. Yeah, it's a family-friendly film but it's appeal goes beyond that. It's the kind of movie you wish they made more of these days: lots of charm and not that smart alecky cynicism that's so prevalent these days.

If you liked the Wonder Years, you're in good company. So did the folks who made this film. They didn't quite have the vision, budget, talent, or something, though. Extremely derivative. I didn't check but this seems like it may have been produced with some kind of religious affiliation.
One star seems too mean for an innocuous, well-intentioned film, so this gets two out of charity.
Anyway, you're better off watching the Wonder Years. I think I'm going to go find some now.

Overall really good movie. Im surprised I didn't recognize Rainn Wilson's voice earlier. Fun kid Star Wars adventure.

Very very good movie. Rainn plays a good part. All about friendship growing up and nostalgia of coming home.

This may be a great movie for 7-8 yr old boys, but should be described as such, not as an overall family movie. Did not live up to its trailer or the description of the movie. Very slow. We finally turned it off mid-way through.

It was great for the whole family! I liked it!