I don't care how cute the dog is. The film is an abomination, pure and simple. It's a tepid Home-Alone rip-off, and it appears to have been made on a budget that would have barely afforded a can of soup. The story revolves around a police dog who can't bark due to PTSD. Unfortunately, the dog has dialog, delivered with cringy gusto by Mario Lopez. The ironically chatty animal is adopted by an aging man-child, who is acting in defiance of his pathetically fussy wife's pleas. One of the justifications for this is the man-child's perceived need for a guard dog. But oh no, the dog doesn't bark! And there are a couple of burglars planning to rob the aging man-child's house! And the man-child and his fussy wife and kids are leaving on Christmas Eve to visit their despised grandmother! And, of course, the dog is left home alone to defend against the incompetent burglars! Oh, the suspense!
Predictably, the film is a sordid affair. It grinds along at an appalling pace, and the acting is largely pitiful. The Bannister family, our lead protagonists, are an unlikable bunch, which instantly shoots the film in the foot. The animal dialog is tiresome and overdone. And the less said about the burglars, the better. I like Dean Cain, but he has nothing to work with as the lead burglar, and his sidekick, the pathetic "Stewey", is a deeply un-amusing meathead who does nothing but pass gas (because that's what all the kids think is funny, dontcha know!) The end result is an excruciating experience that almost makes Hallmark Channel's cornucopia of Christmas clunkers look polished in comparison. Are there worse films to show your family? Absolutely, yes. But considering how saturated the Christmas film genre is, there's no need to make room for this drivel in your annual rotation.
Predictably, the film is a sordid affair. It grinds along at an appalling pace, and the acting is largely pitiful. The Bannister family, our lead protagonists, are an unlikable bunch, which instantly shoots the film in the foot. The animal dialog is tiresome and overdone. And the less said about the burglars, the better. I like Dean Cain, but he has nothing to work with as the lead burglar, and his sidekick, the pathetic "Stewey", is a deeply un-amusing meathead who does nothing but pass gas (because that's what all the kids think is funny, dontcha know!) The end result is an excruciating experience that almost makes Hallmark Channel's cornucopia of Christmas clunkers look polished in comparison. Are there worse films to show your family? Absolutely, yes. But considering how saturated the Christmas film genre is, there's no need to make room for this drivel in your annual rotation.