MOVIE REVIEWS Kids: Clifford the Big Red Dog Parents: Red Notice

BY BONNIE L. HARRIS

THE ADVENTURES OF CLIFFORD the Big Red Dog were some of my favorite childhood books, and his new movie brings much of that innocent charm to the big screen. Definitely geared for younger viewers, Clifford the Big Red Dog features every doggie site gag imaginable from slimy flying slobber and whizzing on a tree, to drinking out of the toilet and doggies sniffing hello. But imagine that it all happens with a huge, ten-foot-tall, bright red pooch who doesn’t have a clue that his puppy antics leave destructive mayhem in his wake. Amazingly, the supporting live actors hold their own with their oversized red star, and while their characters are fairly goofy, they’re also likeable and memorable. Darby Camp, who plays Clifford’s owner Emily, earns a gold star for her performance of a twelve-year-old who does a lot of growing up after adopting and protecting Clifford despite his outward appearance. When her cute little puppy becomes an overgrown oddity, Emily and her Uncle Casey must find a way to hide him from the building’s manager, Emily’s mother, and most of all, from a greedy genetic developer who wants to use Clifford for experimentation. After several madcap chases through the streets of Harlem, Clifford and his humans find refuge with Emily’s friend, Owen. Always the geeky genius, Owen discovers the location of Mr. Bridwell, who Emily believes magically transformed Clifford and who must have the ability to transform him back. After finally outsmarting the bad guys and the police, Emily and her neighborhood friends find Mr. Bridwell, but he can only help if Emily finally stands up for herself. Good thing she’s had a lot of practice defending Clifford on this wild and wacky journey. Emily makes her case for keeping Clifford and even her mom has to admit that a big red dog can be an asset.

Paramount Pictures, Rated: PG In theatres & Streaming on Amazon New best friends.

RED NOTICE Flynn Pictures, Rated: PG-13 Streaming on Netflix

DESPITE THE WALL-TO-WALL action, the incredible stunts, and the eye-catching lead actors, there’s a moment in Red Notice when Nolan Booth, played by Ryan Reynolds, ironically hums the theme to Indiana Jones and you realize that you’re watching a very expensive rerun. Only now we have three swashbuckling, risk-taking, wise-cracking protagonists, but the narrative doesn’t come close to the original adventurous spirit of

Spielberg. That said, Red Notice hurtles the characters around the globe in search of three priceless Faberge-like eggs once owned by

Cleopatra and double cross overlaps triple cross. It’s sort of a mystery how this thrilling farce will finally end, but this film was made for the eye candy and the action, not the necessarily the story. There’s a small twist in the third act that’s perfectly crafted to guarantee a

Netflix sequel, and given Red Notice’s debut streaming numbers, I’m sure it’ll be popular. Maybe next time around, Ryan Reynolds will shift his tongue-in-cheek banter into a more genuine character, but Dwayne Johnson can stay the same dapper, oversized, good-natured counterpart that we’ve come to love. Pop some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the escape into Hollywood’s make-believe art thievery.

Locked into the bargain.