Marmaduke
NETFLIXIn a world seemingly dominated by larger-than-life dogs, cats, and animals, what is it that sets Marmaduke out from all the others available? Clifford the Big Red Dog, well, the hint is in the title. Big, red and still delightful. Tom and Jerry work as a cat and mouse duo because they riff on the lengths one unaware animal will go to in destroying the other. Even Hotel for Dogs had that angle of, you know, the hotel. It had Don Cheadle too. Marmaduke has neither a hotel nor a Reign on Me starring performer. Instead, it has J.K. Simmons, whose recent track record is questionable. His post-Academy Awards success has been paved with glittering cameos, comedic supporting performances, and a slew of animated features. It is working with Pete Davidson that drives a man to new lows.
That is not a bash at Davidson, whose eponymous role here sees him nab an easy lead in an easy movie made for easy-going audiences, but more an appraisal of where he finds himself at in his career. After the great work he managed in The King of Staten Island, it was only natural that the hard-hitting work is not abandoned, but sent to cool for a time. Judge Marmaduke on the merit of laughter rather than quality. Are audiences going to laugh with Marmaduke, or at it? Neither. This neither has genuine charm to it nor the ability to inspire moments that revel in the warming notions of so-bad-it's-good entertainment.
“No one said it was easy being a dog,” the opening narration throws at audiences, who are then greeted with animation that feels surprisingly low quality. The best point of reference is, embarrassingly, a crossover between Foodfight! and Over the Hedge, with a lack of flourish in the animation, the frames, and the quality. Toy Story looks better than this. There are few shocks to be had with animation of this quality, but what is truly surprising is the lack of quality in the animation. Pathetic, poor attempts that feel weaker than the early morning cartoons that would be made on a shoestring budget. Did somebody forget to add the detailing? The flourishes of the final touch? Marmaduke looks like a first draft at the best of times.
Over a decade after the original Marmaduke released, was there much clamouring, if any, for a remake? An animated remake, with big names and huge budgets, and not a single ounce of quality. The triple of modern moviemaking for children’s entertainment. The scope of the titular character is surprisingly absent and lost to the animated form, which usually makes for an easy job of excelling or highlighting the unique character development or charm. If anything, Davidson and the writing team are unable to spot what, exactly, the charm of Marmaduke is aside from being a vehicle for Hollywood stars to hit the recording booth and swagger out with not so much as a care in the world. Nobody will see Marmaduke, hopefully. Those that do know its place, and know their place too. It’s a dog-eat-dog world or, in this case, an unappealing, self-eating piece that unravels itself and engages with its own failures.