Clifford the Big Red Dog – Movie Review

Over the holidays, we were sent a digital copy of Paramount’s Clifford the Big Red Dog. I was always a fan of the story of the over-sized red puppy and his ever adoring owner, Emily Elizabeth, so we were excited to check it out and see how this lovable, red ball of fur would be in live action form.

Clifford the Big Red Dog is available to purchase now on Digital, and in stores on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 1, 2022. So let’s dive into this familiar children’s classic and if this movie is right for your family.

About the Clifford the Big Red Dog

When Emily discovers her little red puppy named Clifford has grown ten feet overnight, she turns to her eccentric Uncle Casey for help. But when a mad scientist tries to capture the larger-than-life playful pup, it takes the entire neighborhood to hide Clifford as they race across the city.

Clifford the Big Red Dog will make his way into everyone’s hearts as he is just as lovable in live action form as story book character.

Visual Effects

In the movie, Clifford starts off as a rather small puppy. When I say rather small, I mean not even regular small puppy size. It is really hard to watch this adorable, teeny tiny pup because his size just seems off. He doesn’t appear to look like a dog at all. Lucky for us, he isn’t a tiny pup for too long. Once Clifford is, well, “Clifford size,” it is much easier to accept the visuals.

Is it safe for all ages?

Clifford the Big Red Dog is rated PG for impolite humor, thematic elements and mild action. Now, the mild action is very mild, and thematic elements are definitely present throughout the movie. Bullying is very prevalent in this film. The impolite humor is scattered, but definitely two scenes that really had me do a double take. Let’s talk about those.

While I fully expected there to be some form of impolite humor to entertain the older-than-preschool crowd, one particular scene I could have done without. When Clifford is taken to the vet for a check-up, the vet asks Uncle Casey(Jack Whitehall) to take Clifford’s temperature. When Uncle Casey asks where he is supposed to take his temperature, the vet(Kenan Thompson) suggests “in the place that rhymes with nut-hole.” We all know that is where you would take a pet’s temperature, but there are so many other ways to address that. I just felt that was unnecessary obnoxiousness.

Another instance of impolite humor was when Clifford meets Brutus, Emily’s friend’s dog. Brutus, a small normal sized dog, wants to smell Clifford – where dogs normally smell other dogs – and is picked up by Emily’s friend so he is at the right height to smell his new friend. While these are normal dog behaviors, it was just a little much to watch for me.

Clifford the Big Red Dog is not entirely inappropriate for all ages, some parents of younger children may wish to use caution.

Overall

We really enjoyed Clifford the Big Red Dog. This live action movie had really nothing to do with the book series at all. The story almost seemed to have taken place before the book series. A few special Easter eggs to note are:

The magical animal rescue man is named Mr. Bridwell, a nod to the original Clifford the Big Red Dog author and illustrator, Norman Bridwell.
SpongeBob makes a brief appearance as a flash-drive in the movie
The end of the movie features animation of life after the movie, which shows Uncle Casey landing a job at a building that looks to be named Scholastic, which is the publishing company for Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Will you and your family see Clifford the Big Red Dog? Clifford the Big Red Dog is available on Digital now, and Blu-Ray and DVD on February 1st. Don’t miss this live-action classic tale!

The Digital release of CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG features supersized and fun-filled bonus content, including a behind-the-scenes tour with the cast, a closer look at the puppeteers who helped bring Clifford to life, an exploration of Clifford’s beginning with creator Norman Bridwell, hilarious tips for caring for a giant dog, and deleted scenes not seen in theaters! Details on the bonus content are listed below.

CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG Digital & Blu-ray Bonus Content

Part of the Pack— Get a behind-the-scenes look at Clifford’s big movie with interviews from cast and crew.
Acting is for the Dogs—There’s more to Clifford than meets the eye: meet the puppeteers who brought the giant red pup to life!
The Magic of Bridwell – See where Clifford’s big adventure began from creator Norman Bridwell’s early drawings for the beloved Scholastic book series to Clifford’s worldwide fame.
Tips & Tricks for Taking Care of a 10-Foot Dog – Get hilarious tips on how to take care of a giant dog!
Deleted Scenes

Looking for some fun crafts to do with Clifford? Try these:

Maria H. (ndm#130)

A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin’ wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life – A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects – create~inspire~share.

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