Verdict
Summary
At less than 90 minutes, Beethoven covers its bases pretty quickly, and mostly lacks a plot until about 30 minutes in, and when the villain’s evil plan is revealed, I don’t know how family audiences of 1992 reacted to it because in today’s world it’s way beyond shocking. The film has a super sweet and easy-to-watch sitcom-style with basic humor and Universal back lot sets, plus with Grodin and Bonnie Hunt turning in professional performances that didn’t require nuance to pull off.
Plot:
A family is “adopted” by a St. Bernard dog, which is much smarter and wiser than anyone gives him credit for.
Review:
Escaping captivity from a nefarious and off-the-books research lab, a St. Bernard puppy finds its way to a neighborhood where it “adopts” the Newton family, whose three adorable children welcome the cute dog into their home before their dad – George (Charles Grodin) – can say no. Their mom (Bonnie Hunt) is all for the dog, and convincing George to keep the animal isn’t going to be easy, and over the course of a year or so, the dog – which they name Beethoven – has outgrown his dog house (and the house too) and has a run of the entire neighborhood with a routine that includes going for a stroll in town, getting free doughnuts, playing cupid for one of his kid owners at school, saving George’s business (how it does this is questionable, but whatever), saving a girl’s life from drowning, watching TV, and just being a darn good dog. When the evil veterinarian (Dean Jones, whose character is truly evil, maybe even too evil for a PG movie such as this) and his cronies (played to slapstick effect by Oliver Platt and Stanley Tucci) get Beethoven in their clutches (to brutally murder, which is quite shockingly implied), George and his family have to save the lovable dog … and all of the other captured dogs too, leading to a happy ending.
At less than 90 minutes, Beethoven covers its bases pretty quickly, and mostly lacks a plot until about 30 minutes in, and when the villain’s evil plan is revealed, I don’t know how family audiences of 1992 reacted to it because in today’s world it’s way beyond shocking. The film has a super sweet and easy-to-watch sitcom-style with basic humor and Universal back lot sets, plus with Grodin and Bonnie Hunt turning in professional performances that didn’t require nuance to pull off. The dog’s performance is both real and uses animatronics for some close-ups (which reminded me of Harry and the Hendersons), and the score by Randy Edelman is nice. This was directed by Brian Levant.
Kino Lorber’s new Blu-ray edition of Beethoven comes in a new 2K scan, and fans of the movie can enjoy the film in crystal clarity in this superior upgrade. Special features include two audio commentaries, a trailer, and a slipcover.
