 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
First Dog
- Review Date: March 12, 2012
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Ludicrous dog romp with some violence, consumerism.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this ludicrous canine adventure story about a kindhearted young boy who finds a missing dog owned by none other than the president of the United States has some product placement and mild violence. The boy throws a giant lit firecracker (with the active encouragement of the trucker who befriends the boy on the road) into a car driven by Secret Service agents -- not the greatest example for kids. Furthermore, the boy is continually accepting rides from strangers in order to get from one side of the country to the other. That said, his intentions are good, and the message of doing what's right stands out.
What's the story?
The president of the United States (Eric Roberts) is in Ohio to give a speech at a high school named in his honor. In the frenzy of an attempted assassination, he escapes in a speeding limo, leaving behind his beloved FIRST DOG Teddy. Lost, Teddy wanders into a pet store and then into a truck, which takes him to California. It is there he meets Danny, a shy young boy who lives in a foster home. When Danny learns that the dog he has found is the president's dog, he decides to go on a journey to Washington D.C. in the hopes of reuniting dog and owner. Along the way, Danny meets colorful characters - -some good, some bad -- while trying to elude men who Danny doesn't realize are in the Secret Service.
Is it any good?
If you're willing to so thoroughly suspend your disbelief that you'd believe a dog belonging to the president of the United States wouldn't be microchipped in case he goes missing, and that the same dog would travel from Ohio to California in a semi-truck and meet a boy who is so willing to take him home that he seems to have no reservations about getting into cars with strangers, then First Dog is a mindlessly heartwarming romp.
Besides all this, there is some mild violence and consumerism, and the feeling that the film is about 20 minutes longer than it really needs to be. There are plenty of other "boy and his dog" films out there that are far more heartwarming and far less ludicrous. Skip this and check those out instead.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about why it would be a terrible idea to throw a lit firecracker into a Secret Service vehicle. What criminal penalties might someone incur if this was done in real life?
How is this film similar to and different from other films about "a boy and his dog?"
In the film, Danny catches rides with people he does not know. What do you think about this idea?
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Kid, 11 years old
March 16, 2012
AGE
Good family movie with values. Got the Dove Award
this movie shows what's good and what's bad. If you have any brains, you learn a lesson from it -- which is what the movie is about. Don't take rides from strangers, don't smoke, and always do the right thing! Searching on the internet, this movie won tons of family awards -- because the festivals got it! I saw the movie on Netflix with my kids and they loved it.
What other families should know:
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| Topics: | cats, dogs, and mice |
| Studio: | GAIAM |
| Director: | Bryan Michael Stoller |
| Cast: | Eric Roberts, Pricilla Barnes, Tiny Lister |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 90 minutes |
| DVD release date: | September 6, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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