Parents' Guide to

Bingo

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Terrible, dull dog movie filled with iffy behavior.

Movie PG 1991 89 minutes
Bingo Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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Salexander07
Salexander07 Adult
June 9, 2020
age 13+

I’d like a refund, please!

This movie is awful. Can’t believe it is rated PG! The kids in the movie cuss & an adult says, “GD”. The storyline is also poorly written. Don’t waste your time or $ on this one.

This title has:

Too much swearing
trizaa
trizaa Adult
November 7, 2015
age 8+

i love this movie! i watched so many times, it hilarious!! i don't know why commonsensemedia don't like it! its amazingly funny

See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Bingo is a dog who lives with cruel owners who run a traveling circus. After failing to jump through a flaming hoop, Bingo is forced to escape. He flees to nearby woods, where he comes across Chuckie, a tween boy who is knocked out face-down in a creek after attempting a jump on his BMX bike. Bingo performs CPR on Chuckie, and the two become inseparable after a night hiding in a tree from a ferocious bear. But Chuckie's parents (Cindy Williams and David Rasche) don't want a dog in the house, especially since Chuckie's father, a field goal kicker, is traded from the Denver Broncos to the Green Bay Packers. Bingo is left behind in Colorado, but relentlessly pursues Chuckie, which leads him on adventures involving chefs who keep dogs prisoner for dog meat and two bad guys who take families hostage and try to throw football games in order to make money at betting. In spite of these and other obstacles, Bingo stops at nothing to be reunited with Chuckie.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

BINGO is a failure as both a comedy and a dog movie. The jokes aren't funny and many of the scenes involving Bingo are shocking in their cruelty. For instance, poor Bingo gets shot at with a rifle by his original owners, and later gets a gun put to his head by a bad guy taking him hostage. And that's just the beginning of the outright bizarre attempts to mine humor out of a dog who can perform tricks running the spectrum from knowing Morse Code to walking a straight line for a police officer after he drinks a bottle of champagne.

This movie can't even be enjoyed in a "so bad, it's good" kind of way. There really is nothing redeeming about it. None of the characters are likeable, the "gags" consistently fall short, and the content overall is without merit. It's difficult to imagine pet lovers of any age finding anything worthwhile in this awful movie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about comedies. What sort of humor is attempted here? How could it have been more effective?

  • How is this movie similar to and different from other dog movies?

  • What is the appeal of dog or animal movies? Do you prefer ones where the animals talk? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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