Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dog adventure has peril, scares, heavy themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Firehouse Dog
What's the Story?
Shane (Josh Hutcherson, whose considerable on-screen charm and expressive face make him destined for at least an entire adolescence in Hollywood) is asked by his fire-captain dad (Bruce Greenwood) to take care of an outgoing mutt who was saved from a local fire. But Dewey is no ordinary dog -- he's really Hollywood top dog Rex, star of such blockbusters as The Fast and the Furriest and Jurassic Bark. Presumed dead after a film stunt gone awry, Rex starts to dig his new life as Shane's -- and later the firehouse's -- wonder dog.
Is It Any Good?
FIREHOUSE DOG is a sweet enough pooch pic with just enough laughs -- and heart -- to save it from the formulaic mediocrity of many family-friendly flicks. While the movie's marketing emphasizes all of Rex's dog tricks -- and there are plenty -- Firehouse Dog also touches on some heavier themes. Shane and his dad are still mourning the death of a relative who died in a mysterious fire. Shane skips school and disobeys his father's rules, and the captain's squad is quickly devolving into the fire department's "last on the scene" joke.
But fear not, families, it's still a kids' flick -- so Shane, Rex, and the eclectic crew of firefighters eventually come to the rescue. Before the final fire is put out, father and son have a touching heart-to-heart, and Rex decides that living like a star (one whose celebrity extends to tabloid gossip about his dalliances with Paris Hilton's Chihuahua, no less) is nothing compared to being a hero. And that's not a bad message for media-saturated kids ... or their celebrity-obsessed parents.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the movie deals with gender roles. When Pep shows up at the party in a dress, her friends act surprised that she looks like a girl. Is being a firefighter only for boys?
What messages does the movie send about society's values by contrasting Rex's Hollywood life with his adventures as a fire dog? Kids, would you rather be a Hollywood star or a firefighter? Why?
Can you think of other movies that feature heroic dogs?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 4, 2007
- On DVD or streaming : July 31, 2007
- Cast : Bill Nunn , Bruce Greenwood , Josh Hutcherson
- Director : Todd Holland
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Run time : 111 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sequences of action peril, some mild crude humor and language.
- Last updated : September 26, 2024
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