Parents' Guide to Gabe the Cupid Dog

Movie PG 2012 91 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

Tracy Moore By Tracy Moore , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Despite talking dog, convoluted romcom won't interest kids.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

Gabe the dog (voiced by Pete Sepenuk) doesn't want his owner, Eric (Brian Krause), to move to London, thereby leaving him stuck in quarantine for six months, so he orchestrates some far-out plans to find Eric a girlfriend. Neighbor Sara (Boti Bliss) seems like a good match, if it weren't for a secret she's hiding that just happens to be the key to Eric's promotion.

Is It Any Good?

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

It's tough to get around GABE THE CUPID DOG's far-fetched plot: A dog makes a series of absurd attempts to orchestrate romance between two single neighbors. Never mind the subplot to uncover the true identity of a mysterious author.

Younger kids who like talking dogs likely will find this movie a bit dull, and, for older kids, the adult romance plot and dog stealing bikini tops are still a bit ahead of their interests. For parents watching solo, there's simply better romcom material out there.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the importance of honesty in relationships. In movies, dishonesty may help fuel plots, but, in real life, it causes lots of problems. Have you been dishonest in a relationship? What happened? How would things be different if you'd told the truth?

  • Pranks can be fun when they're innocent and lighthearted, but they also can backfire. Have you or any friends ever pulled a prank that went wrong? What happened?

  • Why do some authors use secret identities? What's a good reason for doing so? Should we respect their right to privacy?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

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