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Parents' Guide to

Millionaire Dog

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Iffy humor, poor quality mar dog-centered comedy.

Movie NR 2016 91 minutes
Millionaire Dog Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

Tawana A.
Tawana A. Parent
November 8, 2019
age 13+

Don't Let The Title Fool You-Not For Kids

The dog was cute enough. But that's about it for kids (especially younger ones). The only other positive thing was that UT had very little foul language. What makes it not family friendly: A bedroom scene with the main human character & his love interest. They didn't actually sleep together. But they talk about it. It shows the man getting out of bed without a shirt & with just boxers on. The lady is standing in the room with a robe on. He wakes up & asks her if they slept together. She says no. Even though it didn't show them participating in sexual activity, I felt that it was not needed in this movie. And as a parent, it puts me in a situation to have to explain things to my kid. And she's not ready (let alone that this man & woman weren't married). We fast forward past this scene. And we started watching where the dog was adopted by another family (long story how this happened). And my daughter noticed that there was something strange about the Poodle (2nd dog). She opted to quit watching as it was freaking her out (She is 9.5 years old). And I do agree that this will scare some children.After this, I quit watching it too. .
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What's the Story?

Alberto (Ivan Massagué) is a lawyer who represents Pancho, a MILLIONAIRE DOG. Alberto and Pancho's lives take a turn when they're visited by Montalban (Armando del Río), an unscrupulous businessman, and Patricia (Patricia Conde), his attractive lawyer, who went to college with Alberto. When Pancho and Alberto don't agree to Montalban's terms, Montalban sends two of his underlings to break into Pancho's mansion and steal his money. Pancho escapes and must fend for himself. This results in Pancho getting captured by a dog catcher who acts like a drill sergeant and sells Pancho to a variety of owners. On the journey, Pancho meets a stuffed poodle, makes himself a giant sandwich, and helps a tween boy work up the nerve to approach the girl he has a crush on. Meanwhile, Alberto and Patricia work together to find Pancho -- and, as they do, a romance develops. Pancho, Alberto, and Patricia must find each other again, escape Montalban's minions, and stop Montalban once and for all.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Perhaps the best thing that can be said about this movie is that Pancho thankfully doesn't speak a human language, which is usually how these types of "cute dog" movies go. Other than that, there's not much to redeem Millionaire Dog. It's full of iffy jokes about sex, a tied-up cat getting catapulted into the sky with a pitchfork, and a creepy stuffed poodle with a horrifying frozen face that's guaranteed to give younger kids nightmares. The story is trite, even by "cute dog movie" standards, and quite often, Pancho looks to have about as much life as the dead poodle.

There's also the kind of product placement that almost puts this on par with the mid-'80s "so bad it's good" McDonald's-sponsored E.T. rip-off Mac and Me. It's pretty clear that Friskies had a financial stake in this movie. But they may be questioning their investment, given that the acting is substandard and the story meanders and nonsensical (even by the loose standards of animal movies like these). It's a tasteless, crass, unfunny movie and an insult to pet-loving families looking for something kid-friendly.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what audience you think Millionaire Dog is intended for. Is it aimed at kids? Why or why not?

  • How is this film similar to and different from other movies centered on cute pets?

  • How does the movie attempt to use slapstick violence to create comedy? Does it work? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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