Parents' Guide to

Paws

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Silly talking dog movie with some violence, serious themes.

Movie NR 1997 85 minutes
Paws Poster Image

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If you can somehow focus your attention entirely on the spectacle of Scottish comedian Billy Connolly playing a talking dog, you might enjoy this. Of course, the problem is that PAWS tries to do much more than be about a talking dog. In fact, the movie vacillates wildly between the problems a tween boy faces over the death of his father and his dislike of his stepfather as they move to a new town and have no money (serious), and, well, a talking dog who is also a whiz at computers and always has a witty retort for the world (not so serious). In other words, Paws tries to be Beethoven with a serious side, and doesn't really succeed at either.

But, at the end of the day, Paws is a talking dog movie, for what it's worth. However, to be warned, the dog does get hit by a vehicle, and while he survives unharmed, that will be disturbing to younger viewers and dog lovers of all ages. Also, scenes of the dog being "comically" thrown from a bicycle basket 50 feet in the air to land in a convertible might not please the dog lovers either.

Movie Details

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