Parents' Guide to

The Dog Who Saved the Holidays

By Tracy Moore, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Bawdy Christmas romp drags; heavy on flatulence.

Movie PG 2012 87 minutes
The Dog Who Saved the Holidays Poster Image

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Nothing wrong with a little bawdy holiday action, but The Dog Who Saved the Holidays is really just a poor man's Home Alone. It relies too heavily on tired tropes (the nagging pregnant wife, the insensitive husband) and fart jokes to really pull off what could be a cute, if sentimental, holiday movie that owes its best scenes to Shelley Long.

Kids who like dogs may enjoy the plentiful scenes of puppies frolicking at the beach -- though you could also accomplish this with a few well-chosen YouTube compilations -- but parents may be wary of the endless flatulence jokes and stale stereotypes -- and, if not, even the plodding burglary plot will bore.

Movie Details

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