Movie Review: DOG GONE (2023) *** and a 1\2 out of *****

Netflix isn’t exactly known for its quality family content.

But every once in a while, they seem to make a genuinely family-friendly show or movie that wears its heart on its sleeve, and seems to have no agenda but to entertain, and provide something that family members can enjoy together.

Their delightful reboot of the Benji franchise, released in 2018, and directed by Brandon Camp, the son of the late Joe Camp, the creator of the original franchise, was one such movie.

Another pleasant surprise is Dog Gone, released in 2023.

Adapted by Nick Santora from the book Dog Gone: A Lost Pet's Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home by Pauls Toutonghi, and directed by veteran director Stephen Herek, Dog Gone, is one of the best family movies to come out of Hollywood in years.

The plot revolves around a father-son duo, who start to overcome their differences while hiking the Appalachian Trail, as they search for their lost dog, Gonker, so they can give him the monthly medicine he needs to survive Addison's disease.

The father-son duo, played respectively by Rob Lowe and Johnny Berchtold, form the heart of the movie. The son, Fielding, sees himself as a free spirit who doesn’t want to be hemmed in by traditions and the 9 to 5 rat race. While the father, John, wonderfully played by Lowe, sees his son as an unrealistic dreamer, head in the clouds, who doesn’t want to face the realities of everyday life, and what it takes to build a steady career.

Their conflict, while cliched, is handled with subtlety and just the right amount of humor, making us care for both characters while acknowledging their foibles and philosophical blind spots.

The script by Santora is surprisingly taut and layered, delivering a story that entertains without being frivolous, lets us get to know the characters without drowning us in exposition, and, most importantly, moves us without veering into overt sentimentality.

But the film’s secret weapon is Rob Lowe, who, as actor and co-producer, manages to instill the film with just the right tone. His performance anchors the film in both humor and drama while never losing a step, and it is Lowe who carries the film through with plenty of charm and craftsmanship.

And Kimberly Williams, a veteran of family films, who manages to add energy and heart to almost everything she is in, also gives an endearing and memorable performance as Fielding’s mother, Ginny.

Berchtold, while delivering a likable and believable performance as Fielding, seems slightly miscast, as the role needed someone funnier and warmer. But his portrayal is nothing less than heartfelt, and his chemistry with Lowe is undeniable.

And thanks to director Stephen Herek’s assured and straightforward direction, Dog Gone comes across as visually arresting and terrifically paced, and moves smoothly from one plot twist to another.

With Dog Gone, Herek, who also directed the live-action adaptation of 101 Dalmatians, manages to make a family movie par excellence, the kind of film the modern day Disney studio wishes it could pull off.

Dog Gone is heart-warming, smart entertainment for the whole family, the kind they don’t make enough of nowadays.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2024.

Watch/Listen to the video version:

Review: The Society: Season 1 (2019) *** out of four

The Society (2019) begins with a whimper. A bunch of seemingly uninteresting teens return to their idyllic small town from a school trip to find all the grown-ups gone. Further investigation reveals that the town is now surrounded by an endless forest that leads nowhere. Havoc ensues.

The concept reads like Lord of the Flies meets Riverdale, and after viewing the mediocre pilot and the forgettable second episode, you wouldn't be wrong to think so. But then the cast starts to shine, the characters grow dimensions, and the writing gels. And The Society turns into something special.

I won't spoil the twists and turns of the plot for you, but suffice it to say that this is a clever, original, occasionally brilliant drama, that takes the teen-drama format and uses it as a launching pad to address weighty issues, world politics, and examine the things that make any modern society thrive or fail. It also has some of the best written dialogue on TV (or OTT) since forever, and isn't above using some classic tropes like "who shot that girl?" and "who will eat the poisoned pie?", and then spinning them over their heads.

The cast, aside from a miscast Rachel Keller, is terrific, especially Kathryn Newton as Allie, whose character goes through a serpentine and demanding arc that Newton pulls off admirably.

But the show isn't perfect. Sometimes the characters behave in ways that belie their age, with creator Christopher Keyser and co. seemingly forgetting that the characters are supposed to be teens, after all, and not elderly statesmen. And things get a little po-faced every once in a while, threatening to spoil the delicate alchemy that makes the show so unique and smart. Also, the final episode, despite ending with a final kicker of a twist that hints at dark and strange things to come, doesn't pack the punch it should.

But, ultimately, The Society: Season 1 is an original, entertaining, and wonderfully thought-provoking show that warrants your attention.

© Ahmed Khalifa. 2019

Review: Stranger Things 2 (The Complete Second Season) ** and a 1\2 out of four

I wasn't a huge fan of the first season of Stranger Things. So going into the second season, my expectations weren't that high to begin with.

If you liked the first season, you will like Stranger Things 2. If you didn't, well, you won't like this so one much, either. It continues to be one of the most technically polished and lavishly produced events on TV (or OTT platforms), and the cast is eminently likable. But if you thought the first season was derivative, watch out, Stranger Things 2 is one big ball of cliches and blockbuster cues.

The writing this time around is surprisingly lazy, even by the show's standards, and the plot is paper thin and annoyingly contrived. Yes, the credentials all around are impeccable, but the whole show, from the get go, is pretty directionless. You get monsters, endearing characters with almost nothing interesting to do, and plenty of mindless action (blockbuster quality stuff, for sure, but mindless nonetheless). If that's your thing, then Stranger Things 2 is for you. But I'd rather watch something with a little more originality and heart.

To me, Stranger Things is a show for people who like 80s kitsch, but don't really know or care what made the 80s so special. It wasn't just style and big, loud movies, folks. It was the heart, the writing, and the attitude, all things Stranger Things sorely lack.

Quick Review: THE OA: Season 1 (2016)

Another high-profile, critically-acclaimed Netflix original series, The OA: Season 1 (2016) is a massively disappointing foray into psychological Sci-Fi, with heavy-handed dialogue, humorless performances, and lackluster plotting.

It is all the more disappointing since the pilot is so impressive and visually majestic, right up to the final shot. But as the series progresses, the story gets thinner, the characters more annoying, and the tone more pretentious. It all leads up to an unrewarding and terribly exploitive finale, which is borderline insulting to viewers who'd stuck with it till the end. Avoid.

All episodes written by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. Directed by Zal Batmanglij.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2017

Review: STRANGER THINGS: SEASON 1 (2016)

Fun, polished, and very well-produced horror/thriller TV show set in 1983, with terrific performances from all involved (especially Winona Ryder as a mother trying to find her missing son, and Millie Bobby Brown as the psychic, Eleven) and spot on characterization.

What is surprising, however, is how unoriginal the plot is, as it borrows wholesale from Stephen King's It and Firestarter and plenty of Steven Spielberg's movies from the early 80's. I get the idea of paying tribute to what you loved watching growing up, but the show hasn't a single fresh idea under its sleeve.

It is true that the well-written characters and the filmmakers' masterful grasp of atmosphere make this an entertaining and compelling show, but considering the hype, and the quality of all other aspects of the show, one would expect a little bit more effort to have been put into the plotting (there are plot holes galore), while the final episode is probably the weakest installment of the whole series, with an ending that fails to give a satisfying, emotionally resonant conclusion to the story.

Still, flaws aside, this is quality TV, with plenty to offer, and one of the most entertaining dark fantasies to air on TV in a long, long time. Recommended.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.