Classic Film Friday: Benji

I was kind of arm twisted into this review. Twisted by myself. It is a movie about a dog and it is a movie for the whole family of course. Benji is a lovable mutt who makes his rounds around town, goes to the Chapman's in the morning before school. Paul and Mary are the two kids that pet and love Benji, and Mary their caretaker who helps the children hide Benji from their father (because he just doesn't understand). From the Chapman's he goes and scares a cat up a tree, (the lady who has the cat is Bea Arthur but is never named in the movie). On to Officer Tuttle who you would think would take him to the pound, but he never does. Then on to Bill who owns a restaurant. and then on to his favorite trash can... because somehow he is still hungry, even though he has eaten something at every stop.

He then goes "home", to this abandoned house that he climbs up on the roof, via some trash and a trellis, goes around the house via the roof, then jumps though a broken window, then he goes downstairs. The kids love it, but the adults just think... "why?"

Well the abandoned house get's a visitor. Two guys and one girl are checking the place out, for what we really don't know, but they are happy with their selection. Meanwhile as Benji is happy just tramping around, until Tiffany that is. Tiffany is a small white dog with fluffy long hair.

So things are looking good, Benji has people who love him and a woman, what more could a dog want? Well it turns out that those visitors are kidnappers and they kidnapped the Chapman kids. And now it is up to Benji ah la Lassie to get help. But he is just a dog, a stray at that, nobody will listen to him, or will they? He leaves the abandoned house, and tries to hit all of his friends for help, but they are not there or don't want to be bother with him.

Then when things seem at their worst, he has an idea. He runs back to the abandoned house, where there is a second ransome note crumpled on the floor, he grabs it but the kidnappers grab him, and then smaller pup, Tiffany, sets him free, and incurs the wrath of the kidnapper's boot.

So now this is it, his plan has to work. He heads back to the Chapman home, note in mouth, and he tries to give the note to Mary. When it just so happens that the girl (of the kidnappers) gets the note first. Oh hell, now what? She puts it in her purse, and Mary is walking Benji back outside, when he had enough, he gets loose and grabs the purse thus shaking the note loose. Mary sees the note... and then everyone realizes that Benji knows where the kids are, and has been trying to tell them all this time.

We have a "chase scene" sorta'... everyone after Benji as he goes back to the abandoned house. The kidnappers are caught (just in time too), the children are saved, and Benji and Tiffany are heroes. The father lets the kids keep the dogs, and we live happily ever after.

I gave a full reveiw, mainly because I believe this movie is for little kids... not so much the adults. In fact, one of us fell asleep and the other one of us wished he could have. It has a slow beginning and middle but it wraps up nicely. I have the entire movie posted (via hulu) so if you have little ones, and you want an hour and a half to make dinner or whatever, this is good for that.