Benji is a 2018 family drama about two school kids who strike up a friendship with an orphaned puppy who comes to help them when they themselves get in trouble.
Benji is an old dog. Making his debut in 1974 with a critically-acclaimed family film that spawned a franchise that still churns out movies, television specials and even a video game, he is one of the most beloved animal characters in the business. Created by Joe Camp back in the day, it is his own son Brandon Camp who has now taken hold of the reigns, rebooting the series for Netflix, a gentle family movie that hits on the head all the standards we’ve come to expect in this long-running series, making it a safe choice for kids even if it doesn’t offer much beyond.
As a puppy, little Benji is left behind when the compound he’s housed in is cleared out, leaving the little dog living on the streets. A few years later, Benji is grown and trying to survive on scraps and pity. He’s seen by a bullied young boy named Carter (Gabriel Bateman), who lays out a trail of strawberries as he walks home from school with his equally young sister Frankie (Darby Camp), having the hungry mutt follow. Unfortunately, their hardworking single mom (Kiele Sanchez) says no and poor Benji is back on the streets. However, the very next day, the kids get kidnapped by bumbling jewelry crooks and it’s up to Benji to save the day.
As a throwback to 70s family films, this new adaptation offers plenty for nostalgia addicts with scenes featuring soft lighting and cheesy breezy heart-tugging pop tunes straight out of AM radio. Its light story also harkens back to classic live action tales from Disney and such where little kids get captured by dubiously intelligent baddies, offering some scares but plenty of simple action young audiences can certainly keep up with.
Benji the dog is of course adorable, highly-trained and amusing to watch, easily making him something little kids can fall for. He’s loaded with plenty of charms and even more cooler tricks, a scrappy pup who becomes devoted to the kids.
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That said, it’s a sort of disappointing that the movie decided to get so dark with the jewel thieves and revisit the kidnapping angle – a plot of the original film had as well – giving the crooks disturbing masks and surprising threats of very real violence. The plot already had enough going for it with a father who had died and a young family trying to cope. It just seems like a missed opportunity that steers clear of tackling important social issues many children face and make it about that instead adding criminal intrigue. At least this film strips its bad guys of guns, something the first movie had plenty of, even as the leader of the jewel thieves is one mancing toughie. Maybe a little too much.
Either way, this is meant to be a dog as hero story and an update of the first. As such, it mostly succeeds, with Benji endowed with remarkable abilities, often looking smarter than the people he’s trying to communicate with. That’s kinda funny. More thankfully is the movie’s commitment to keeping the dog authentic, refusing to make it talk as so many modern trendy kids’ movies do.
Benji is a competent family drama that, as is often necessary for younger viewers, told in broad strokes. This is textbook stuff however and even as it sticks to an amusing 70s style of filmmaking, is mostly generic. Benji has had a long career and new audiences absolutely deserve the chance to get to know this high-spirited pup. This makes for a good start and hopefully will inspire better if the franchise continues to grow.