What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this doggy adventure includes
unexpected dramatic elements -- like Shane's fear that his
fire-captain dad will die. Known for ditching school and
disobeying his father, Shane has behavioral and communication
issues. He and his father also both deal with grieving the
recent loss of a relative. A few fiery sequences may be too
intense for very young kids, even though no one gets hurt. As
for canine antics, Rex is so pampered that he's even set up
with three female poodles waiting on a doggy bed. But he
doesn't indulge, instead running to help save people from a
fire.
Families can talk about how the movie deals with gender roles. When Pep shows up at the party in a dress, her friends act surprised that she looks like a girl. Is being a firefighter only for boys? Also, what messages does the movie send about society's values by contrasting Rex's Hollywood life with his adventures as a fire dog? Kids, would you rather be a Hollywood star or a firefighter? Why? Can you think of other movies that feature heroic dogs?
Common Sense Media Review
In the canine adventure genre, "Firehouse Dog" isn't the next
"Air
Bud"
or
"Beethoven"
franchise-in-the-making. But it's a sweet enough pooch pic
with just enough laughs -- and heart -- to save it from the
formulaic mediocrity of many family-friendly flicks.
Shane ( Josh Hutcherson, whose considerable on-screen charm and expressive face make him destined for at least an entire adolescence in Hollywood) is asked by his fire-captain dad ( Bruce Greenwood) to take care of an outgoing mutt who was saved from a local fire. But Dewey is no ordinary dog -- he's really Hollywood top dog Rex, star of such blockbusters as "The Fast and the Furriest" and "Jurassic Bark." Presumed dead after a film stunt gone awry, Rex starts to dig his new life as Shane's -- and later the firehouse's -- wonder dog.
While the movie's marketing emphasizes all of Rex's dog tricks -- and there are plenty -- "Firehouse Dog" also touches on some heavier themes. Shane and his dad are still mourning the death of a relative who died in a mysterious fire. Shane skips school and disobeys his father's rules, and the captain's squad is quickly devolving into the fire department's "last on the scene" joke. To add to the drama, an arsonist threatens to destroy the entire neighborhood surrounding the firehouse.
But fear not, families, it's still a kids' flick -- so Shane, Rex, and the eclectic crew of firefighters eventually come to the rescue. Before the final fire is put out, father and son have a touching heart-to-heart, and Rex decides that living like a star (one whose celebrity extends to tabloid gossip about his dalliances with Paris Hilton's Chihuahua, no less) is nothing compared to being a hero. And that's not a bad message for media-saturated kids ... or their celebrity-obsessed parents.
Families who like canine adventures may also enjoy "Air Bud," "Because of Winn-Dixie," and "Homeward Bound."
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
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