Those who might be hoping for a heart warming doggy film in the manner of the Homeward Bound movies, Beethoven, or if you've got a really long memory the Lassie series, should be strongly advised that See Spot Run doesn't fit the bill.

This reasonably amiable film has much more to do with David Arquette running into walls and fart jokes than real doggy jumour. They wrote their main character out of their film!

Whoever decided that the dog Spot would be a stickler for work and no play just about wrecked the film I'd say. It's a bit like having a Jim Carrey comedy but playing Carrey dead straight.

Spot works for the FBI as some sort of sniffer/attack dog and has been taught to not play and keep his mind on the job.

Spot by accident gets to become a young boy's dog but won't play or muck up.

Remember those outrageously funny house demolitions the rampaging but well intentioned Beethoven was able to get up to? Wet Beethoven shaking himself on the family bed?

None of that for dour Spot. He just sits around like a good FBI agent waiting for trouble. He's Rin Tin Tin without the affection. He's Ralph the sheep dog in a sober retirement.

So there goes the film. Arquette tries hard (too hard), the boy is cute and there's a funny moment with a suddenly disappearing bus, a zebra fart and also with bubble rap, but give me a real doggy movie any day.

One Fun Loving Fly