Los Angeles Times by Gary Goldstein
The film contains many moments of canine uber-cuteness that although not unbearable, are definitely a bit much. Fortunately, the kids here are less aggressively adorable and feel fairly authentic.
✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
United Arab Emirates, United States · 2018
Rated PG · 1h 27m
Director Brandon Camp
Starring Gabriel Bateman, Darby Camp, Kiele Sanchez, Gralen Bryant Banks
Genre Crime, Drama
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Two New Orleans school kids, Carter and Frankie, befriend an orphaned puppy named Benji. When they stumble into grave danger and end up kidnapped by robbers, Benji rallies his gang of scruffy pals to rescue them.
Los Angeles Times by Gary Goldstein
The film contains many moments of canine uber-cuteness that although not unbearable, are definitely a bit much. Fortunately, the kids here are less aggressively adorable and feel fairly authentic.
The Associated Press by Jake Coyle
The dog is, as ever, irresistibly winning.
RogerEbert.com by Matt Fagerholm
Even with the inclusion of modern cell phones, this 2018 release feels like it arrived fresh from 1974, and that is what makes it a delight.
New Orleans Times-Picayune by Mike Scott
Camp's handsomely shot new Benji manages to find that sweet spot between wholesome and enjoyable. It is cute without seeming desperate, nostalgic without feeling dated, values-based without being preachy, and sweet without being (too) cloying.
Benji may be far too simplistic for adults to find much enjoyment in watching, but it rewards active viewing from kids and displays mostly model behavior on the part of its young protagonists (once they stop keeping secrets from their mother, that is).
The action takes a quick turn for the preposterous and the bleak in the finale. But fear not. Just break out the Kleenex, parents. And not just for yourselves.
Shot in widescreen in New Orleans, this new Benji looks burnished and luxe in comparison with the visibly threadbare original, to which it pays several nods for the fans.
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