From Deseret News archives:

Beethoven

Published: Wednesday, April 8, 1992 12:00 a.m. MDT
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"Beethoven" is a generally innocuous comedy about a rigid suburban household that is turned upside-down by the presence of a St. Bernard who grows from cute puppy to house-destroying monster in the film's early scenes.

Charles Grodin is hilarious as the long-suffering father, who likes to live his life on a schedule, and suddenly finds a slobbering dog with muddy feet urinating in his briefcase. (The dog urinating where he shouldn't is a running gag — gag being the operative word.)

The first half of the film is amusing, but when it turns to a distasteful subplot that has an evil veterinarian/scientist (Dean Jones, in his second villainous role in a row, after "Other People's Money") stealing pets for nasty experiments, it goes sour. At one point he even holds a handgun to a dog's head!

Too bad; the first half brings to mind the best elements of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," with its delightful portrayal of domestic bliss gone awry. But the second half is more like a failed kiddie version of a TV crime drama. And the film never quite recovers.

"Beethoven" is rated PG (violence, vulgarity).

Recent comments

for all those who value life, don't waste 87 min. of it on
this...

Stasia | Nov. 8, 2004 at 2:10 p.m.

Beetoven is an okay kids film that has some fairly amusing...

Avi Green | Jan. 6, 2000 at 2:10 a.m.

Movie Info
Rated PG for violence, vulgarity.

Cast: Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Dean Jones.
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