Starring: Pudsey, David Walliams, Jessica Hines
Pudsey (self, Walliams) is a happy-go-lucky dog who spends his time getting into adventures, dancing and dreaming about sausages. After meeting a group of kids, Pudsey gets a new home in the country, but a plan to knock down the village and turn it into a shopping centre, spurs Pudsey into action.
I can't really deny that Pudsey: The Movie is the best dancing dog movie I've ever seen. I also can't deny that the film has attained this honour by virtue of being the only dancing dog movie I've ever seen. Yes, Pudsey the grooving pooch from Britain's Got Talent has his own movie marketed towards the kiddie set and, as you probably expect, it doesn't try very hard.
How much kids will respond to this, I can't say but personally I feel they're being short changed in a world of classic Disney, Pixar and Studio Ghibli movies. Here, there's not really much in the way of wonder or even a particularly coherent plot. Instead, the film steadfastly looks to the belief that loud is funny. Make no mistake about it, this film is LOUD! Whenever an action setpiece or a slice of bubblegum pop comes about, the noise that bursts forth is deafening and you're glad of the reprieve to shake off your jangled nerves.
The film also recycles the same tired old gags over and over again. Pudsey, like most dogs in comedic contexts, seems very fond of sausages. So much so, that at almost every juncture possible to jam in this tidbit of information, the opportunity is not passed up. There's also a pig that insists it's a chicken and keeps believing it's laid an egg (toilet humour obviously results). The film's sense of physical comedy plays off of actually rather painful acts that come off more as cruel than funny.
The performer that dominates this film without question is John Sessions but thatmisn't exactly a good thing. Playing the mean-spirited lord of the manor and the villain of the film, Sessions mugs and over-performs at every opportunity. Doubtlessly, that's his intention and the sheer gusto with which he sets about could be enjoyed but it comes across that this is a performance born from someone just going all out and doing a broad performance, but not with the enjoyable glee that scenery chewing often provides.
With all this being said, there's an infectiousness to it that saves it from being totally hopeless. Director Nick Moore may not be considered one of the greatest directors of his generation, but his sense of intensity does mean that for all that's wrong with the film it isn't slow and dull. There are even some moments of slight amusement, mostly from a secondary Scottish-accented dog, but almost all the time what little laughs you may get from this film will probably be at it than with it.
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