Clifford the Big Red Dog Movie Review + More!

Clifford the Big Red Dog is leaping out of the book pages and onto the big screening beginning tomorrow, Nov. 10th! The classic stories written by Norman Bridwell began in the ’60s and have been a kid-favorite for many years. Paramount has brought this adorable oversized pup to life in the Clifford the Big Red Dog movie. Read on for details!

Clifford the Big Red Dog Movie

When middle-schooler Emily Elizabeth (Darby Camp) meets a magical animal rescuer (John Cleese) who gifts her a little, red puppy, she never anticipated waking up to find a giant ten-foot hound in her small New York City apartment. While her single mom (Sienna Guillory) is away for business, Emily and her fun but impulsive uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) set out on an adventure that will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat as our heroes take a bite out of the Big Apple. Based on the beloved Scholastic book character, Clifford will teach the world how to love big! Clifford the Big Red Dog movie is rated PG.

I had the special opportunity to attend a virtual interview with film stars Darby Camp and Jack Whitehall. Those details are located at the bottom of this post.

Clifford the Big Red Dog Movie Review

Emily Elizabeth is having a hard time fitting in at her new school. When her mom unexpectedly has to go out of town for work, her uncle Casey is left to watch after her. On their walk to school the next morning, Emily Elizabeth is sidetracked but a fun animal tent at the park.

Inside the tent, they meet Mr. Bridwell, an interesting character, and soon she finds herself face to face with a small red puppy. She begs her uncle to take him home, but Uncle Casey is already known for being quite irresponsible and doesn’t want to get any more grief from his sister, Emily Elizabeth’s mother.

Later that day, Emily Elizabeth is home from school when she notices a rustling in her backpack. To her amazement, Clifford pops his head out! She’s over the moon about having a new furry best friend and decides to name him. That night while drifting off to sleep she makes a special wish, and the next morning Clifford something incredible happens! Clifford is 10 feet tall and definitely can’t be kept a secret from her uncle any longer.

As the two of them try to figure out what to do with this enormous dog, they encounter several issues – including Clifford getting loose in New York City. When the news gets wind of a giant story, that being Clifford, an evil company claims the dog is theirs and wants to take Clifford away. What will Emily Elizabeth and uncle Casey do? Can they find the mischievous Mr. Bridwell to get help with Clifford? You’ll have to watch the film to find out!

Grab tickets for Clifford the Big Red Dog movie, or watch it on Paramount+. This family-friendly film is adorable and funny. Young kids will love it, especially if they love animals too!

Fun Clifford Activities:

• Clifford-size your pet here!
• Clifford AR Experience (mobile only)
• See the final trailer here.

My son and I did a special reading of the book based on the film below!

Q&A with Darby Camp & Jack Whitehall

While attending the virtual press conference with Darby and Jack, they shared a few exciting details about the film.

Since 10-foot dogs don’t exist in real life, they used a giant animatronic puppet to interact with while filming in NYC. When asked if they related to their characters in the film, Jack mentioned that uncle Casey reminds him of a younger version of himself. Darby shared that they filmed almost 2 years ago and she’s grown up some since then, but that her younger self can relate to Emily Elizabeth. She also is a dog lover herself.

Jack shared with us that once filming wrapped he got his very first puppy he named Coco and that it bears a resemblance to Clifford, although it’s not as red-coated as Clifford is.

A few things Darby hopes the audience takes away from the film is to love big, be confident and believe in yourselves, and be accepting of others. While Jack said the film has a lot of heart.

Photo Credits: Courtesy Paramount Pictures.

We hope you and your family enjoy this movie!

 

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