Clifford the Big Red Dog Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Clifford the Big Red Dog Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 7, 2022

The belove Clifford makes his big-screen debut in Director Walt Becker's (Wild Hogs, Old Dogs) Clifford the Big Red Dog, a modern yet still fundamentally faithful adventure about a little girl and a very big dog. The Clifford character was first introduced to the world by Author Norman Bridwell in 1963 and has been a staple of children's literature and the Scholastic brand ever since. The film lacks structural and dramatic originality but still finds enough warmth, heart, and tenderness to overcome whatever it might lack in the creative department, making for a fine big screen adventure sure to satisfy the smallest in the audience and leave the grown-ups at least satisfied with the experience.

Emily Elizabeth Howard (Darby Camp) is a sixth grader who doesn't really fit in at school. She is verbally abused and quite the loner. When her mother Maggie (Sienna Guillory) must go out of state on a business trip, Emily is left with her vagabond uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) who tries his best to raise Emily right in her mother's stead. When Emily and Casey enter a mysterious animal rescue tent, their lives are changed forever when Emily instantly falls for a curious little red puppy that is in the care of one Mr. Bridwell (John Cleese) who tells Emily that the dog will only grow as large as the amount of love Emily has for it. Casey won't let Emily have the dog, but somehow it finds its way home in her bag, anyway. She names the dog Clifford, declares her love for him, and the next morning she awakens to discover that Clifford is nearly as big as her bedroom. As she and Casey attempt to track down Mr. Bridwell in hopes of discovering why Clifford is so large and learn how to return hm to normal size, Emily and Clifford become a local sensation. Meanwhile, a struggling biotech entrepreneur named Zac Tieran (Tony Hale) vows to do anything and everything in his power, and beyond, to claim Clifford as his own to save his struggling company.

There are two core elements at play in Clifford: The warm-fuzzy family and human drama and the family friendly action/adventure. Neither are in any way even remotely original in terms of scripted structure or screen execution but for a movie like this that's perfectly OK. Clifford is like a warm blanket just out of the dryer, a lovable and comfortable film that invites audiences to share in a simple journey of the heart. It may not move the needle for creativity, but it moves the soul as the story of friendship and self-worth grow -- literally and figuratively -- even as the film works in the typical corporate villain to throw a wrench in the warm-fuzzies.

The film’s themes are straight up the middle common, too. They center on the idea that there’s nothing wrong being different, and that it’s OK if one is different. Of course, Clifford is different. He’s far bigger than the average dog, and he is far redder than the average dog. And yet Emily still loves him. Emily is not necessarily different in terms of how she looks, but she is different in terms of how she is treated. She is bullied at school. Other girls make fun of her for various reasons. But Clifford loves her unconditionally. He has a lot of love to give her, and Emily in turn has a lot of love to give to him. Nothing new to see here, but it’s a fine bit of sanguine storytelling fit for the whole family.

Clifford the Big Red Dog Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount brings Clifford the Big Red Dog to Blu-ray with what is is one of the clearest, cleanest, and most visually agreeable Blu-rays on the market. The picture is absolutely perfect. There's not a hint of softness anywhere in the film. Every element is impeccably and precisely perfect, with the possible exception of some of the Clifford VFX which don't look quite so vividly lifelike as the real-world elements, but they come close. The dense city environments delight. Skin definition is terrific, with every pore and hair perfectly revealing. Colors are bold and brilliant with not a single tone that looks undersaturated or otherwise anything but vivid and healthy. Whites are delightfully crisp and blacks are perfectly deep. There's barely any noise, if any is visible at all, and there are certainly no encode issues to report, either. This is one great looking Blu-ray!

Clifford the Big Red Dog Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paramount's Dolby Atmos soundtrack excels in all categories. The track is very full and filling, offering robust stage depth, awesome definition, and total immersion. The track offers plenty of exciting discrete effects and nicely maneuvering elements as well. Listeners will enjoy fruitful overhead usage when rain falls and distant thunder booms in the 25-minute mark. City exteriors spring to life with healthy, honest immersion and clarity. Music is full and rich, spreading wide along the front and folding in balanced surround and subwoofer activity. Dialogue is clear and center positioned for the duration. Family film audio doesn't get any better than this.

Clifford the Big Red Dog Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Paramount releases Clifford the Big Red Dog to Blu-ray with a few extras, including featurettes and delete scenes. A digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Part of the Pack (1080p, 6:34): Story details and the E.T. similarities, but the piece focuses primarily on cast and performances.
• Acting Is for the Dogs (1080p, 3:20): An all-too-quick piece exploring the physical puppet that stood in for the digital Clifford on the set.
• The Magic of Bridwell (1080p, 7:11): Clifford's character origins as a Scholastic mascot. It also looks back at the life and work of Clifford Creator Norman Bridwell and the book series' longevity and popularity.
• Tips & Tricks for Taking Care of a 10 Foot Dog (1080p, 2:28): Emily shares a few tips on caring for an oversized canine companion.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 2:50 total runtime): Included are Dr. Russ, Searching for Bridwell, and Animal Blessings.

Clifford the Big Red Dog Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is perhaps fitting that Clifford The Big Red Dog is more or less family friendly comfort food because that is what the books embody: simple storytelling of love and acceptance in the simplest of terms, even in the midst of the most complicated curiosity. The film offers some real laughs and well defined characters even if nothing about it is particularly novel. There's enough heart and soul to mask whatever other shortcomings may exist, but flaws and all the target audience will love it. Paramount's Blu-ray offers pristine video and superb Atmos audio. Supplements are a bit on the thin side. My four-year-old daughter loved it and even my 21-month-old son laughed at some of it, and both of them recommend it.