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Beethoven's Fourth

2003, Movie, G, 94 mins

Beethoven's Fourth: Review

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This typical entry in the St. Bernard slapstick series revamps the plot of THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER with pooches and espouses family values in a conventional comedy format. Once again, Beth (Julia Sweeney) and Richard Newton (Judge Reinhold) agree to dog sit for Beethoven the St. Bernard while Richard’s brother travels. Although the Newton kids, Brennan (Joe Pichler) and Sara (Michaela Gallo), like the visiting pooch, but Beth and Richard have issues with the slobbering, shedding behemoth. While Richard plays Mr. Mom and creates greeting cards from his home, Beth is re-entering the work force. Messy Beethoven makes the Newtons’ role-reversal even more chaotic. No wonder the Newton children enroll Beethoven in a dog obedience school run by Sgt. Rutledge (Art La Fleur)! Meanwhile, in a posher part of town, tycoon Reginald Sedgwick (Matt McCoy) and his wife, Martha (Veanne Cox), treat their daughter, Madison (Kaleigh Krish), with benign neglect while pampering their St. Bernard, Michelangelo. Though Michaelangelo is a well-behaved dog, the Sedgwick’s butler, Simmons (Mark Lindsay Chapman), resents the dog’s posh life and arranges a dog-napping with the help of his bungling brother, Nigel (Nick Meany). Michelangelo breaks free near Sgt. Rutledge’s dog camp, and the identities of the two St. Bernards get confused. Both the Newton and Sedgwick families benefit from the inadvertent switch. The Newtons are delighted with their suddenly docile guest (Sara and Brennan mistakenly think that dog school has really paid off), while the uptight Sedgwicks receive a much needed dose of spontaneity thanks to Beethoven. But Simmons still plans to collect ransom money — will Beethoven and Michelangelo ever find their way back to their rightful owners? Some cast members, notably Julia Sweeney, rise above the low level of the script's canine tomfoolery, but this farcical family film is not an actors' showcase. leave a comment --Robert Pardi
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