Firehouse Dog

A stunt dog befriends a boy sleuth whose father is a brave fireman: this sure knows how to tick the family-friendly boxes. Rexxx is a pampered mutt who stars in Hollywood action movies such as ‘The Fast and the Furriest’. When he falls out of a plane and into the life of 12-year-old Shane Fahey (Josh Hutcherson), Shane is initially underwhelmed. But when Rexxx reveals his talent for both skateboarding and saving lives, the dog becomes the mascot for the ailing fire station run by Shane’s father. But who’s the arsonist on the loose? Some healthy detective work is required, morphing this into a relatively suspenseful kiddie detective-drama after a typical doggy-comedy start (think risqué jokes about poodle prostitutes mixed with fart gags). Adults will notice the clunky expositionary dialogue, one-note characters and hit-and-miss humour, but they may forgive them: ‘Firehouse Dog’ is so consistently earnest and emotive it’s hard to dislike. It may not set the box office on fire, but this canine caper is more agreeable than your average underdog tale.