Bottom line: Marley & Me: The Puppy Years tells the story of a boy who wants to prove his responsibility by training puppies for a dog show. The movie contains some mild rude humor (lots of fart humor) and mildly disrespectful behavior.
MPAA Rating: PG, for some mild rude humorGuide age recommendation: 5+
Genre: Family comedy
Runtime: 86 minutes
Marley & Me: The Puppy Years - Summary
Marley, the "world's worst dog" is back in a story about his puppy days. When his owners go away for a while, Marley has a summer adventure at Grandpa's house with his owner's nephew Bodie. Desperate to have a dog of his own, Bodie knows that he must show his mother that he can be responsible and care for Marley while she is away.
Bodie decides to enter Marley, along with a couple of other neighborhood puppies, in a dog show. With a little help from Grandpa and a couple of new friends, Bodie is able to teach the dogs all the tricks of agility they'll need to know. But, the competition is fierce, and one opponent will stop at nothing to win.
Photo © 20th Century Fox
Marley & Me: The Puppy Years - Guide Review
Based on the dog from the original dramedy Marley & Me (which isn't a kids' movie), The Puppy Years is nothing like the original; it's a kid-friendly spin-off comedy about a summer adventure the puppy Marley (who can talk) has while staying with a family member, Bodie, and his grandpa. The movie capitalizes on the big name of the original movie and couples that with kids' love for dogs and puppies to create a feel-good tale that conveys a decent message while making kids laugh.
While it's a family movie, this one is a bit of a bummer for parents to sit through. The storyline is far from stellar, and the acting is typical of a straight-to-DVD kiddie flick. As far as the comedy goes, the usual fart humor is present in abundance, and some humor relies on mild insults Bodie and Marley lob at Grandpa, the wrinkly guy.
Young kids, especially those who love dogs, will enjoy this movie. With plenty of dogs of different breeds, the cute factor definitely helps out. The movie contains some mild rude words, the worst of which is the use of the phrase, "lazy butt." Also, in addition to some mild disrespectful behavior, there is a bad guy who engages in tactics like using electric dog collars, barking demands at his henchman, and demanding that his henchman get rid of the most likely competition. A couple of scenes in which the dogs find themselves in peril may be slightly frightening to very young children. Overall, the movie attempts to convey a positive message about responsibility and good sportsmanship.
Marley & Me: The Puppy Years - Bonus Features
- Marley & Me: The Puppy Years Goes to Training Camp: This feature is a fun one for kids and families, with a behind-the-scenes look at the dogs who acted in the movies and their trainers.
- Part of the Family: Song/video about Marley
- My Favorite Moments: This feature is supposed to be about some of the actors' and filmmakers' favorite moments, but is more like a competition to see who can describe the dogs as "cute" and "adorable" the most times.
Marley & Me: The Puppy Years - Fun Activities for Kids
- Puppy Puzzles: A colorful page of Marley & Me puzzles including a word hunt, maze, spot the difference game and more (PDF).
- Marley & Me: The Puppy Years Coloring Page
