Film Review – Dog Days

Garry Marshall passed away two years ago, but his spirit remains in “Dog Days,” with screenwriters Elissa Matsueda and Erica Oyama trying to replicate the formula that turned vanilla pictures like “Valentine’s Day” and “New Year’s Eve” into hit films. There’s no holiday to celebrate in “Dog Days,” with the magic of canines the reason for this multi-character gathering, finding pet antics and tales of wounded hearts keeping director Ken Marino busy. Much like Marshall’s later output, this feature is a jokeless, aimless concoction that relies completely on cutesiness, with a large ensemble handed very little guidance when it comes to funny business while Marino layers on sticky sentiment, trying to master a heartwarming celebration of companionship that’s disappointingly predictable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com