Marmaduke (film)

Marmaduke is a 2010 feature film based on a comic strip of the same name.

Synopsis
(brief summary of the plot)

Detailed Plot
The film opens up with the narrator talking about high school and the trouble of fitting in while we see a tall kid having such difficulty before we learn that the narrator is infact Marmaduke, a Great Dane who proceeds to introduce the viewer to Winslows while stating his relationship with each member of the family. Including the family cat, Carlos who he knows to be his best friend. The Winslows consist of Phil who works for Bark Organics, a pet food company. His wife Debbie Winslow; their oldest daughter Barbara, middle son Brian, and youngest daughter Sarah. The family resides in Kansas but due to Phil getting transfered will be moving to 'the O.C.' (Orange County, California). After the family arrives Phil meets Don Twombly, his boss, at a dog park to discuss closing a deal with PetCo which would put Bark Organics into stores nationwide.

Phil's assignment is an ad campaign to win PetCo over on the deal. While at the dog park Marmaduke meets some of the locals; Mazie, an Australian Shepherd tomboy, and her pals Giusseppe a Chinese Crested Dog who is afraid of everything and Raisen, and intelligent by tiny dauchhound. Mazie shows him around the park explaining the various 'cliques' before arriving at the Pedigrees who reveal that Marmaduke is among the Mutts when they call Mazie and the others out for being mixed.

Marmaduke had previusly caught sight of Jezebel, a Rough Collie who strikes his fancy. It's revealed in this exchange that she's Bosco's girlfriend and that the pedigrees are having a pedigrees only party that night. Bosco is the Alpha of the Pedigrees. He warns Marmaduke to stay way from his girl. After things calm down Mazie invites Marmaduke to an 'O.C Rager' at her place that night. Marmaduke sneaks out of the Windslow's house that night to attend Mazie's party. He doesn't find it too impressive as it's just the four of them but he does compliment Mazie's toy (an oinking cow doll) which the others find strange. He's talked into giving the dance floor a try and being the big clumpsy great dane he is he ends up breaking Mazie's owner's stereo. He appologies and suggests that they crash the Pedigree party. Mazie agrees but only because she feels he's gonna have to learn the hard way how things work in the O.C..

On their way to the party they spot Chupadogra, a feared legend in Orange County who is said to have killed and eaten his owner before running into the wilds as a mad dog. Giusseppe is thankful Chupadogra leaving them alone. At the party Marmaduke notices the Pedigrees harrasing a cat and begins to approach on the cat's side but runs into Jezebel. This provokes Bosco to achknowledge him and belittle him infront of the others. Jezebel puts a stop to it before things get out of hand.

The next day Marmaduke is in a company car with Phil Winslow who is talking via a headset with his boss who is reminding him about the deadline. Marmaduke is scared by a bee and Phil stops the car infront of a beach where he finally comes up with an ad campaign. Meeting with Don at the dog park Phil proposes that since Bark Organics is a California based company it should embrace that- with a dog surfing competition. Don is skeptical as he was hoping for an image that would appeal nationwide but agrees to give it a shot to close the deal with PetCo.At the dog park Marmaduke askes Mazie for dating advice regarding winning a girl over to which she makes a few suggestions regarding hygiene and gives him her oinking cow toy saying that it'll give him comfort. She then when assured that the advice isn't for anyone specific tells Marmaduke her dream date hoping that he's interested in her.

Latter feeling burdoned by Mazie's dietary advice and hygene talk Marmaduke hatches a plan to win over Jezebel by staging harrassement of a cat- with his friend Carlos. Carlos agrees to help him out but didn't expect so many dogs at the park and doesn't prove effective at acting. In a rush of the moment Marmaduke bites down on Carlos' tail and swings him away from the other dogs in the process causing Carlos to loose much of his tail hair. Carlos is a bit hurt by this.

Latter at the Bark Organic's first annual Dog Surfing Competition Brian confides in Marmaduke that he hasn't been going to soccer practice, and Barbara catches the eye of a local surfing much to Phil's concern. The PetCo executives attend and suggest that seeing Marmaduke surf would be hilarious since he's from Kansas- Marmaduke is hoping Phil recognizes that they are just joking but hoping to further his repore with the executives agrees. Marmaduke proves rather effective at surfing even though it's his first try and ends up beating Bosco, who is the local dog surfing champion. This angers Bosco who begins to chase Marmaduke disrupting the event but when Marmaduke decides to fight back it's he who get's the blame with the executives finding the whole ordeal appaling.

Phil hires a trainer for Marmaduke while Marmaduke becomes the Alphadog having won over Jezebel as a result of the contest. Marmaduke even takes Jezebel on Mazie's dream date- which she witnesses breaking her heart. As he grows in popularity he looses touch with the Mutts with Raisen confronting him at the dog park for taking Jezebel on Mazie's dream date. He itterates that they where just tossing ideas back and forth and says that Mazie should be glad he used one of her ideas. He then hosts a party at the Winslow's place while the family attends a sailing trip with the Trombly family (where Don and Phil are to discuss the new pitch to PetCo after what happened at the surfing contest). The Pedigree's throughly wreck the house while Mazie and the other Mutts watch from a distance. Bosco arrives and recognizes Carlos from the park and reveals to the others that what happened at the park was staged.

The pedigrees leaving, including Jezebel who sees Marmaduke as a liar. The next morning the Winslows return with Phil very angry at Marmaduke for what's happened at the house- he chases Marmaduke because Marmaduke refused to come to him and in the chase his laptop falls into the pool- destroying his pitch to PetCo. At a low, made to sleep outside in the rain as punishment Marmaduke decides to runaway from the Winslows but not before placing Brain's unused soccer jersy and Barbara's cell phone infront of Phil who is asleep. After he leaves the house he dropps off Mazie's toy at her place and continues on. Mazie thinks it's just a peace offering and isn't going to let him off that easily so she goes to the Winslows with the toy only to learn from Carlos that Marmaduke has ran away. Mazie decides to look for him.

The next morning Phil reads the texts on Barbara's phone and sees Brain's jersy and realizes that he's not been listening to his family but has been caught up in work. He expresses this realization to them but shortly after Sarah realizes that Marmaduke is gone. Phil remembers he has to present the pitch (which has been destroyed) at a meeting that day- it's his last chance to keep the job. Debbie starts to organize the search without him but Phil decides to go with them- to show that he's putting his family over work- that he meant what he said.

Mazie is the one to find Marmaduke but she falls into a sink hole that opens up and Marmaduke jumps in after her. After various mishaps it's Phil who rescues Marmaduke with the aid of the California fire department. The next day at the dog park Don, having heard of trhe rescue and noticed how many views (over 6,000 views) it got on Youtube rehires Phil- having fired him previously for missing the meeting. He states that he needs someone who loves their dog that much working for him.

Marmaduke goes to the Pedigrees and convinces them to share their special spot with the other dogs much to Bosco's disbelief- thankfully it's revealed that Bosco is like Marmaduke afraid of bees and he runs off before he can confront Marmaduke while the Pedigrees- not aware of Marmaduke's own phobia stop back Bosco. Mazie and Maramaduke start dating, Jezebel and Marmaduke are just friends and Phil turns to Don and says "Do you think they can dance?" and the dogs start dancing which turns out to be a commercial. Bark Organics wins the PetCo deal and all is good.

Changes from Source Material
The film alters some characters and adds quite a few. Phil's wife in the comics is Dottie and the family's youngest, Sarah isn't present in the comic strip. The other cat character from the comic strip, King Tut (who also belongs to the Winslows) isn't present in the film.

Reception
Much like the comic strips the film has been discribed as mediocre for while meant to be a comedy it's writing matches the comic's tone and thus what should at times be amusing is not amusing at all. The film actually has a heartwarming casual yet serious demeanor to it's presentation with most jokes falling flat. It's endearing in away; sweet though failing to produce laughs.