Benji: Off the Leash! (2004) Reviews

• Back to the Days of Disney

  PenNhnd2004-09-03

  I took my granddaughter to see Benji, Off the Leash yesterday and was reminded of the fun movies I used to go see as a child. Disney, Kurt Russell, Fred MacMurray, Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette. While Benji gets the credit in the title, the story is really about how our lives are intertwined and the wrongness of hurting others (especially animals) for any reason. My granddaughter and I also discussed how you can't always assume to know a person until you really get to know them. For example the two "bumbling dog catchers" turned out to be the nice guys, showing tremendous love and compassion for "Puppy's" mom. I had the op to meet Joe Camp and Benji this past summer at CBA. The sweetest dog EVER! I was given a card with her paw print, which I put in a scrapbook for my granddaughter. These are the movies our childhood should be made of...not the basic trash we see everywhere else.

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• Best Benji movie of all!

  doxiedi2004-08-08

  I have seen all of the Benji movies, including this latest one at a premier showing prior to release, and loved this one the best. It instills a variety of emotions in the viewer - laughter, sadness, sympathy, and anger - but I promise you that you will walk out of the theater with a big smile on your face and in your heart. Take a tissue with you, but your tears will be happy ones. The movie also sends a strong message about puppy mills and backyard breeders. I am an animal shelter volunteer and know that there are too many people out there who are uneducated about such topics. Thank you Joe Camp for bringing Benji back to us again along with that important message to the public.

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• *Beloved Benji... A class act... Then, now and always*

  Shilohbloo2006-04-12

  Benji & Joe Camp did it again! No one does animal movies like them, and I recommend all of their movies highly all the time. Joe has a way of melting Benji (and now newcomer Shaggy!) straight into our hearts... and makes sure to leave us wiser along the way. If I had any criticism of this movie at all it is that it didn't play in our area when it was out in the movie theaters. It seems that it didn't play in many areas. Therefore, we had to wait for it to come out on DVD. But, thankfully, it did finally come out, and we can now enjoy it along with the other people who were lucky (blessed!!!) enough to see it on the big screen. Thank you Joe and Benji for coming back to us. The world is better for the both of you, and we hope to see more!!!!! Benji... I loved him then... I love him now... I will love him always.

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• A WONDERFUL story, engaging and enlightening for kids and their grownups!

  joeswife_22004-08-18

  This movie was a completely refreshing break from the so called family films out there today. We rarely take our pre-teen and teen children to movies these days because not only do the films contain foul content, they lack any story line or message that will some how improve us. This movie had us all in stitches and my 14 year old son was actually surprised that he was emotionally moved by the struggle of Benji and Lizzard Tongue. The creativity of the twists and turns of the story, as well as the multi-layered plot line leave you talking about the issues raised in the movie for days to come. We were invited to a sneak preview of the movie while in Chicago and were delighted to find out that the movie doesn't use the typical Hollywood tricks to entice kids. While we've seen Benji movies in the past, this one is like a supercharged Benji. I was afraid that the film maker might have to use voice overs to tell the story, but it was so great to root for Benji and really care about his mission all as told simply through those big beautiful brown eyes. The incredible music didn't hurt either. I hope they put out a sound track! Bravo to Benji, and my kids have told so many of their friends about the movie that we're getting a group together to have a real neighborhood movie experience on Saturday! Bravo for Benji! Many thumbs of all shapes and sizes way up for this one. I didn't belong to this service, but when a review came up here which was diametrically opposed to what our wonderful experience was with this film, I just had to try to set the record straight.

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• the movie is important for all animal & people lovers

  Leightonmedia2004-08-28

  I felt this was a moving picture and told an important story about how to respect our pets. With comedy from the local dog catchers to poignant observations and action by a young son who loved animals, this story shows why there are too many unwanted animals on the streets. It also shows some of the positive things that can happen to animals if people care. BENJI offers insights into the human personality, with most of the people in the film caring about the animals. Each character represented a different type of person on the animal respect scale. the young boy was--of course--an idealistic person who really didn't understand ALL the needs animals have (including shots, spay-neuter) but just knew when they were in trouble. The Mother loved animals but was limited in what to do for them because she was frozen by how the father treated her. Then there was a very kind stranger--a man who looked like Santa Claus, who ended up having a spiritual dialog with Lizard, Benji's terrier dog friend. Ultimately Santa adopted Lizard. And of course there was the evil dog breeder who just didn't care about his dogs (and people are really like that), just wanted to make money off of them, and if one dog did not look like the breed standard, let it die. This man was one of the most evil villains I've ever seen in the movies, as well. A great actor. I also thought the heavy set dog catcher, ?Stanley, the man who first started paying attention to what Benji was trying to tell them, was also a superb actor. Both dog catchers worked well together. Towards the ending of the film, we started to cry. First when Benji communicated with his (her) sick mother and was able to convince the dog catchers to take her to the hospital. The great thing was the doctor at the shelter was interested in finding out what was wrong with the dog and how to fix her. Most shelters would just put down the dog. This one didn't, so I'm grateful that if a dog would be rescued by a shelter, this one would do it. In the future I hope we all become humane enough with animals to rescue and tend to all stray animals. I was sobbing loudly when the mother and son were in the animal shelter and the mother showed her signs of abuse from the father. From then on in, I might as well have been a river.

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