Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980)

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This movie was a favorite of mine as a child, however looking back on it you can see certain flaws in it. The murder mystery is not much of a mystery and the jokes just are not quite as funny in some areas for me as an adult as they were when I was a kid. Though the one where the dog leaps into the bathtub is still rather funny. The movie has a private eye (at least I think he was a private eye) murdered. During a trip to heaven he is given the opportunity to come back to Earth and try to find the person responsible for his death. Of coarse, he comes back as Benji one of those dogs from the old days on the same page as Lassie and other famous canines. Funny thing is that Benji in this one is supposed to be a male dog, but is actually a female, while Lassie is always supposed to be a female, but is always a male dog. Well the dog soon ends up in the care of an attractive woman who takes the dog in, but may be another target for the killer. Like I said it worked for me as a kid and some of the stuff probably would still be somewhat humorous today. However, the film is most certainly dated as it looks older than a lot of other movies from this era of film and the murder scene is a tad gruesome for a PG rated film that is a bit marketed for families.

One of my favorite dog films of all time and it still is to this day. None of those Kidd dog films, come close to this classic. It begins with an American Private Detective(Chevy Chase) who is living in London, is murdered while on a case. When he gets to purgatory, he is told that in order for him to get into heaven, he must go back on earth to solve his own murder. But becomes surprised he has to go back in the body of a cute dog(Benji). He does not like it, but makes the best out the rough situation. He gets help from a beautiful writer(Jane Seymour) who is writing a book on the case. Chevy Chase and Benji are perfect. Chases voice over and Benjis reactions are funny to watch. A fun comedy mystery to enjoy for a lifetime.

I first saw this movie when I was 8 years old. We had just gotten our cable, which was a big treat back in 1982. I use to get the program guide and mark all the times "Oh Heavenly Dog" was on. I became a bit obsessed with this movie. There was something about how goofy and sad Chevy Chase's character appealed to me. I was so intrigued by the beauty and elegance of Jane Seymour's presence. When you combine the two in the movie, everything seemed to fall into place. It was simple and honest. The movie isn't a dramatic masterpiece but its not crap either! As a child and as an adult I still feel the same way. This movie is a warm fuzzy. It is fun to watch, has a good plot and I really like the songs in the opening and ending. It's a classic. Somewhat an unknown among many, but a favorite of mine.

I love this movie. It's got the cheesiest soundtrack (I'm pretty sure it's Paul McCartney and Wings), totally dating it that way, but it's got some pretty funny moments. Seeing Benji and having Chevy Chase involved in the same movie makes for all-around fun. Added bonus for those who like mysteries. This is a romance-mystery-comedy combo. Rent it.