Bone Alone (2013)

How sad is this?

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This little film isn't a subject for serious review, being a lesser version of "Home Alone" with a dog instead of a kid, but Kevin Sorbo's bit as Quentin, a tough freelance dogcatcher, is worth checking out. His take on Quint in "Jaws" is so brilliant that I think he deserves some kind of Oscar, if only for keeping a straight face. Apart from that, the dogs are handsome and the canine cleverness may make the kids giggle (I must admit I found it amusing when the burglars' ringleader was sneaking around covered in furry toys and squeaking with each step). The real appeal is Sorbo, however-I don't think I've ever seen him in a film before, but I'll be watching for him now.

This movie had a semi-interesting premise, for a Scooby-Doo cartoon episode, but, alas it wasn't a cartoon. It was trying to pass for a real family-friendly movie. Kevin Sorbo was in it, but this was decidedly NOT your typical Kevin Sorbo film, other than the fact that it was completely unbelievable and memorably awful....in this mess he played the baddest bad guy and, as such, a total loser.The basic concept is that a family leaves for Christmas and leaves their Australian Cattle Dog at home, supposedly safe and sound. Would-be thieves invade, and the dog, who of course has audible thoughts, has to defend his home. Cute? No. In reality this was tediously unfunny and a waste of time.....although it WAS at least pro-dog and anti-criminal. Otherwise just silly. And not in a good way.The only valid message I could find was that it's not cool to ditch your dog at Christmastime (or any other time). Dogs are loyal members of the family and at the very least feel badly when they're left behind. Beyond feeling lonely, dogs left home alone can be put at unexpected risk if criminals invade....not THAT much risk, though, as it turns out, if the criminals are merely clueless, greedy morons. Seriously, no matter HOW much you adore dogs and enjoy Christmas movies, I really wouldn't bother with this one. And I'm the owner of a freaking AWESOME Australian Cattle Dog. This gimmicky stunt flick might amuse a few not-very-bright kids, but otherwise...no. Just....no.

Comparing briefly what Bone Alone was reminiscent of, it is not as good as the first two Home Alone films or the first Look Who's Talking but is on the same level as Look Who's Talking Too and Home Alone 3 and is better than Home Alone 4(almost anything is in all fairness) and Look Who's Talking Now. I disagree with the first two reviewers, Bone Alone to me wasn't great but it also wasn't that terrible, if anything it was a mixed bag with some good and some bad.Good: For a low budget movie, Bone Alone does look surprisingly decent, the scenery is very nice and colourful and the camera work is better than most low-budget movies, not entirely smooth but far from choppy. The soundtrack is bright and breezy, there are some well-engineered if in some cases somewhat familiar slapstick traps, there are some refreshing twists in others, and some effects are alright. The acting is mixed but much more watchable than expected to be, Kevin Sorbo gives the best performance with the best comic timing of the movie. David DeLuise is both sympathetic and amusing. Oh and the dog Bone is just adorable, with Bill Pomeroy doing a competent job as the voice of Bone. Bone Alone is a short movie and whizzes by though with some lulls in the middle.Bad: The comic timing is very off in places, too over-earnest and forced. Kim Little, who usually isn't so bad an actress, is disappointingly erratic as the mother and Davis Cleveland is very annoying, if not quite as unwatchably obnoxious like he is on Shake It Up(one of the Disney Channel's worst shows). Not all the effects are particularly good too, some in the trap settings and executions are very slapdash. In regard to the comic timing too, that the dialogue is very corny and awkward does them no favours and the characters you never do engage with, the criminals being among the dumbest committed to movie celluloid. The story being predictable is to be expected but a few scenes in the middle feel drawn out and it is never plausible that Bone can fool the criminals in the way he did. The whole movie is lacking in heart and can feel harmless, also for a movie supposedly set at Christmas there is not much of a sense of the festive spirit.All in all, could have been better could have been worse. Mildly watchable family entertainment on the whole. 5/10 Bethany Cox

As the title says, wonderful film full of laughs that will keep you smiling the entire time. Including a wonderful cast such as David DeLuise(Wizards Of Waverly Place), Davis Cleveland(Shake It Up), Kevin Sorbo(Hercules), & Chris Kattan(SNL). The dogs are great for dog lovers, and are really cute. The criminals are funny but scary, just like the ones in the Home Alone films. Speaking of which, it is basically another addition to the Home Alone movie series, except instead of a kid kicking the criminal's butts, its dogs. Wonderful idea and nicely filmed. I hope for a sequel for sure!Any lover of Family comedy's, or lover of "The Home Alone Series" will LOVE this film.