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RATING:  
SINGAPORE: Even with deep-seeded adoration for man's best friend, the notion of spending more than two hours watching a puppy frolic seemed like a pretty one-note way to spend one's time. Especially since I hadn't read John Grogan's best-selling autobiography that the movie is based on, nor was I expecting much from a movie that had emotional manipulation spelt all over its aww-so-cute poster.
But in the end, I blubbered and snivelled and wished that dogs didn't die. And you probably will, too.
Owen Wilson is Grogan, the newspaper columnist who buys wife Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) a dog, seeing as the newlyweds aren't quite ready for children. Their love for the dog blossoms into the need for a real family, and the rest of the film simply documents their life and the sacrifices they withstand for the sake of the greater pleasure of family.
"Marley and Me" is a dog movie pitched somewhere between "Beethoven" and "Old Yeller": Part rambunctious, part sentimental, and not far removed from the experience most dog-owners have with their unruly but truly beloved pets.
With no real plot, the film is content to plod from one set-piece to another, coasting on the talent of its leads. Whether or not you'll like the film will depend on whether you like cute dogs. And I do.
Sure, it dips a little too deeply into unnecessary sentimentality and ends on the expected Kleenex note, but all of its faults don't detract from the cleverly manipulated fact that anyone with half a heart will no doubt succumb to its soppiness, bringing back a flood of memories you've had with your own treasured pet. - TODAY/fa
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