Shane has some problems. As a middle schooler, he has been doing poorly on exams. This is because his single parent father, Marc (Bruce Greenwood) is a captain in the fire department and is one the job a great deal of the time. In addition, Shane's uncle died in a fire about a year ago and his father is still mourning the loss of his brother. No wonder Shane is suffering from lack of parental attention and direction. But, one day, a dog is rescued by the fire department on top of a burning building. Shane and his father take the dog home. Unknown to them, this is no ordinary mutt but a movie star canine who was lost during a parachuting screen shoot. Although Shane does not like the dog at first, the little furry one is talented and wins over the boy's heart. And, he also becomes a great fire dog, leading to the rescue of another fire captain. But, will the real owner of the dog come back to claim him? And, just who is setting all of these fires in an already decaying neighborhood? This is a terrific family movie. Yes, it is implausible, at times, but it does not matter in the least. The adorable dog of the film is smart, talented, and will melt hearts. The cast, although mostly unknown actors, is also just right for the film. The costumes, sets and movie production values are fine, too. Then again, many children and adults are interested in fire fighting and this flick has plenty of minutes devoted to battling blazes. In short, if you want to get a new and worthy film for your family's enjoyment, this is a terrific choice. It will have everyone cheering and clapping for the brave little canine and his taller companions.

4 out of 10? What? Who the hell is voting on this, people who enjoyed "Dude, where's my car?" or Canadian's who want to have a chip on their shoulder about film-making in their own country, if other comments on this site are to be believed. Well, personally I don't care where the film was made, I watched it with my family and I enjoyed it. Yes, it's Disney style corny, but the funny bits are funny, the touching bits are touching and ultimately you're routing for the dog and the fire crew.

Starring the underrated Bruce Greenwood and a decent supporting crew the film is fun for the family as the story of a pampered Hollywood pooch who learns what being a dog is really all about moves at a decent pace with gags that children will enjoy with a few extra bizarre touches for adults as well.

and for those people who give it 4, have you people seen Batman and Robin, Cool as Ice, of the abysmal Legends of the fall. Personally I suggest you watch these first before slating this.

6 out of 10.

I gave it such a high rating not b/c I think it's such a great movie, but b/c it did what a family/kid movie is supposed to do - make you laugh, keep the kids' (and my) attention, and not make you fall asleep.

It did all of those things. Based on some of these reviews here, I expected it to absolutely stink. But my kids who are 4 and 6, and I thought maybe too young for this type of movie, were riveted. They liked the silly humor, and when the father and son had their screen time together my son cuddled with me and was obviously moved. And I didn't feel like pulling my hair out and I never checked my watch.

All of this made for a fun, worth-the-matinée-price, movie experience. On top of it, my husband took the kids to see this movie last week; so this was my first time, and their second - and they sat still through it the whole way.

Funny, sweet, enjoyable movie.