I remember as a kid watching the old Benji films on TV back in the 1980s. Back then they were cute harmless family films that anyone could enjoy. This new Benji, I'm not sure if it's a reboot of the franchise, or just another entry in the same series that began in 1974, is also a great family film. Though it touches on themes that would have never been considered in 1974.This is to be expected though as children are, today, exposed to and aware of, things that children in the early 70s were not. So what you have is a family film that features adorable children who remain innocent but are forced to deal with very serious situations. The new Benji, for what it's worth, is a true wonder dog; capable of doing tricks to get out of jams that would blow any expert dog trainer's mind. This is no ordinary street mutt, to say the least. Overall, I would say that this is a fantastic family film though I recommend that the parents stick around while the kids are watching because surely there will be some questions that will need to be answered.

'BENJI': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)A reboot of the classic 1974 beloved family dog film (of the same name). The kids' movie was written and directed by Brandon Camp, who is the son of the original film's director, Joe Camp. It stars Gabriel Bateman, Darby Camp, Kiele Sanchez, Jerod Haynes, Angus Sampson and Will Rothhaar. It was released by Netflix through it's streaming site, and I found it to be somewhat nostalgic, but still mostly a bore. The film tells the story of two young kids (Bateman and Camp) that befriend an orphaned dog, they name Benji. Their hardworking single mom (Sanchez) doesn't want them to keep him though, which breaks the kids' hearts. Then the two children are shockingly kidnapped by robbers (Rothhaar and Sampson). Benji ends up protecting them, and he proves how valuable he actually is to the family (of course).I like how nostalgic and true to the original film this modern reboot is. Other than that, it doesn't have a lot going for it though. It's pretty cheesy, routine, unoriginal, and kind of dull. When I was a kid I would have loved it though, and as an animal lover I can never truly hate a film like this.

What is this movie? There was no violence, no blood, it's all about a cute little doggie!

The most important feature of the original movie was the development of each of the characters. Instead, it was all story that was pushed along. Many times, I found myself cringing at plot holes and set mistakes. Electricity in an abandoned building for one. For a remake from the son of the original writer, I expected more.