Marmaduke

Marmaduke

movie

PG, 2022

WISE
22%

WISE Score

3.4

IMDb

A catastrophically bad animated dog movie that somehow made it to Netflix—skip this and watch literally anything else.

IMDb3.4
Common Sense Media
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Screenwise Verdict

Look, I'll be straight with you: this movie is bad. Not 'eh, it's fine' bad—legitimately, measurably, 3.4-out-of-10-on-IMDb bad. A 1.3 out of 5 on Letterboxd means even people who WANTED to like it couldn't.

It's safe, sure. Your kid won't see anything inappropriate. But they also won't laugh, won't be engaged, and won't remember a single thing about it ten minutes after it ends. Netflix is full of actually good animated movies—Mitchells vs. the Machines, Klaus, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, even the older stuff like Moana or Coco.

Life's too short and your kid's attention is too valuable to waste on something this aggressively mediocre. If they're begging for a dog movie, show them Isle of Dogs or the original Lady and the Tramp. This isn't 'so bad it's good'—it's just... nothing.

Age Fit

Technically appropriate for ages 6-10 based on content, but honestly, your kids deserve better. Even young viewers can sense when something is low-effort and boring.

WISE Breakdown
Wholesome
55

Family-friendly premise about a lovable dog with themes of loyalty and responsibility, but execution appears shallow and chaotic based on audience reception. The slapstick comedy and dog show setting suggest some positive family dynamics, but the overwhelmingly negative reviews (3.4/10 IMDb, 1.3/5 Letterboxd) indicate poor emotional pacing and likely grating humor rather than genuinely heartwarming content.

Imaginative
25

Generic animated dog movie set in the well-worn world of competitive dog shows. Nothing in the synopsis or reception suggests originality—this is a 2022 reboot of a franchise that wasn't particularly creative to begin with. The abysmal ratings across all platforms (37% RT audience, 1.3/5 Letterboxd) strongly indicate derivative, uninspired storytelling that fails to spark curiosity or wonder.

Safe
85

Common Sense Media rates it for age 8, suggesting no serious content concerns. As a Netflix family animated feature about a dog in show competitions, it's highly unlikely to contain violence, scary content, or inappropriate material. The 'rivalries and slapstick comedy' mentioned are standard animated fare. No red flags in available data.

Enriching
20

With ratings this catastrophically low (3.4/10 IMDb, 1.3/5 Letterboxd—that's REALLY bad), this movie offers virtually nothing enriching. Even basic entertainment value appears absent. No awards, no notable creative talent, no indication of meaningful themes beyond surface-level 'family and responsibility.' The universally poor reception suggests this is forgettable content that provides neither growth nor genuine enjoyment.

Parent Info
✓

Why It Might Be Great

  • It's about a dog, and kids generally like dogs
  • Completely safe content-wise—no violence, scares, or inappropriate material
  • At least it's on Netflix so you're not paying extra to endure it
  • Might work as background noise if your kid is playing with toys and not actually watching
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What to Watch For

  • Universally terrible reviews (3.4/10 on IMDb, 1.3/5 on Letterboxd)—these ratings are genuinely hard to achieve
  • Likely to bore both kids and adults with uninspired humor and generic storytelling
  • Your kid might ask to turn it off halfway through, and you should let them
  • Could trigger arguments about 'why can't we watch something good instead'

Conversation Starters

  • "What other dog movies have you seen that you liked better than this one?"
  • "If you had a dog, would you want to enter them in a competition? Why or why not?"
  • "What makes a movie actually funny versus trying too hard to be funny?"
Stills
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