Oh! Heavenly Dog
by Joe Camp
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Benji, Chevy Chase, Jane Seymour, Omar Sharif, Robert MorleyDirector: Joe Camp
Brand: TCFHE
Cinematographer: Don Reddy
Producer: Joe Camp
Editor: Leon Seith
Editor: Steve R. Moore
Producer: Dan Witt
Writer: Rod Browning
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 103 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-08-09
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of Oh! Heavenly Dog
Movie Review: A comedic showcase for America's most huggable hero
Summary: 5 Stars
1980's Oh! Heavenly Dog, Benji's third movie, is quite a contrast from Benji's first two films. Benji and For the Love of Benji were quintessential family films that told touching stories of canine cunning and heroics entirely from the perspective of the furry little hero; there, Benji's acting prowess could move you to tears in moments of crisis and lift you sky-high when Benji finally managed to safely rescue the humans he loved. Those films had funny moments, but they were basically built upon drama and conveyed serious messages. Oh! Heavenly Dog is a straight-up comedy.
Chevy Chase plays a private investigator named Browning, whom we meet during the last hour of his life. Hired to protect a certain young lady, he soon finds her - and then himself - murdered. He then finds himself in an afterlife processing center, where he learns he is considered no better than a marginal applicant for heaven; fortunately for him, he gets one last chance to prove himself worthy. All he has to do is go back to earth and solve the case of his own murder - and he has to go back in the form of a little dog because no human bodies are available at the moment. Thus we finally meet Benji (some twenty-two minutes into the film). We do see the rest of the film from Benji's perspective, but this time around, we can actually hear his thoughts - because they are Browning's thoughts. Cracking a murder case is hard enough when you have hands and a human voice; trying to accomplish it when you are a stray dog is even tougher.
Fortune smiles upon the canine Browning when he meets up with the attractive young lady he bumped into mere moments before his earthly demise, for she is actually researching a book on the murders. For her part, Jackie (Jane Seymour) is increasingly astounded to find the little dog she calls B.J. everywhere she goes while researching the crime. Seymour has a great rapport with Benji, and that is crucial to making this film work as well as it does. Benji himself is marvelous and really gets to show off his amazing skills before the camera. Among other things, you'll see him finding ways into and out of different locations, using the telephone, writing (sort of) with a pencil, performing a few stunts that look to me like they must have hurt just a little bit, and weaving his way through traffic in a number of chase scenes. This film doesn't allow for the type of emotional moments that are there to be experienced in his earlier films, but Benji's acting skills help make the ending of this one rather touching, actually. Great credit is due to Benji's trainer, owner, and best friend Frank Inn for the amazing skills Benji showcases throughout the film.
You'll notice this is a PG movie, which is quite unusual for a Joe Camp production. So, while this is still a great family film that I certainly loved as a kid, parents should be aware of the presence of adult language and a few sexual innuendoes spread over the course of the film. Being murdered and having to come back and investigate the crime in the form of a dog is bound to make a fellow curse a little bit. As for the innuendoes, today's generation of kids will probably understand most of them; back in the 70s, kids like me didn't have a clue as to the adult humor inserted into this fun film about an amazing little dog. Benji fans will eat this movie up, but it is hard to say how Chevy Chase fans will respond to it (I'm not much of a Chevy Chase fan) - still, it's impossible not to love Benji so I can't see how anyone can fail to enjoy Oh! Heavenly Dog.
Look for Joe Camp, the man behind the whole Benji phenomenon, in a cameo appearance as one half of a pair of movers. It's also interesting to note that, while the story is set in London, most of the filming took place in Quebec because England required all incoming animals to be quarantined for six months upon their arrival. Finally, one should note that the original Benji retired after his first feature film, but this second Benji is just as huggable (not to mention cute and fluffy) as the first one.
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