Marmaduke

This film (drama)Also known asMarmaduke，is aUSAProducerwomen sex，At2010Released in year 。The dialogue language isEnglish，Current Douban rating6.7(For reference only)。

【Synopsis】Adapted from the comic of the same name, "Marmaduke" was originally published by Brad Anderson in newspapers and ran for decades before being adapted into an animated television series. The story revolves around a mischievous Great Dane who lives with the Winslow family.【One-sentence review】Terrifying talking animals, along with a filming style from ten years ago. — The New York TimesOnly children will laugh at this movie; adult audiences are practically suffering in theaters. — The Hollywood ReporterThis movie is utterly pointless, like a dream imagined by a childish writer. — The Globe and Mail【Behind the production】Thinking like a dog"Marmaduke" is a well-known animated character in America. Since it appeared in newspapers in 1954, the Great Dane who often creates chaos and puts its owner in awkward situations has garnered affection from Americans. Many people view Marmaduke as part of their family and sometimes even name their pets after him. One columnist even remarked, "Marmaduke should have the right to vote."Adapting such a beloved comic into a film is no easy task. Especially when dealing with a popular publication that has been around for 50 years, the challenges for the adapters increase significantly. Comic creator Brad Anderson said, "Over the years, some comics have gradually lost their luster, but mine has survived, mainly because I viewed the world and issues from a dog's perspective. I didn’t depict the dog from the owner's point of view; I thought like a dog. The inspiration for this Great Dane came from my mom’s boxer, but I made this dog bigger and stronger because I thought big dogs could be more interesting — they don’t know how big they really are. You sometimes see a giant dog like a Great Dane trying to sit on its owner's lap just like a Chihuahua. I have a Great Dane myself, weighing 170 pounds, and it creates countless amusing situations. The Great Dane in the comic is not purely a dog; it has many human traits and emotions. I don’t think adapting this comic is an easy task, especially now that Marmaduke is a ‘star dog’, as its image is well-established and difficult to change." When talking about adaptation, director Tom Dey said, "We wanted to make this comic more contemporary, since it’s a traditional and older comic. If we were to present it in today’s theaters, it had to resonate with the current audience; otherwise, the film would struggle to succeed. But I agree with Brad’s perspective of thinking from a dog’s point of view. So the film is still shot from Marmaduke's perspective. We portrayed his interactions with a cat from his household, his relationships with other pet dogs and cats in the community, and even included a love story with a Scottish sheepdog. In short, everything was prepared to make the film more entertaining and enjoyable." Before filming, the entire crew had intense discussions over whether to recreate a dog using CGI or to use real dogs for performances. There were two opinions: one believed CGI could make the Great Dane look more human and perform actions beyond a dog's capabilities, while the supporters of using real animals contended that genuine dogs would add credibility to the film and make the audience love animals more. After weighing both options, director Tom Dey decided to combine the two approaches. He said, "For scenes that dogs could perform themselves, we let the dogs act with the assistance of trainers, as these actions were not too difficult. For performances that dogs could not accomplish, we relied on CGI, such as the mouth movements when dogs talk and the scene with a large group of dogs and cats dancing together, along with various up-and-down movements. This way, we addressed both the authenticity and charm of the dogs while also handling the high-difficulty actions. From the final result, utilizing both live animals and CGI was the right choice." A youthful romantic comedy for dogsIf calculating "dog years" according to the dog's physiological cycle, Marmaduke from the comic would be 380 years old this year; however, in the movie, Marmaduke is portrayed as a youthful dog in his prime. As a teenager, he is energetic, powerful, and yearns for romance. He still plays pranks on the family cat, has crushes on a beautiful Scottish sheepdog, and feels helpless against dog gangs — the movie version of "Marmaduke" encapsulates many elements of a youthful love story. On this point, the director does not shy away, with Tom Dey stating, "Since we shot the film from the dog's perspective, we set Marmaduke's age in his teens so that elements of humor, romance, and so on could all fit into the film. The whole film is essentially about Marmaduke moving to a new home, striving to fit into the community and find love. You could interpret it as a romantic comedy for dogs — this was actually the direction we took in writing the script and filming. Personified animals are the most appealing to audiences, so we are confident that Marmaduke will certainly bring laughter to viewers." Since it was decided to use a combination of real animals and CGI for this film, having trainers became essential, as some actions required the Great Dane to take center stage. Thus, Tom Dey enlisted trainer John Alexander to train Marmaduke. Most of the film was completed easily without any challenging actions or elements. However, during the scene where Marmaduke goes surfing, Alexander faced difficulties, saying, "I’m not sure if Great Danes are willing to stand on a surfboard and surf, or if they even like to play in the water. I had never worked with a Great Dane before and had never heard of a Great Dane surfing." Now, the dilemma is with Marmaduke; will he be willing to surf and go into the water? Unexpectedly, Marmaduke obediently walked onto the surfboard and into the water. Tom Dey said, "I was really surprised. When I walked to the beach, John had just started training Marmaduke, but seemingly on purpose, Marmaduke began to paddle and surf by himself, and he showed great skill and ability. This delighted us; I was initially worried that if Marmaduke didn’t want to surf, I would have to cut that scene, but he ultimately exceeded expectations in performing the scene. I think this Great Dane may be the first surfing Great Dane in history." As for the other animals in the film, some Siamese cats, Scottish sheepdogs, and other animal actors had no significant challenges; Tom Dey said, "The other animals completed their performances without any trouble, as Alexander is an experienced trainer, and these animals are human’s good friends, making them easier to train than birds or raptors." 【Trivia】· Amanda Seyfried was originally the first choice to voice the character of Michele but the crew ultimately decided on Emma Stone instead.· The film is adapted from Brad Anderson's comic of the same name.· The "Marmaduke" comic has been published since 1954 and continues today.· Brad Anderson won the National Cartoonists Society Newspaper Comic Strip Award in 1978 for "Marmaduke." · Some segments from "Marmaduke" were adapted into the animated series "Heathcliff" by Ruby-Spears. The character "Heathcliff" also originates from "Marmaduke." · The animal trainer in the film is John Alexander, who has trained animal actors for the "Harry Potter" series, "Night at the Museum," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," and more.