This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

After Norman Bridwell's books and the PBS TV series came this movie about a huge red canine. As in the TV series, animals communicate with each other but humans can't understand them (though the animals can understand human speech, as when Clifford overhears the next door neighbor asking Emily Elizabeth's family why they were spending so much money on dog food). Here, Clifford and his dog pals T-Bone and Cleo decide to join a traveling carnival show of "Larry's Amazing Animals". Clifford feels bad that his family does have to spend so much money on food for him, so he runs away from home.First when Clifford and pals arrive in the big city, they cause a panic as he strides down the streets. But he finds the carnival and they go across country to compete in a contest for a lifetime supply of food; as it turns out, a dogfood bigwig really wants Clifford to be a big pet for his daughter.As the film moves on, Clifford is torn between continuing with the Amazing Animals or returning to Emily Elizabeth. Other than a jealous ferret named Shackleford, the animals take a liking to the huge pooch. He has to decide whether to seek fame and food, or return to the family that loves him. But Larry's Amazing Animals are a bit of a family, too.The characters here seem more rounded and real than their flat TV counterparts. Bright colors, good use of light and shadow, and fun characters. Even an adult like me (admittedly a fan of cartoons and "giant and tiny" animals) appreciated this film. Young kids should enjoy it mostly, and it has some good positive messages.

Clifford (voiced by John Ritter), the big red dog of children's books and the TV series, hits the big screen for his great adventure. Clifford lives on Birdwell Island with Emily Elizabeth. Clifford hears the next-door neighbor talking to Emily's father about how much it cost to feed Clifford. Clifford is worried that the family might lose their house just feeding him. Clifford sees a poster announcing a contest for the best animal act with the winner getting a lifetime supply of dog food. Clifford, and his two dog friends, Cleo, and T-Bone, leave the island and join a traveling carnival show. They become friends with other animals in one of the sideshows, and soon, they become stars. This is a good movie to take your young children to see. (Warner Brothers, Rated G, Run time 1:13) (8/10)

I took my two boys 4 and 7 to see it and I thought it was so sweet. The same kindness that is protrayed in the television show was just as loving and thoughtful. It was a nice reminder of John Ritter and that his voice lives on.....The characters were the same as the tv show and it is very believable for the kids to see the movie and relate it to the show. The Man that took care of the animals was equally fair and kind to the animals which made the kids believe the animals matter. In all from beginning to end the movie was entertaining and creative story line and held my two small boys attention.

I liked the movie, and so did my 2.5 year old son. It was his first movie and managed to hold his attention for the entire time. He's been talking about it ever since. A caveat though, we're both Clifford fans to begin with.The movie is near perfect for its target audience of preschoolers. There are no scary parts, the story is linear and clear, there's no violence, and it has a happy ending. The plot lacks the complexity of many other of the animated movies marketed toward older children. It is straightforward story with little development of the character's motivation except for a few key things important to the story. The main characters are consistent and entertaining, and the Big Red Dog is well presented in proportion to the rest of the normal sized world. Some of the most comical sequences are when those unfamiliar with Clifford see him for the first time. Kids seem to love the idea of a HUGE friendly dog, and it's played up to good effect in the film.The basic story is classic Clifford. He means well and is trying to do the right thing, but his efforts don't always work out as planned. Except for Clifford's family and friends, not everybody understands that Clifford's heart is as big as the rest of him. Clifford's size is as much a hinderance as an asset, but in the end people love him because he's a great dog, and not just big.For those that that have seen the TV show and/or videos, the movie plays like an extended episode of the show. Same characters (Many of the minor ones don't get a part in the movie), mostly the same voices, and the same look and feel, though the animation is of a higher quality than on the show. There's even some attempt at 3-D animation going on, although the backgrounds are for the most part flat. The soundtrack is better than the show too :). Characters are consistent from the movie to the show, and a several of the running gags from the show are incorporated into the movie. Whoever made this movie took the best of the show and successfully turned it into a feature length film.The movie is dedicated to John Ritter, and I believe it is the last film he did.