Arlo: The Burping Pig (2016) Directed by Tom DeNucci




Yes, let's please combine the two least creative and most annoying things about modern kids movies; talking animals and a bunch of fart/burp jokes!

And here I was hoping for the next "Babe". But all kidding aside, it in my book is an absolute fact that at least 90% of all talking animals movies are absolute garbage. They are cheap, predictable and about as unimaginative and uncreative as a kids movie could get, despite always obviously featuring a fantasy-like concept. Sure, there are exceptions but no, this movie isn't one of them.

As a matter of fact, I do see this movie as way worse than just the average genre attempt. It's way more lazy than most other genre movies, despite still featuring all of the same familiar ingredients, and relying on all of the same clichés and predictable story-developments. Problem with this movie is that it's handling all of these elements way worse than most other movies do.

It's not a very story driven movie. There is not much of a conflict, or any other story-line that ever develops into anything remotely engaging and original. As a matter of fact, there isn't much happening in this movie at all. Scenes drag on and the pacing in general is absolutely horrible. It's true that part of it seems to be because the movie is an very predictable one, literally from start to finish. You always know what's going to come next and the movie does absolutely nothing different or remotely original to ever surprise you with anything.

Come to think of it; there's even no point to having a talking pig in this movie. Only the audience can hear him and he does absolutely nothing in this movie, aside from burping and eating. I can't really say that the movie revolves around him and he adds very little to the story. As far as cutesy kids movies go this one just isn't ever being cute, warm, funny or entertaining enough.

The human characters aren't much better though. They are all big walking stereotypes and none of them seems capable of handling either the comedy or more dramatic and serious elements of the movie. Beside from the acting, it otherwise isn't a very well cast movie. None of the family members look anything remotely alike and it's annoying to see two of the young teenage daughters getting played by actresses who look well in their 20's. I get it that young kids are never the best actors and they can't work an awful lot of hours on a movie, so sometimes movies cast older actors to play teens but that doesn't mean that the movie should be allowed to get away with everything. Besides, the main part of the movie still gets played by a young kid who's about 7-years old apparently.

It's a movie that comes across like it got written in a day, and shot within a week. Even the most basis things seem cheap, lazy and simple. My guess is that some 4-year old's could still enjoy it but that really doesn't make this a remotely good movie.

3/10

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