Shelby

Shelby is a corny family film that works if you watch it with kids in the run up to Christmas although even then their mileage will run out by the end.

Shelby is an unwanted beagle always escaping the dog pound and never getting away as the dogcatcher Doug (Tom Arnold) always catches up with him.

However Shelby manages to impress a rich lady and her son who come into the pound looking for a dog and are impressed when Shelby performs some tricks but he again escapes from the pound on Christmas Eve and gets taken in by aspiring young magician Jake (John Paul Ruttan).

However Doug has been offered a substantial sum of money by the rich lady to retrieve Shelby and Jake's family are not keen on another mutt in the house. So Jake keeps Shelby's stay in the house a secret but he just causes canine chaos.

Rob Schneider is the voice of Shelby who narrates the story and Chevy Chase is Jake's grandpa.

The film starts brightly enough as Shelby tries to evade Doug after he escapes. I guess it loses a little impetus when Shelby is hiding out in the family home but then picks up as the kids get together to rescue him.

It is not too schmaltzy or preachy, it has a bit of knockabout humour and even some toilet humour. As I said it is a bit of festive fun if you want to watch it with younger kids.