Beethoven IV

To anybody who hasn't seen any Beethoven Movies, I would strongly recommend watching the first two great movies, and then stopping! Beethoven and Beethoven's 2nd were excellent movies, with the great actors Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, and Nichole Tom! The third and fourth didn't have any of these actors, had dumb plots, different characters which were acted poorly, and were very dull! Hasn't anybody ever heard of quitting while you're ahead!

"Beethoven's 4th" is the kind of movie that makes one wonder what the point was of the film, other than cashing in one something that once was.

Judge Reinhold returns to the role of Richard Newton, seen in the 2000 straight-to-video (and rightly so!) "Beethoven's 3rd" flop. Julia Sweeney, once famous for her place on "Saturday Night Live," reprises the Beth Newton Persona, and there are two very bad-acting children in the film, also.

This awful sequel deals with Richard Newton watching Beethoven for his brother (once played by the much-better Charles Grodin) while they go on a family vacation. Unfortunately for both Richard and the audience, the millionth time Beethoven drinks out of the toilet bowl it makes everyone a bit mad, so they take him to training class, where he accidentally switches places with a rich man's (Matt McCoy) Saint Bernard without anyone noticing. When Rich Man's dog comes back to the Newton's, they are astonished at the fact that he is finally obeying his masters...the only problem is that now Beethoven is over at the Rich Man's House, caught with The Rich Man's Snooty Daughter and the Quiet Elderly Butler. How will Beethoven ever get back?

Quite honestly, I couldn't care less whether Beethoven makes it home or gets run over by a steam-roller. Let's put it this way: I really enjoyed the original "Beethoven" film written by the King of the Eighties, John Hughes. The second was a bit contrived, and was cashing in on the original a bit, but it still had its moments. This mind-numbingly bad sequel, however, is a follow-up to an already mind-numbingly bad third installment. By this time, I've seen so much Beethoven I don't really care what happens.

Perhaps if Charles Grodin was in it I'd still enjoy the series.

Perhaps if the script was intelligent and witty, and not the equivalent of EVERY family film that comes out nowadays, I'd like it.

Just perhaps.

But somewhere along the line in this world of cashing-in on superior originals, "Beethoven" lost the charm, wit and talent it once had and is now a snore-fest. Really, it went from a pleasant and enjoyable family comedy to a kids' movie with dumb dialogue, dumb situations, dumb characters, etc...the whole dumb works. It's almost like it's a whole other film series.

Or is it?

"Beethoven's 4th" gets 1/5 from me--it's weak, pathetic, has lost its charm (two sequels ago), and is filled with kiddie-film material and ultimately no intelligence whatsoever. The film execs who gave the go-ahead on this one were looking for one thing: Money.

Avoid this flop and see an intelligent family film, like 2001's "Monsters, Inc." That movie was good.

This one isn't.

1/5 stars -

John Ulmer

All I can say is Beethoven must be spinning in his grave that his name is even used for this piece of crap. I know if it was my name I'd haunt the damn person whom created this turkey. How many more are they going to make before it dawns on them that too much is not always a good thing. Hello McFly! This film isn't even amusing to the little kiddies. My niece fell a sleep during it in the first half hour at that. The young young toddler kiddies might like it but anyone over the age of 4 watch out. Borefest! Lets put it this way Judge Reinhold couldn't suck more in a flick although give the D list actor some credit it was better than the 3rd which really doesn't say much since both are equally stupid. The acting by everyone was horrible except Mark Chapman...I have a small crush on him. I have to pity him though for appearing in this. God,what some people will do for money. Next it will be Beethoven the pimp! I better shut up knowing Hollywood and it's obsession with killing a franchise to death with crap infested sequels they just might. I haven't seen the 5th one yet but I can honestly tell you this. If they so much make one more I think I'm gonna puke.

Beethoven's 4th is basically a sad attempt continuing a series that needs neither another movie, nor another direct to video spin-off.

The movie seems more of a wishbone type wannabe, with its simplistic plot that doesn't even completely make sense and silly sight gags. While some of the movie is a bit funny, like Judge Reinhold trying to get Michalangelo (Beethoven's look-a-like) to behave like Beethoven, the movie is one to be skipped.

I'm not sure if 3 and 4 were filmed back to back, since this movie does carry a copyright date of 2000 on it. However, Beethoven's 3rd wasn't even theatre releasable, so the decision had to have been to make 2 direct to videos.

Anyway, Judge Reinhold should try better choices, at least ones that don't have him drinking out of a toilet.

Rating: 2

Although rather less elevated than some of the previous Beethoven movies, I did appreciate the rather transparent themes of the film. It was impeccable that no part of the plot was left to imagination or surprise. After all, the fourth title of the series has quite a lot to live up to. I must however, be quite honest and admit that when Mrs. Newton stood in front of a mirror in one of the opening scenes in an outfit of mustard yellow, and said to Mr. Newton, "It makes me look fat! doesn't it?" I sided with her rather than her husband. She did look a bit like an overstuffed Twinkie. Imagine my sheer joy when Beethoven slobbered all over it, proving once again, that he is an irascible central character to the plot, with obviously, finer taste than many viewers would give him credit for.

I rather appreciated that every nuance of the film was explained very plainly, or over-explained, as it gave the viewer time to possibly catch a brief nap and still be fully informed upon awakening. As I said, it was very possible, without being clairvoyant, to guess that when Beethoven, the rather "ill-mannered," or "working class," dog, was shown juxtaposed against Michelangelo, the "well-groomed," and "civilized," dog (who, by the way, lived in a mansion and wiped his paws on doormats), somehow, the two would end up switching places, with amusing mayhem as the consequence!

I was especially intrigued when Mrs. Newton, in a subtle bit of foreshadowing, exclaimed, believably, as I saw it, "There's no house in the world big enough for that dog!(in reference to Beethoven)" I also appreciated the fact, that the next shot portrayed Michelangelo sitting in his king-size bed in that giant mansion of his. It didn't keep me guessing, but yet, assured me that said mayhem would ensue. The only thing I truly pondered was the method of the switch. Unbelievably, it was during a scene where Beethoven chased a cart of hot dogs down a sidewalk in a park, while simultaneously, an attempt was made to kidnap Michelangelo in the same park that the two were mixed up.

The said plot gave the Newtons time to finally relax a little, with a well-behaved dog around. Unfortunately, the other family, The Sedgwicks (and in this case, "Sedgwick" is not the name of a wealthy household's butler, but the name of the couple themselves)find that Beethoven's antics, in fact, rid the household of it's overly-stuffy atmosphere, and bring the family closer together. Unfortunately, Michelangelo's good behavior is almost too unnerving for Beethoven's real owners, though the children think this is because of the fact that they've secretly enrolled Beethoven in obedience training classes. Luckily the two dogs are switched back during Beethoven's graduation ceremony, which must have been quite a task to film.

The whole class of dogs have red graduation caps on, and it's quite an affair. "Everlasting," is the word Mrs. Newton herself would use, I'm sure, if she were to describe it. However, Beethoven foils Michelangelo's would-be kidnappers in the end, recovering $250,000 for the grateful Sedgwicks, though wreaking havoc on the carefully contrived dog graduation. The two are switched back without the knowledge of the owners, who in the end, pull their cars up to the same stop sign at the same time, in one final shot.

Though the movie seems fairly cut and dry, I wanted, for a moment to review the themes. If you happen to be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, remember that money cannot buy you the closeness of family. Alternatively remember that sometimes a neat and tidy house is less important than the love and nurturing of pets, however large and cumbersome they might be. I happily give this film two stars out of ten, although I am uncertain whether I will watch, "Beethoven's 5th" anytime soon. I'd say that that particular film is probably on the same priority list as, "Home Alone 3," or as a friend of mine would call it, "Some Kid Somewhere Snowy Does The Same Thing All Over Again." Thank you so much for reading.