campo_smokie-citrus We enjoyed this sweet little movie very much. We had not seen the first film so this was our introduction to the Benji saga. It's a typical plot, however unlikely, about spies using Benji to smuggle secrets and the efforts of all concerned to capture him, all taking place in the streets and hillsides of Athens, Greece. Benji is utterly charming. It is a joy to watch him as he makes his rounds and does what needs to be done. Yes, he runs a lot, and very fast for a small dog. What heart Benji has! A true family movie. Benji is adorable in this film. If you like dogs or animal movies and are still a bit young at heart you will enjoy this. As a result of watching "For The Love Of Benji" we will definitely check out the original "Benji" movie, which was a sensation back in the 1970s.

filmflakfluke Gore Vidal's "For The Love Of Benji" takes us on what should have been an energetic romp through the eyes of a lovable cocker spaniel with the heart of a freeze-dried artichoke. Instead, what we get is a thinly-disguised rant on the oppression visited upon our four-legged friends by corrupt politicians, corporate CEOs, and alien sex predators. PETA take note! Not since "Myra Breckenridge" has Raquel Welch been so radiant and yet so absent from the screen. Interestingly enough, Tom Cruise does NOT appear in this film either. The film score, however, is reminiscent of "Ears Wide Shut", the film Kubrick would have made if cameras had been unavailable.

laciefrazee This movie is amazing, I really love it. But I have to admit the first Benji is the best because it was so original and sad and has such a great story line to it, but the second one is not far behind it's first. This is the kind of movie, just like the first Benji, that makes you think of things, it makes you stop and forget about all your worries and cares, it lets you just watch the dog and live his life in the movie. I had a tear run down my face when the part came on, when Benji saves Cindy, and those flashbacks he's had. This dog had a real talent in the movies, the way he showed his emotions and just the way he is. This movie leaves a big impacted on you once you see it, it's called the spirit on Benji.

megawhoosits This movie uses the same plot devices and cinematography as the first one, but it has a lot of long, pointless sequences that make it drag on. The first one had a lot of action/reaction on the part of the dog, in part because the dog was more aware of what was going on. In this one, Benji is part of an intricate plot that not even the audience understands until the end. Obviously Benji acts in ways natural to a dog in a strange place, but he doesn't get much chance for heroics until the very end. All in all, I still like this film, but I just don't like it as much as the original.