Movie Review: Benji (1974)

Benji is an excellent film. It is very corny, but it has a genuine heart to it, and I think the best word to describe it might be “charming.” The love that these characters have for Benji definitely comes through, and every emotion Benji feels is conveyed beautifully. It’s really a combination of a remarkable animal performance and some clever filmmaking by Joe Camp.

I really admire what Joe Camp did on this movie. He was fully committed to making a unique children’s film, and he absolutely succeeded, with the help of a wonderfully talented dog and trainer.

Higgins is so great as Benji that there were people back in 1974 saying the dog should have been nominated for an Academy Award. Sure, it sounds ridiculous, and it’s not like I can confirm how many these voices were, but when you watch the movie, it sort of makes sense. The emotions of the dog come through in a way I’ve never seen in any other film.

Benji is a heartwarming film that’s old fashioned in the best possible way.

This definitely departs from my blog’s typical focus on sci-fi and horror, but I don’t think enough people know about this movie. It’s a classic family film, and was a major hit in 1974, but I don’t think a lot of people who didn’t see it way back then are too aware of it. And Benji is back! There was a Benji movie produced for Netflix this year, and it was directed by Brandon Camp, the son of the director of this movie. And with it, most of the Benji movies got put on Netflix, though this is the only one I’ve seen so far. I hope to be watching all of them soon.

Rating: 9/10