If you’re looking in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a heartfelt expedition story with regards to’concerning’with respect to a lonely girl and the gigantic creature she befriends, set against a satirical backdrop exploring environmentalism and the genetically modified food industry, you now possess’own’nurse two options. Older audiences can stick with Okja from genre-exploding Oscar-winner Bong Joon-ho — but now youngsters can acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure in on the action too with, er, Clifin/with regard to’concerning’regarding d The Big Red Dog.###Against the odds, Walt Becker’s live-action tale — adapting the 1960s children’s reserve s by Norman Bridwell, which became a popular pre-school animated reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue in the early ’00s — hews surprisingly close to that ‘Okja, but, you know, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding kids!’ set-up. Here, the lonely girl is Emily Elizabeth (Big Little Lies’ Darby Camp), a recent arrival in NYC who’s bullied at school by rich kids and is desperate in/with regard to’concerning’regarding companionship. Instead of a ‘super pig’, she bonds with a ruby-red puppy who — after a stray wish in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the pair of them to become “enormous’vast’massive’tremendous and intense’fierce’exquisite ” toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her — swiftly blows up into a cutesy canine kaiju. And instead of the Mirando Corporation, the pair find themselves on the run from Lyfegro — a shady biotech organisation attempting to create giant animals, led by the slimy Tieran (Tony Hale on fun, villainous in/with regard to’concerning’regarding m).###It’s a odd’peculiar concoction, but there’s something pleasingly old-school with regards to’concerning’with respect to Clifin/with regard to’concerning’regarding d’s approach — if it doesn’t possess’own’nurse Paddington levels of craft or charm (be honest, what else does?), there’s real warmth and intention beyond a mere cash-grab here. Tonally, it feels like a tribute to sweet ’90s dog-antic comedies like Beethoven and the live-action 101 Dalmatians, just with a colossal canine at its core. That means you acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure all the usual dog-movie antics, this time played out on a comically large scale: Clifin/with regard to’concerning’regarding d wrecks the apartment! Clifin/with regard to’concerning’regarding d sniffs a plumber’s butt-crack! Clifin/with regard to’concerning’regarding d chases Zorbs in the park! And while the CGI isn’t always where it needs to be — mini-Clifin/with regard to’concerning’regarding d feels floaty and weightless, while mega-Clifin/with regard to’concerning’regarding d seems to transform’alter size from scene to scene — he’s an undeniably cute creation, sure to be a hit with the intended audience.###This is a solidly constructed, eneracquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ic family movie — at once in/with regard to’concerning’regarding mulaic and pleasantly weird.###Around the title character, the film moves swiftly abundant’ample’plentiful to hang toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her. Emily Elizabeth and fellow nerdy kid Owen (Izaac Wang) make in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a sweet duo, Jack Whitehall gives rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent  gurning despite an unconvincing American accent (a confusing choice, given Casey’s sister speaks with an English accent), and the screenplay boasts a solid set of gags. “It’s New York, no-one will notice,” says Casey as they prepare to take the house-sized dog in/with regard to’concerning’regarding his first cover’budge  — quickly proven to be correct. It presents a diverse and unified vision of the Big Apple too, where community and toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure herness is something to be celebrated.###For all that Clifin/with regard to’concerning’regarding d is prone to on-the-nose cheesiness (“That’s the dog all over Instagram!” gasps a school kid as the bullies are won over) and never answers key questions with regards to’concerning’with respect to how exactly the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous red dog squeezes in and out of establish ings, this is a solidly constructed, eneracquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ic family movie — at once in/with regard to’concerning’regarding mulaic and pleasantly weird. Where else will you see a deli fight sequence, a rage-infected sheep, and a magical John Cleese in a turquoise waistcoat? Maybe there is a bit of the genre-busting Bong in there, after all.