Directed by: Kieth Merrill
Actors: Danielle Chuchran, D.B. Sweeney, Sean Patrick Flanery
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: October 9, 2012
Run Time: 102 minutes
Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
I saw the first “12 Dogs of Christmas” on TV a few years ago. I wouldn’t really call it a holiday classic but it was cute. I was assuming the same would happen with this sequel. This really has that ABC Family/Lifetime TV movie quality. It is cute but really doesn’t feel like much of a Christmas film until the end, which is a little too late for me. I wish they would have focused more time around the musical event and less on basketball games etc. This is also said to be “song-filled”, that isn’t really the case. To be honest this is best served a rental or just watch on cable TV.
Synopsis: The dogs of Doverville are in trouble again…but Emma O’Connor (Danielle Churchran) is back to save them in a song-filled, seasonal extravaganza. Mean-spirited mogul Finneas James (Sean Patrick Flaner) plots to shut down the local puppy orphanage, unless Emma can come up with the money to save it. With the help of some friends, she races against time to put together a musical holiday event that might just save the day.
The special features are not bad for a glorified TV movie. They include five featurettes which go behind-the-scenes and up close with the puppies. The first is “Whats Your Favorite Dog?” with the cast and crew discuss their personal favorite. “Behind 12 Dogs of Christmas” looks into the production. “Working With Writer//Director Kieth Merrill” features the cast chatting about their experience on the film. “The Basketball Game Sequence” and “The Christmas Finale” go in-depth into how those scenes were done.
