[.ca] Oh! Heavenly Dog

From Amazon.com:
Chevy Chase plays a private eye who is murdered and returns to life as a dog (Benji). The film--a plot reversal of a 1951 Dick Powell comedy called You Never Can Tell--has a dash of Chase- style comedy and a big serving of Benji-flavored cuteness, making for a perfectly fine family movie with a little something for everyone. Jane Seymour is an attractive love interest, Omar Sharif (amazingly) is on board, and former Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In star Alan Sues has a small part. --Tom Keogh

Åh, Himmelska Hund... that's the title on Swedish:
Chevy Chase... My favourite actor. Jane Seymour... Dr. Quinn. - Oh no!!! not in this movie. In this movie they are cat and dog. And frankly, it's not very funny. Check out Fletch, Family Lampoon's, Funny Farm or Three Amigos instead. Viktor

Charming mystery with British flair - and a dog!:
For starters, let's say that this film is really....different. It is a great combination between suspense, comedy, and an oddly, romance. As a private detective, American, residing in London, Chevy Chase is hired to do a job that goes south and results in his own murder. Because his final destination is indeterminable, the powers that be send him back as a "returnable" to solve his own murder. The catch is, the only body available is a scruffy dog about to be hit by a garbage truck - enter Benji. By far, this is Benji's most adult film. This is not just a cutesy dog movie that you are used to seeing Benji in - there is definitely adult humor. Jane Seymour is beautiful and makes conversation with a dog seem totally natural (pretty remarkable if you ask me). For you Pride and Prejudice fans, look for a younger version of a famous occupant of Rosings Park. Chevy Chase does a remarkable job conveying his character when you consider the fact that most of the time, we only hear his voice and see Benji, whose actions were, I'm sure, not entirely predictable. As little as we see him, you still know Chevy Chase is there - because his undeniable wit never lets you forget his presence. The mystery is intriguing, even though we know from the start who the murderer is. The pleasure is watching our villain become aware that he is being outwitted by a dog. Another thing to look for - when Chevy Chase is in Heaven, watch for the special effects and sounds that are humorously borrowed from popular sci fi of the day (star trek, etc.), including a direct reference to Star Wars. On top of that, the film has a marvelous soundtrack, including songs by Paul McCartney and Elton John. Watch Jane Seymour driving her convertible along a country road to Elton John's, "Return to Paradise", and tell me it doesn't get stuck in your head. If you appreciate Brittish humor, great actors, and some "cute, fluffy types" thrown in for good measure, then settle down on a rainy afternoon and enjoy O Heavenly Dog.

Bort Med Tassarna... that's the title on swedish:
This is not Chevy Chase funniest film, far from. I would recomend Cops and Robberson, or National Lampoons Vacation. But this movie has its moments, and it also has Jane Seymour! (bond girl in Live and Let die) I recomend this movie, Its good. But not Chevys best.

A pretty good detective story.:
From the back cover: Plans to shoot part of the film in London had to be canceled when the producers learned that all animals brought into England must be quarantined for six months. Instead, the company moved to the streets of downtown Montreal, which were made over to resemble London. My favorite quote was: Browning: Why can't I go back into my own body? Higgins: Because it has a hole in it. This is very similar to what happened in the movie Heaven Can Wait (1978) ASIN: 6300213676, in which he has to return to a temporary body. Jane Semore (Jackie) is surprised to see Benji show up everywhere she goes but later nothing surprises her. Omar Sharif (Bart) is also surprised to see Benji show up everywhere, but later you would suspect that nothing would surprise him. Surprise!!!

A comedic showcase for America's most huggable hero:
1980's Oh! Heavenly Dog, Benji's third movie, is quite a contrast from Benji's first two films. Benji and For the Love of Benji were quintessential family films that told touching stories of canine cunning and heroics entirely from the perspective of the furry little hero; there, Benji's acting prowess could move you to tears in moments of crisis and lift you sky-high when Benji finally managed to safely rescue the humans he loved. Those films had funny moments, but they were basically built upon drama and conveyed serious messages. Oh! Heavenly Dog is a straight-up comedy. Chevy Chase plays a private investigator named Browning, whom we meet during the last hour of his life. Hired to protect a certain young lady, he soon finds her - and then himself - murdered. He then finds himself in an afterlife processing center, where he learns he is considered no better than a marginal applicant for heaven; fortunately for him, he gets one last chance to prove himself worthy. All he has to do is go back to earth and solve the case of his own murder - and he has to go back in the form of a little dog because no human bodies are available at the moment. Thus we finally meet Benji (some twenty-two minutes into the film). We do see the rest of the film from Benji's perspective, but this time around, we can actually hear his thoughts - because they are Browning's thoughts. Cracking a murder case is hard enough when you have hands and a human voice; trying to accomplish it when you are a stray dog is even tougher. Fortune smiles upon the canine Browning when he meets up with the attractive young lady he bumped into mere moments before his earthly demise, for she is actually researching a book on the murders. For her part, Jackie (Jane Seymour) is increasingly astounded to find the little dog she calls B.J. everywhere she goes while researching the crime. Seymour has a great rapport with Benji, and that is crucial to making this film work as well as it does. Benji himself is marvelous and really gets to show off his amazing skills before the camera. Among other things, you'll see him finding ways into and out of different locations, using the telephone, writing (sort of) with a pencil, performing a few stunts that look to me like they must have hurt just a little bit, and weaving his way through traffic in a number of chase scenes. This film doesn't allow for the type of emotional moments that are there to be experienced in his earlier films, but Benji's acting skills help make the ending of this one rather touching, actually. Great credit is due to Benji's trainer, owner, and best friend Frank Inn for the amazing skills Benji showcases throughout the film. You'll notice this is a PG movie, which is quite unusual for a Joe Camp production. So, while this is still a great family film that I certainly loved as a kid, parents should be aware of the presence of adult language and a few sexual innuendoes spread over the course of the film. Being murdered and having to come back and investigate the crime in the form of a dog is bound to make a fellow curse a little bit. As for the innuendoes, today's generation of kids will probably understand most of them; back in the 70s, kids like me didn't have a clue as to the adult humor inserted into this fun film about an amazing little dog. Benji fans will eat this movie up, but it is hard to say how Chevy Chase fans will respond to it (I'm not much of a Chevy Chase fan) - still, it's impossible not to love Benji so I can't see how anyone can fail to enjoy Oh! Heavenly Dog. Look for Joe Camp, the man behind the whole Benji phenomenon, in a cameo appearance as one half of a pair of movers. It's also interesting to note that, while the story is set in London, most of the filming took place in Quebec because England required all incoming animals to be quarantined for six months upon their arrival. Finally, one should note that the original Benji retired after his first feature film, but this second Benji is just as huggable (not to mention cute and fluffy) as the first one.