Netflix Self-Torture Experiment Trilogy #65: Bingo

I don’t know why I keep choosing to watch animal movies this year, but at least this one doesn’t involve the animal playing sports. (At least I don’t think so.)

Synopsis from Netflix: Bingo is a smart pooch who performs with a circus. But when his angry master tries to shoot him, the canine departs and soon meets young Chuckie. Bingo and the boy quickly form a bond, and the dog becomes the family’s pet. When the family moves, however, Chuckie’s parents refuse to allow Bingo to come with them. Bingo then begins a cross-country odyssey to find Chuckie, encountering numerous dangers along the way.

My thoughts (spoilers included): After watching this movie, I had to double-check its age recommendation listing on Netflix because it was the most foul-mouthed kids’ film I’ve ever seen. Sure enough, it’s intended for ages 5-7 despite two “shit”s, a “goddamn,” a regular “damn,” and several other questionable language choices.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not citing the bad language as a negative aspect of the movie. Personally, I thought it was unexpectedly hilarious. Other parts of this movie that were hilarious:

  • Bingo dials 911 on a pay phone and then uses Morse code to summon the police to capture a couple of crooks.
  • Bingo is served with a subpoena to testify in court and his subsequent testimony somehow results in him going to prison. People prison. Seriously.
  • Bingo breaks out of prison and takes a bus to Green Bay.
  • Bingo gets a job at a restaurant working as an assistant dishwasher.
  • Bingo looks up an address in the phone book to find out where Chuckie lives. (Normally I would question how Chuckie’s family got listed in the phone book so quickly since they literally just moved in to town, but that’s at least more plausible than a dog who can read that phone book and then find an address in a town he’s never been to before.)
  • Bingo disposes of a bomb, which leaves him injured in the hospital. The people hospital. Seriously.

I have to say, this was the most idiotic and absurd movie that I didn’t hate so far this year. It had no likable human characters and yet it still made me laugh multiple times through foul language and the fact that nobody in the film seemed to notice that Bingo was a dog instead of a person. [Two out of five stars.]