There’s something naturally wholesome about the shows that are on PBS. From Arthur to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, PBS has been a net positive for society in generating quality content for young children, free of charge. Even if you’ve never watched a single PBS show in your life, the characters have become fixtures of pop culture and have served as positive and enriching forms of entertainment. I’m not surprised we’re getting a movie about one of those shows, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and man oh man I cannot wait for it given this brief teaser trailer.
Let me make this clear that I have nothing but fondness and admiration for the series, as it was one of the shows I watched growing up as a young kid. You may also be aware that I love dogs so I have no problem with a movie starring a dog. But I’m left with a mixture of… complicated feelings let’s say about this trailer.
Yes, Clifford is getting a movie. Why does he look like just a normal dog with a photoshop filter overlaying him? It’s not even the right shade of red! This just reeks of a quick cash grab and the special effects of Clifford just look awful. Like all you need to do is look at it and you can just feel it in your bones that something is off about it. Something… guttural. I’m getting very OG Sonic the Hedgehog vibes from the teaser and that alone is enough to scare the daylights out of me. The film is probably going to be some milquetoast family fare but as of right now, all I can say is I needed this bizarre trailer. Something strange and unnerving to give me a little pep in my step and laugh me off to sleep.
Clifford the Big Red Dog will release on November 5, 2021.
