‘Clifford the Big Red Dog’ isn’t a great movie, but it’s worth a belly rub or two

Success for the new “Clifford the Big Red Dog” movie, a hybrid of live-action and animation based on the book series and PBS show, was never a high bar. Find a cute kid. Make sure the title character, a giant, red, CGI mutt, isn’t too creepy-looking. Tell a sweet story. Call it a day. The film neatly checks all those boxes – and, at times, even does a bit more.

Clifford is born a normal-sized pup, though a distinctive shade of lipstick red. After he’s accidentally separated from his normal-hued mom and siblings (in a scene that may upset younger children), he comes under the care of the mysterious Mr. Bridwell (John Cleese), who runs a vaguely magical animal rescue organization.

One day, Emily (Darby Camp) wanders into an adoption event and falls in love with the stray. Unfortunately, her roustabout uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) is babysitting while her mom is out of town and chooses this moment to act like a responsible adult: Clifford stays behind. Except, of course, he doesn’t. A quick sneak into Emily’s backpack and voilà: Emily now has a dog, in violation of her apartment’s no-pet policy.

That would be problematic enough, but when Emily wakes up the next morning, her standard-sized puppy is now as large as an elephant This means a whole new set of problems. Every owner of a real dog will wonder whether Emily has to carry a 30-gallon trash bag with her on walks. Even in New York City, a 10-foot, bright red dog captures attention.

Soon enough, he’s enjoying his 15 minutes of internet fame, eventually catching the eye of Tieran (Tony Hale), the head of a company called Lyfgro that’s dedicated to eradicating world hunger by, well, making food gigantic. Lyfgro’s efforts have been unsuccessful so far, but Tieran has the sneaking suspicion that if he can crack the secret behind Clifford’s accelerated growth, he can make his dream a reality: eggs the size of basketballs.

Of course, none of this works unless Clifford does as a character. Luckily, the computer animation behind the huge hound is relatively solid. Paradoxically, it doesn’t work so well when he’s a puppy, but once he’s fully grown, he’s believable enough. The animators amp up his expressions, so it’s easy to read his face, and he looks as though he’s a part of Emily’s world, which is populated with a tastefully diverse cast of neighbors who are zany in various ways.

Camp is excellent as Emily; she’s a serious actor with a warm and winning presence, and she easily holds the heart of the film.

As Uncle Casey, Whitehall is likable, and Hale is a perfectly acceptable villain, even though it’s odd to think of a guy who wants to end world hunger as the bad guy. Trying to steal a little girl’s dog is pretty rotten, though.

The film jumps from subject to subject: Along with running from Tieran, Clifford helps Emily, who’s being bullied at school. He also hides from the pet-hating super (David Alan Grier) of Emily’s building; he goes to the vet; and he does various other adorable things. It’s a bit of a mishmash, but it holds together. And when it doesn’t, it’s easy enough to shrug off anything illogical. Clifford’s growth, for example, is explained as being based on how much Emily loves him. OK.

There’s a heavy dose of sometimes overly literal potty humor. The overarching message about how difference is a strength isn’t particularly original, but it’s one that should resonate with any kid who feels like the odd one out.

As vaccinations roll out for kids and moviegoing becomes safer, parents will be faced with a choice. Sure, maybe “Clifford” doesn’t take the cinematic art form to a new level. All the same, it’s funny and sweet. This old dog may not have many new tricks, but sometimes being a good boy will do.