Pudsey the Dog: the Movie

Yes, it's the dancing dog from Britain's Got Talent, starring in his wholesome and family-friendly first live-action movie. David Walliams voices Pudsey in a story about a London stray who befriends three city kids, and tags along when their widowed mum relocates the family to a country farm. There, Pudsey helps them thwart boo-hiss baddie John Sessions, a cash-strapped squire with dastardly designs on their land, and learns about being part of a family. Pudsey himself is appealing enough but, truth be told, something of a one-trick puppy. He dances. He runs about a bit. And that's about it. But the film, while not the greatest piece of cinema they'll ever see, is a cute enough confection for younger kids, who'll be drawn to such rural oddities as a pig who thinks he's a chicken. Adults may wonder, though, at the weirdness of a world where not only does a dancing dog win a top TV talent show, but also winds up starring in a film on the strength of it.