Beethoven's 2nd [G]

Love is all around and the Newton household is no exception. Ryce is now a teenager and as such is very interested in boys, George and Alice has papered over the cracks in their relationship and have found the spark again, and even Ted is starting to see girls in a different way. With all this love around, Beethoven begins to feel that it’s time he found himself a mate and, as fate would have it, that’s the day he lays eyes on Missy, a beautiful Saint Bernard belonging to a very nice divorcee. But disaster strikes when Missy’s owner’s ex-wife, the greedy Regina, takes Missy hostage in an attempt to get her alimony money. Another spanner is thrown into the works when Missy has Beethoven’s puppies and Ted and Emily steal them before Regina can drown them. Now the Newton family are the owners of not one but five Saint Bernards and life has never been so hectic. 

Just as fun and beautiful as the first, if not more so, Beethoven’s 2^nd is another favourite from my childhood and it still stands up! Taking romance and ‘puppy love’ to a whole new level, I think I like this movie better than the first because the characters are more developed and there’s a lot more going on in terms of plot complexity. 

Whilst there really still isn’t a lot going on with the central plot: Saint Bernard lovers torn apart by evil, money-grubbing woman, it’s the little side stories and conflicts that bring a depth to this movie that the first one didn’t have. 

Ryce is right on the cusp of sexual awakening, receiving her first kiss in this movie (because that’s really all you can do in a G-rated family flick) and she’s to learn the difference between love, lust, and infatuation. Ted sort of goes through a similar thing, but his story is more about proving himself despite his lack of height, it’s kind of nice because he overcomes the adversity of his own physical body. And then we have the tear-jerking story of our two central lovers who are separated and want nothing more than to be reunited. It’s really lovely. 

The other thing that I really love about this movie too is the performances from our central ‘kids’ again. Whilst Emily is more or less the same as she was in the first, Christopher Castile and Nicholle Tom have really developed and their performances as emotionally conflicted and developing teenagers (Ryce in the middle and Ted on the cusp) are just great to watch. 

Starring Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Sarah Rose Karr, Debi Mazar, Ashley Hamilton, Danny Masterson, Catherine Reitman, Jeff Corey, Virginia Capers, and Chris Penn, Beethoven’s 2^nd is a great family movie that surpasses its predecessor (well, at least I think it does). Filled with romance, adventure, drama, and comedy, it’s just beautiful and I am so glad that I was able to find a copy and have it in my collection. It’s another childhood classic that still remains a classic!