Beethoven (film series)
The Beethoven film series is a series of eight American films, in which the plot revolves around a family attempting to control the antics of their pet, a Saint Bernard. The first two films were theatrical releases and all after have been direct to video. Beethoven hit theaters in April 1992. Its opening grossed $7,587,565. It was the year's 26th largest grossing film in the U.S. at $57,114,049. [1]
Films
Beethoven (1992)
In Beethoven, the Newton family finds and adopts a Saint Bernard. The family, with the exception of the father, George (Charles Grodin), becomes attached to the dog. Meanwhile, a sadistic veterinarian involved with animal experimentation is planning to kill Beethoven for his latest experiment, and George, after discovering his fondness for the dog, springs into action to rescue his pet. Beethoven was released on April 3, 1992.
Beethoven's 2nd (1993)
In Beethoven's 2nd, Beethoven sires a litter of puppies, and the Newton family tries to save them from the dame's owner, who alternatively wishes to kill or sell the puppies. Beethoven's 2nd was released on December 17, 1993.
Beethoven's 3rd (2000)
In Beethoven's 3rd, the dog is sent across the country in an RV to attend a family reunion. Beethoven's 3rd was released on October 31, 2000.
Beethoven's 4th (2001)
Beethoven accidentally switches places with Michelangelo, a well-behaved look alike. Beethoven's 4th was released on December 4, 2001.
Beethoven's 5th (2003)
Sara takes Beethoven to visit her crazy uncle. The last installment of the original storyline. Beethoven's 5th was released on December 2, 2003.
Beethoven's Big Break (2008)
The first installment of a new storyline. A stray St. Bernard becomes a movie star. Beethoven's Big Break was released on December 30, 2008.
Beethoven's Christmas Adventure (2011)
Beethoven is now a movie star and he comes to a city and meets a boy named Mason for a commercial. While Mason is taking pictures of Beethoven and complete strangers, Beethoven sees Santa's sleigh with a stable elf named Henry inside it. Henry lies to Mason and says that he is a toy making elf. Eventually, Mason finds out that Henry is a stable elf, but they are still friends. Beethoven's Christmas Adventure was released on November 8, 2011.
Beethoven's Treasure Tail (2014)
After getting fired from a movie, Beethoven begins the long journey home with his trainer, Eddie. They become stranded in a small coastal town where the beloved canine befriends a young boy who is searching for buried treasure. Beethoven's Treasure Tail was released on October 28, 2014.
Television series
Beethoven: The Animated Series
Video game
In 1994 a side-scrolling video game titled simply Beethoven, but based on Beethoven's 2nd, was developed for the Sega Genesis.[2] Though completed, it was cancelled before release.
Characters
- Beethoven – the principal character of the series is a St. Bernard dog who was adopted by the Newton family in the 1st film.
- Missy – Beethoven's love interest and Brillo's dog with his ex-wife Regina in a second film.
- George Newton – Richard's older brother. Alice's husband. Ryce, Ted, and Emily's father. He owns a business that sells air fresheners. He was not too fond of Beethoven at first, but eventually grows to love him. He appeared in the first two films in which he was the human protagonist. Mentioned in the third film.
- Alice Newton – George's wife, Ryce, Ted, and Emily's mother. She appeared in the first two films. Mentioned in the 3rd film.
- Ryce Newton – George and Alice's oldest daughter. Ted and Emily's older sister. Mentioned in the third film.
- Ted Newton – George and Alice's younger and only son. Ryce's younger brother. Emily's older brother. Mentioned in the third film.
- Emily Newton – George and Alice's youngest daughter. Ryce and Ted's younger sister. Mentioned in the third film.
- Dr. Herman Varnick – the main antagonist in the first film. He's a veterinarian who plotted to kill Beethoven to test a new weapon.
- Harvey and Vernon – dognappers who worked for Varnick. secondary villains and comic relief.
- Regina – the main antagonist in the second film. She is a brash, wealthy divorcee who takes Missy as alimony and wants to sell her puppies for profit and is Brillo's ex-wife.
- Floyd – the co-antagonist in the second film. He is Regina's temperamental, dim-witted boyfriend who spends the film with her searching for Missy and her puppies.
- Brillo – Missy's owner and Regina's ex-husband.
- Richard Newton – George's younger brother. Beth's husband. Brennan and Sara's father. he first appeared in the third film when he took his family in an RV from Colorado to a family reunion in California. He and his family eventually become Beethoven's new owners. Mentioned in the first film.
- Beth Newton – Freddie's younger sister. Richard's wife. Brennan and Sara's mother. Mentioned in the first film.
- Brennan Newton – Richard and Beth's older son. Sara's older brother. Mentioned in the first film.
- Sara Newton – Richard and Beth's younger daughter. Brennan's younger sister. Mentioned in the first film.
- Tommy and William – the main antagonists in the third film who attempt to track down a DVD that ended up in a DVD that George's younger brother Richard rented in the third film.
- Laurie Penny – Brennan has a crush on her.
- Madison Sedgewick – Reginald and Martha's daughter and Michaelangelo's owner.
- Reginald Sedgewick – Martha's husband. Madison's father. a wealthy software company owner.
- Martha Sedgewick- Reginald's wife. Madison's mother.
- Michelangelo – a well-trained St. Bernard dog that switched places with Beethoven in the fourth film.
- Juan Posadas – The Sedgewicks' UFO-watching neighbor.
- Johnathan "Johnnie" Simmons – The Sedgewicks' butler who held Michaelangelo captive in order to attain ransom money from the Sedgewicks.
- Nigel Bigalow – Johnnie's henchman.
- Sgt. Rutledge – Florence's husband, owner of a dog obedience school that Brennan and Sara took Beethoven to.
- Florence Rutledge – Sgt. Rutledge's wife.
- Freddy Kablinski – Beth's older brother and Brennan and Sara's uncle. Sara visited him during the fifth film. Freddy is a certified mechanic who lives in the small town of Quicksilver.
- Julie Dempsey – Sheriff of Quicksilver.
- Moe and Rita Selig – John's parents. bank robbers who robbed several banks across the midwest in the 1920s. Their car crashed in Quicksilver Lake and they were declared dead. However, it was revealed that they survived and moved to Canada.
- John Giles/Selig – Moe and Rita's son. he changed his name to Giles and moved to Quicksilver in an attempt to find the stolen money his parents hid somewhere in Quicksilver.
- Cora Wilkens – an elderly lady who claims she saw aliens and says that they told her that Moe and Rita escaped.
- Garrett – a 12-year-old boy who helps Freddy, Sara, and Beethoven find the treasure. He's a smart boy and has a crush on Sara because he gave her a necklace, even if he says it's just so she wouldn't chicken out of helping find the treasure.
- Harold Herman – President of the Quicksilver Chamber of Commerce.
- Eddie Thornston – an animal trainer and owner of Beethoven starting from the sixth film.
- Mason – Beethoven meets Mason for a commercial. He is a teenage boy and is portrayed by Munro Chambers.
Henry – An elf who works for Santa Clause at the north pole who has an ability to talk to animals.
- Mason's Mom –
Merchandise
A line of toys was produced in conjunction with the first two films, and some toys are available on an ongoing basis.
DVD releases
All films are available on DVD, both individually and as part of packs and collections of two or more films.
See also
References
- ↑ "1992 Yearly Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
- ↑ "ProReview: Beethoven". GamePro (64) (IDG). November 1994. p. 104.
| ||||||||||