Beethoven's 4th (2001)

This has got to be the most terrible movie ever created. It's cheap, stupid, and pointless. The only reason they made it was to try and bring in as many dollars as they could with this apparently never-ending, relentless series.In this movie, Beethoven manages to get switched with the dog of a very rich family who happens to look just like him. Hilarity is supposed to ensue here, but it just doesn't. Anyway, it all spirals downward to a lame ending that tries to make up for the rest of the film, but again, it fails. Big dumb dog, big dumb plot, big dumb movie.Any attempt at what was supposed to be humor (and wouldn't really have been funny anyway) is ruined by the unspeakably horrible acting and lame dialogue. It was thoroughly un-enjoyable, from start to finish.When will these people get it into their heads that this series is OVER? It was over from the very beginning. They're just wasting their money. Well come to think of it, they didn't spend any anyway...Terrible. Just terrible.

All I can say is Beethoven must be spinning in his grave that his name is even used for this piece of crap. I know if it was my name I'd haunt the damn person whom created this turkey. How many more are they going to make before it dawns on them that too much is not always a good thing. Hello McFly! This film isn't even amusing to the little kiddies. My niece fell a sleep during it in the first half hour at that. The young young toddler kiddies might like it but anyone over the age of 4 watch out. Borefest! Lets put it this way Judge Reinhold couldn't suck more in a flick although give the D list actor some credit it was better than the 3rd which really doesn't say much since both are equally stupid. The acting by everyone was horrible except Mark Chapman...I have a small crush on him. I have to pity him though for appearing in this. God,what some people will do for money. Next it will be Beethoven the pimp! I better shut up knowing Hollywood and it's obsession with killing a franchise to death with crap infested sequels they just might. I haven't seen the 5th one yet but I can honestly tell you this. If they so much make one more I think I'm gonna puke.

In this installment of the apparently endless "Beethoven"-series, Beethoven, the bad-behaving dog gets switched with another, well-behaving dog owned by some rich folks. Laughing already, kids? Now think, what hilarious consequences can this have?What's the first thing you thought about? Yep, it's in this movie. Now think of a second thing. Yep, totally in it. If you can think of a third thing, you're able to write a better screenplay, which means nothing. In the meantime, some bad guys try to do some thing of some sorts, probably get a job in a better movie, like "Home Alone 7" or "Kazaam", but the dog saves the day or whatever. Look at what Judge Reinhold is willing to do to pay his bills these days. Or better yet, don't. Lassie would turn around in his garden.

"Beethoven's 4th" is the kind of movie that makes one wonder what the point was of the film, other than cashing in one something that once was.Judge Reinhold returns to the role of Richard Newton, seen in the 2000 straight-to-video (and rightly so!) "Beethoven's 3rd" flop. Julia Sweeney, once famous for her place on "Saturday Night Live," reprises the Beth Newton Persona, and there are two very bad-acting children in the film, also.This awful sequel deals with Richard Newton watching Beethoven for his brother (once played by the much-better Charles Grodin) while they go on a family vacation. Unfortunately for both Richard and the audience, the millionth time Beethoven drinks out of the toilet bowl it makes everyone a bit mad, so they take him to training class, where he accidentally switches places with a rich man's (Matt McCoy) Saint Bernard without anyone noticing. When Rich Man's dog comes back to the Newton's, they are astonished at the fact that he is finally obeying his masters...the only problem is that now Beethoven is over at the Rich Man's House, caught with The Rich Man's Snooty Daughter and the Quiet Elderly Butler. How will Beethoven ever get back?Quite honestly, I couldn't care less whether Beethoven makes it home or gets run over by a steam-roller. Let's put it this way: I really enjoyed the original "Beethoven" film written by the King of the Eighties, John Hughes. The second was a bit contrived, and was cashing in on the original a bit, but it still had its moments. This mind-numbingly bad sequel, however, is a follow-up to an already mind-numbingly bad third installment. By this time, I've seen so much Beethoven I don't really care what happens.Perhaps if Charles Grodin was in it I'd still enjoy the series.Perhaps if the script was intelligent and witty, and not the equivalent of EVERY family film that comes out nowadays, I'd like it. Just perhaps.But somewhere along the line in this world of cashing-in on superior originals, "Beethoven" lost the charm, wit and talent it once had and is now a snore-fest. Really, it went from a pleasant and enjoyable family comedy to a kids' movie with dumb dialogue, dumb situations, dumb characters, etc...the whole dumb works. It's almost like it's a whole other film series.Or is it?"Beethoven's 4th" gets 1/5 from me--it's weak, pathetic, has lost its charm (two sequels ago), and is filled with kiddie-film material and ultimately no intelligence whatsoever. The film execs who gave the go-ahead on this one were looking for one thing: Money.Avoid this flop and see an intelligent family film, like 2001's "Monsters, Inc." That movie was good.This one isn't.1/5 stars -John Ulmer