Tady hlídám já

It's not a bad film. Of recent attempts at family comedy, for example, it’s better than Taming Crocodiles. The problem with Watchdog is also the debuting director and the unimaginative promo, strangely edited trailers, and weak posters. Yet the film has a lot to offer in terms of acting. Javorský, Stašová, and Nový act well even without any significant guidance, and Pazderková and Kočičková are among the popular faces who do their best despite what it is, and it works. So where's the problem? Perhaps a more malleable Jandová would have been better in the lead role instead of the passive Ježková, who is fine in dubbing but doesn't do much when she’s actually on screen. And, of course, the fact that the ending missed the mark. It’s too bad, but there's really no need for this particular little film to be buried in the depths of the 2012 production lists without any TV reruns. (2017.04.11)

A film that clearly doesn't know what it is. I bet that it was originally supposed to be just a children's film, a fifty-minute inoffensive piece that kids watch on Sunday morning on TV and then forget about when they go outside. But something, and let's call it money, probably wanted to turn a children's film into a family film. And so the simple storyline added a few characters who didn't need to be there at all (Klára Jandová, Iva Pazderková, Lukáš Latinák), the innocent and stupidly funny dialogues are interrupted here and there by unpleasantly double entendres. The whole thing starts trying to be big summer entertainment for the entire family, which still relies on only two characters, one of which is a (well-acted) small child and the other a (terribly badly dubbed) dog. Yes, it was watchable, but a runtime of almost two hours? That was really too much. (2012.06.11)

I haven't come across a nice Czech family film such as this in a long time. Although it deals to a considerable extent with the difficulties that children with ADHD have in integrating into everyday life, it presents everything gently and humorously. I basically have nothing to criticize about the cast, with Veronika Divišová captivated me completely with her portrayal of the hyperactive daughter. There were many times when I felt like she really had ADHD. I know a similarly impulsive little girl and she loves animals, so the idea of a talking dachshund (her best friend) that only she understands seems pretty cool to me. Only the more action-packed ending didn't quite hit the mark. (60%) (2021.03.24)