Spike and Brandon (2019 film)

Spike and Brandon is an American comedy adventure family film directed by Jon Watts and a reboot of the 1999 film with the same name. It is produced and distributed by Universal Studios. The film stars Niko Lovett, Finn Wolfhard, Idris Elba, Darcy Combs, Dylan Bond, James Earl Jones, and Gabriel Bateman. The film follows Spike, a Lab/Greyhohnd mix who doesn’t like sharing, and he must become friends with a Golden Retriever named Brandon. The film is also the first film in the Animal Cinematic Universe (ACU).

The film was released theatrically in the United States on May 3, 2019. It was a box office success, grossing over $700 million against a $100 million budget and received critical acclaim for its plot, casting, humor, performances, and heart. A sequel was released on May 8, 2020.

Plot
In the 1980’s, a Wolf named Mighty Wolf (James Earl Jones) is chased after by an evil wolf named Evil Wolf (Chiwetel Eijofor), who prepares to kill him. Mighty Wolf defeats Evil Wolf and his colleague, Razerclaw (Idris Elba) plots his revenge to kill him and impress Evil Wolf to become his own villain.

Years Later, A Lab/Greyhound Mix named Spike (Niko Lovett) lives his life under the care of Owner (Gabriel Bateman), who treats him with respect and loyalty. Owner asks Spike if he would want a friend, but Spike denies the offer. Owner decides that he wants another dog to keep him company anyways.

The Next Day, Owner arrives home with a Golden Retriever who he named Brandon (Finn Wolfhard). Spike immediately dislikes him, but Brandon tries to be friends anyways. Spike plots to get rid of him, which Brandon overhears and the two get into a fight, ending with both of them being locked in the closet together.

Razerclaw returns to the Alley, where he meets Evil Wolf after years. Upon not recognizing him at first, Evil Wolf remembers him and blames him for his failure, leading to Razerclaw killing him in an act of revenge. Razerclaw becomes the leader of the wolves and plots to kill every animal, starting with Brandon due to a dark past with him.

Spike and Brandon are free from the closet and Spike promises that the two will remain friends under his conditions. Spike transforms Brandon into something he would like and judges him for his normal look. Brandon then gets mad for his judgementallness. The two are eventually captured by wolves, who were sent by Razerclaw.

Razerclaw prepares to kill Spike and Brandon, as Brandon‘s father accidentally killed Razerclaw’s. Brandon tries to convince him that it wasn’t his fault, but Razerclaw prepares to kill him anyway. Spike bites through the ropes and the two narrowly escape as they believe that they lost him forever this time.

On TV, Razerclaw kills Mighty Wolf and tells Spike and Brandon to prepare as the wolves are coming to their house. Spike and Brandon prepare for battle, but are quickly captured. Spike’s roomate Devil (Darcy Combs) and Spike’s friend Benson (Dylan Bond) overhear the commotion and prepare to save them from the clutches of Evil Wolf.

In the Dark, Devil distracts the wolves as Benson saves Spike and Brandon. Mighty Wolf is revealed to be alive, but Razerclaw kills him again. Spike, Brandon, Devil, and Ben escape, but Razerclaw chases them. Brandon sacrifices himself to save them as he rolls down the hill on a Boulder to knock Razerclaw off the cliff.

The Boulder crash kills Brandon, but Spike goes up to him and Brandon is revealed to have survived. Spike realizes that Brandon truly cares about friendship and the two go on as friends, along with Spike apologizing for his previous actions. Devil and Ben go home due to boredom.

In a mid-credit scene, the jungles of Anucave appear to be in an Earthquake that destroys the whole thing.

Cast

 * Niko Lovett as Spike, a Lab/Greyhound mix who doesn’t like to share and eventually becomes friends with Brandon.
 * Finn Wolfhard as Brandon, a Golden Retriever who enjoys to be with friends and eventually becomes friends with Spike.
 * Idris Elba as Razerclaw, an evil Tiger who killed Evil Wolf and plots to kill every animal in Pet City.
 * Darcy Combs as Devil, a Black Cat who is Spike’s roommate and does not like company.
 * Dylan Bond as Benson, Spike’s best friend who secretly has a crush on Devil.
 * James Earl Jones as Mighty Wolf, the hero of Pet City and Spike’s hero.
 * Gabriel Bateman as Owner, the owner of Spike and Brandon.
 * Chiwetel Eijofor as Evil Wolf, an evil wolf who is Mighty Wolf’s arch enemy.

Production
In 2017, Gabriel Combs Movies acquired rights to make a shared universe based on characters by Lennon Richardson, including Spike and Brandon and Ted and Mike, and was also scheduled to include some new franchises in the mix. It was scheduled to begin with a reboot of 1999’s Spike and Brandon. The first three films were announced on December 18, 2017, and this film was scheduled to be released theatrically on May 3, 2019.

Reception
The film was critically acclaimed for its plot, casting, humor, performances, and heart. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a 95% score, with an average rating of 8.65/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “An emotional reboot that improves upon the original, Spike and Brandon updates the franchise with a fun adventure that audiences are sure to enjoy.” On an A+ to F Scale, the film received an “A”.

Release
The film was released theatrically in the United States on May 3, 2019. The film was also released digitally on July 29, 2019, and on Blu-Ray and DVD on August 13, 2019.

Sequel
A sequel, titled Spike and Brandon: Summer Vacation, was released on May 8, 2020.