Quartile rating: 5/10 · 1 rating
Everyone's favorite St. Bernard returns in this family film about man's best friend. Richard Newton, his wife Beth and kids Brennan and Sara shove off in their camper for a road trip. Along the way, they gain a new passenger: slobbery Beethoven. The Newtons plan to return Beethoven to his owner -- but not before he turns hero when a pair of thieves enter the picture.
Beethoven's 3rd is a direct-to-video sequel that recycles the same family-road-trip-with-lovable-dog formula with minimal originality. The plot is thoroughly formulaic—bumbling thieves, a slobbery dog saving the day—lifted almost wholesale from the earlier entries and countless similar family films. Acting is serviceable but unremarkable with a largely new cast replacing the originals. Cinematography is flat and TV-movie in quality. Novelty scores a 1 as it is a textbook derivative sequel offering nothing distinctive in conception, voice, or execution. The ending resolves predictably with Beethoven playing hero, meeting audience expectations but surprising no one.