Cheerful, bright, and not without its amusing moments, Beethoven's 4th delivers much more than most fourth installments of franchise films. In fact, it stands up nicely on its own and is the rare family film that truly can be enjoyed by the entire family. Director David Mickey Evans, helming his second installment of the drooling dog saga, keeps the concept fresh without relying on too many woefully crude potty jokes. Production values are top line with the cinematography and lighting design holding to major studio standards. The cast is uniformly up to the task of competing with a fluffy mutt for laughs, and the dog -- who plays both Beethoven and Michelangelo -- is nicely understated in his roles.