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It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that co-parenting a pet post-separation is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such situations prevent former couples from moving forward, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.

Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time coping with life in two homes. The idea of basing a full holiday film on this conflict is sustainable remains debatable at best.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. This is a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the complexity remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – think flurries clinging to green trees as North Carolina substitutes for a wintery Boston.

Where the Film Shines

If these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience depends on the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – individuals who browse regularly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and though it results in some clunky cuts between animal action and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, in the end, doggie joy.

The Two-Legged Cast

Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. Its style wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a touch too detached, particularly when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)

The film attempts to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since Merv is by far the cutest element of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, meeting all its marks. Crafting a story with this canine conflict has potential – though it's not exactly a brilliant concept.

• Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.