This amiable movie is hardly likely to rate highly in Tom Hanks' career, yet Hanks' inventive comedy sense and an incredible ugly (and talented) dog give it enough extra life to make it worthwhile.

Hanks is a police officer in a quiet coastal town who's acquainted with the local derelict (John McIntire) and his fearsome dog.

Pinned down by the pooch, Hanks is reassured by McIntire that 'He didn't even break the skin. He loves you, boy.'

And so he does, after McIntire has been murdered and Hooch has reduced Hanks' house to rubble before the pair knuckle down to crack the case.

Hanks is beautiful as the house-proud snooper who Hoovers his new partner's shirtfront in the car as he's eating a muffin; the dog is almost (but not quite) too slobby to be lovable and, like all canine heroes, does what a dog has to do in the end.

The rest of the cast isn't much, but then this gruesome twosome would probably show them up anyway.