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This is a common warning among many that sharing custody a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such setups impede ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.

While respecting the mental health of our pets – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in pet despair, simply recall a past film. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult adapting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a full holiday film on this conflict holds water seems debatable at best.

A Familiar Formula

Honestly, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than its premise. This is a holiday release from a corporate studio – the ambitions is limited. The plot proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – including a group of comedic actors – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually carries the feel of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think flurries piled on lush pines as a summer location stands in for the Northeast.

The Dog's Domain

Whether these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch depends on the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of adorable dog montages. The central draw is Merv himself, and though it results in some clunky cuts between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.

Where It Wobbles

This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, zany antics, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the absurd and awkward demanded of the unusual premise. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal seems a touch too detached, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)

The film attempts to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, considering the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – but it's not exactly a great one either.

• Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.