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It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a dog after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such setups impede former couples from moving forward, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for all parties. Apparently, and in a twist worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.

Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time coping with split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation holds water is rather doubtful.

A Familiar Formula

To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than what it is. This is a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth is limited. The narrative proves to be straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will surely realize the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – played by a group of comedic actors – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think fake snow clinging to verdant foliage as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.

The Dog's Domain

How these familiar elements merge into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for dog videos. The film delivers a plethora of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the dog, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, doggie joy.

Where It Wobbles

Such effectiveness does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between serious study, broad humor, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward demanded of the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal can feel a touch too detached, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in flopping and whining – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a very good boy.)

The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the dog is undoubtedly the best part of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting all its marks. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – though it's not exactly a great one either.

• Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.