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It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that co-parenting a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. Most will argue such setups impede individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.

While respecting the inner life of our pets – countless people speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a masterclass in pet despair, simply recall another performance. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adapting to life in two homes. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on this conflict works effectively is rather doubtful.

Standard Holiday Fare

Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than its premise. This is a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the ambitions is limited. The narrative proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring familiar faces – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by flurries surrounding lush pines as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.

The Dog's Domain

How these standard ingredients merge into an entertaining watch depends on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.

The Two-Legged Cast

The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style wavers between relationship drama, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. He brings a charming humility that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a little too aloof, particularly when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Merv himself manages flopping and whining – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a scene-stealer.)

The film attempts to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, given that Merv is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split might seem more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting all its marks. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.

• Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.