The Plague Dogs
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Movie Reviews of The Plague Dogs
Movie Review: Great Movie.
Summary: 5 Stars
I watched this movie years ago, and when I saw this on DVD, I had to have it. It is still one of my all-time favorite movies, though the ending is a bit sad, it is a great movie filled with action, adventure, and drama; A movie anyone can enjoy.Movie Review: Plague of Dogs....
Summary: 5 Stars
This wAS A GIFT TO MY GRANDDAUGHTER ON HER 13TH BIRTHDAY......sHE LOVED BUT SAID IT MADE HER A BIT Review: Hummm. Still functioning despite the amputations!
Summary: 4 Stars "Plague Dogs", based on Richard Adams' (Watership Down, Shardik) 1977 novel, is among the most substantive offerings in animation films. Snitter (terrier), and Rowf (Black Lab) escape from an animal research lab conducting "experiments" on dogs, monkeys, rabbits and others, including: Bubonic Plague, experimental brain surgery, sensory deprivation, and (often-fatal) recovery-from-drowning. Encountered on the run, a worldly-wise fox (The Tod) helps Snitter and Rowf evade re-capture and survive in the wild while seeking a vaguely understood, permanent safe haven.
The animation is fine, similar to Watership Down's. But it is the novel's substance and attendant characterizations that underlie the film: a brutal perspective, from that of two anthropomorphized dogs and a fox, about survival needs; animal researchers' clinical depravity; anthropocentricity; and a welter of CYA political and press mendacities. At its core is a fascinating character study: that of poor Snitter's brain surgery-induced delirious yet moving confusions and imaginings; Rowf's ever-fatalistic, aggressive, no-nonsense realism; and the Tod's sympathetic opportunism.
At 150,000 words, the novel (Knopf, 1978, 1st American hardbound edition) also has a bonus: 20-plus pages of carefully-drawn Wainwright illustrations (13 full-page, eight being route maps), plus a two-page frontispiece. While a quarter of the novel centers on various humans and their conversations, the film cleverly maintains interest by keeping the focus on Snitter, Rowf and the Tod, pertinent human conversations largely presented as voice-overs. But though the film carefully replicates Snitter's and Rowf's trek and manages to convey some personality subtleties, one needs the novel's far richer prose (Adams' prose rivaling Tolkien's) for a rewardingly deeper understanding of the characters and out-of-context scenes depicted.
Though intriguingly four minutes short of the original's reported run-time, Australian (PAL region 4) sources offer a 99-minute "extended release" DVD viewable in the US with a PAL-enabled system and region-free player. This version, reportedly made from an only-surviving copy, has non-re-mastered but adequate picture-sound quality. Also included is an 82-minute amputated re-mastered version. Struggling for film release, its producers obviously encountered lowest-common-denominator marketing mentalities, shunning of graphic depictions, script change demands appeasing the pro-fox-hunting lobby, and having to manufacture several thrills. Two notable changes from the novel concern the fates of the Tod, and of Snitter/Rowf. Even ignoring detrimental changes, this reviewer awards just four stars for this 80 percent of the original film.
Several reviewers caution prospective buyers to deny young children seeing this film. Would such folks also shield children from Oliver Twist, The Yearling, Race of the Swift, Cooper's Leather Stocking tales, or Felix Salten's Bambi? When this reviewer was in grade-school over fifty years since, it was customary to have such books read by the teacher, generally a chapter after lunch; or on one's own at home! Were that Plague Dogs had been available! Presumably no permanent damage resulted to this reviewer from such dangerous childhood adventures, though some might disagree! And do you suppose the film's missing four minutes were to accommodate the novel's ending, hinted in the closing scene?
Movie Review: An Animated Animal Movie with Bite
Summary: 4 Stars
It's easy to look at the cover of the movie "Plague Dogs" and then call the kids into the living room for an enjoyable Sunday matinee. There is a deceptive nature to the beautiful hand drawn animation of cute little animals that harkens back to the golden age of Disney animation. This would be a mistake however for it's that very deceptive quality to "Plague Dogs" that makes this film such a treat for adults and a rather disturbing nightmare for children.
Like it's predecessor "Watership Down" (another Richard Adams book made into an animated feature by director Martin Rosen), "Plague Dogs" is a very adult tale about animals in jeopardy. In "Watership..." it was a small group of rabbits in search of a safe home. "Plague Dogs" is the story of two dogs who escape from a testing laboratory. Together they are desperate to find safety and a life free of abuse and pain. The smaller dog (Snitter) having just had brain surgery, is a smart but tortured animal. Rowf, is a dog mentally and physically beaten by repeated drownings. Together they search for peace, but peace does not come easily on an empty stomach and the many pastures of sheep are too tempting for the two dogs to pass up. As sheep carcasses begin to pile up local farmers begin to make the connection that the testing laboratory may have had something to do with the two wild dogs that are roaming their land. When it's discovered that the laboratory was working with Bubonic plague, the dogs are marked for death.
Ultimately "Plague Dogs" is an adventure tale; however, director Martin Rosen uses the bleak storyline to propel a theme of hopelessness. Snitter and Rowf and undesirables, cast out by bad luck and bad timing. The society that they find themselves in is unable to fully understanding their situation and their destruction is a simply seen as a more effective way of dealing with them. The ending in particular has our two furry antagonists in questionable straights.
Such a film would not play well today, nor did it play that well in this country 25 years ago. It asks too many questions, pushes too many cringe inducing buttons, and often doesn't wait for the passive viewer to catch up. I can't think of one reason why or how a movie like this got made, but it's our great fortune it did. "Watership Down" proves to be a better movie experience but "Plague Dogs" goes where "Watership Down" didn't and we are all the better for it.
Movie Review: A classic animated film for grown-ups... but the DVD could be better
Summary: 4 Stars
This woefully underappreciated animated film was created by the team behind the wonderful Watership Down. The story concerns a pair of dogs, Rowf and Snitter, who escape from an animal-testing lab in the wilds of England and their attempts to survive in a cold and hostile world. Rowf and Snitter traverse the wilds and encounter both a fox named The Tod who trains them in the ways of being wild and humans who are either afraid of them or try to hunt them. The film is excellently animated and touches on themes of friendship, bravery, and animal rights. The ending is very moving and always makes me shed a tear or two.
Many talented people lent their skills to this movie. Martin Rosen, also the creator of Watership Down, led a team which took almost two years to painstakingly craft this masterpiece. Among the actors who gave vocal performances for The Plague Dogs are John Hurt, Nigel Hawthorne, and Patrick Stewart as an army major. I was even surprised to see Brad Bird's (creator of The Iron Giant and The Incredibles) name in the credits as an animator!
Unfortunately, while the film itself is great, this DVD leaves a little bit to be desired. The movie is presented in its North American edited length of 85 minutes. There is apparently a longer 99-minute cut available on DVD from Australia, but only in PAL video format. The film itself looks in pretty good condition for being almost 25 years old. Other than Scene Selection and Interactive Menus (as if those even count), the DVD is devoid of any special features. Another feature lacking on the DVD that I do miss from my old VHS copy is closed captions or subtitles. I have a little difficulty making out some of the difficult British Isles accents, especially from The Tod and the sheepherding dogs.
I highly recommend that fans of adult, drama-oriented animation (and Watership Down fans in particular) check this one out. Despite its barebones DVD presentation, it's a great, powerful film that deserves to be seen. I give the film 5 stars but subtract 1 star for the lackluster DVD presentation.