Doogal (2006)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

An Exercise In Nonsense

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

So the creators of the Fairly Odd Parents were behind this American version - that explains EVERYTHING.Pros: the animation and graphics are quality standard. (British version, too)Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE! -First of all, the title "Doogal" - the British version was titled "The Magic Roundabout" and that title was just fine! Also the dog's name was originally spelled "Dougal" but then the American version had the spelling changed to "Doogal." STUPID, RIGHT?! Why???????-Story is terribly clichéd, and full of unexplained plot elements. Why are people STILL using the carousel when there's an evil being locked inside it? How did the main characters befriend Zebedee in the first place to be able to call him down from the sky whenever they want? Also the whole action plot seems to be just forced into the story and it just doesn't match the essence of the original French stop-motion series this movie was based on. (This goes for the British version, too.)-The American re-dubbing: Why why WHY in the world did they even bother re-dubbing over the original British version?? I'm sure we Americans would be able to understand the British version just fine! (And if not, there's always closed captions, right?) This wouldn't be such a big problem if the casting wasn't so screwed up! Whoopi Goldberg voicing the cow for instance - her speaking voice does NOT match the cow's opera-singing voice at all! So obviously mismatched it hurts!! And the kid voicing Doogal is just annoying and it's a Completely different voice from the one in the trailers. (Even though that voice didn't fit Doogal so well.) There's even a moose in the American version that TALKS (voiced by Kevin Smith) when the moose in the British version was SILENT. Unnecessary acting, right?? Everyone else in the cast is talented and/or at least trying, but alas, their efforts are wasted. Poor Ian McKellen and Judi Dench.-Soundtrack: Yes, there are pointless pop songs in this that come right out of nowhere and don't match the essence of the story at all. Yuck. (British version is guilty of this too.)-"Captain Obvious" narration - Judi Dench as narrator (this version and British version) does a good job at first, but then after the main group of characters set out to gather three crystals to trap Zeebad back into the carousel (I know, just go with it), she goes overboard and starts describing things the audience can CLEARLY see for themselves. At one point in the volcanic region, she says "The path was very, var far. The path was very very narrow. The lava was very very hot." When we clearly SEE the train going on that long, narrow path over hot boiling lava! So yeah most of the narration gets pointless and just terribly annoying after that.-References: Yes, this movie either references or outright RIPS OFF other movies like in a quote from Pulp Fiction (in a kid's movie???), Pirates of the Caribbean (skeletons attacking), Halo, Harry Potter, that "It's Hammer Time!" thing wherever that came from, and CSI - and it's so forced and painful it's not even funny. When the group is in the cave or something and gets attacked by skeletons, one of them says "Pirates of the Caribbean!" and then somebody else actually says "Hey, I thought we said no Disney jokes!" Then why did you PUT this joke in, you idiots!?! Most of all, Lord of the Rings gets ripped off the most - yeah, with that whole "My precious!" blue crystal part, Zeebad saying he's the "Lord of the Springs," and the part with Zebedee falling to his death (Zebedee being voiced by GANDALF who met the same fate in Fellowship of the Ring, no less!) Good God, this movie sucks sucks SUCKS so much it cant even come up with it's own original story without ripping off every other BETTER movie out there!!-Characters: The characters just aren't interesting. They're flat and undeveloped, and Doogal is a terribly unlikable mutt who started this entire thing by trying to STEAL candy! Then he goes and takes EVERYONE with him and lets THEM do all the work to solve the problem while he just lazes around! Worst of all, this is never resolved. Great opportunity for character development LOST.Some people say the British version is better, but I disagree - it's the same lame quality. Neither version is really worth your time.Overall rating: 3/10 (only because of the quality animation)

You Know I Enjoyed This Movie When I Was 4 And When I Was 7 I Was At The Train Chase Scene When I Immediately Stopped Watching It And As The Years Went By I Looked Back On My Doogal-Loving Days. From Ages 4-7 My Reviews On The Film Were Adamant Now I Would Say Now That I'm 11 And A Half,Doogal Is Unwatchable,Poorly Animated (The Only Not Poorly Animated Character Was The Magic Train) And So,So Abysmal!Don't See It Cause Afterwards You'll Be All Like:"Oh Well There's A Very Sad 'N' Short 70 Or 85 Minutes Of My Life I'll Never Get Back" Short Version:It's A Waste Of Time.4-Year-Old's Might Like It But Adults May Hate It. Well,The End Was Heartwarming But The Rest Of The Film STINKED! (Not In A Smelly Way,In A Way That Says Doogal Is A Bad Movie,The Dog Is Toatally Unlikeable,And If It's Online For Free,DO NOT RENT OR BUY AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!! -Dash The Film Critic

Seeing the horrible reputation this movie had, I avoided it like the plague while also thinking "It can't possibly be as bad as people say" so when it came on TV, I figured 'Hey, what better time to check it out?' And much to my surprise... it's just as bad as the critics and average viewers say it is.First of all, this movie had promise. It had a nice heartwarming theme and didn't try to be anything more than it could have been. It could have been wholesome family fun. It also has some rather interesting visuals, it's colourful and the character designs are actually pretty cool. The animations weren't exactly up-to-date for the time, but that's okay.Sadly, once the plot reveals itself, it goes downhill from there. First problem: It changes from a simple family film to a cheesy action movie spoof, turning away two different types of target audiences. Second problem: Pop culture references every freaking minute! This movie probably holds the record for the most frequently used unnecessary pop culture references ever seen in a movie, almost making 4kids look like good scriptwriters back when they dubbed One Piece. I mean, half this stuff they're referencing doesn't even exist in this world the movie's giving us.I guess something else I need to go into is Doogal himself, the puppy hero of this story. First of all, his voice was less annoying in the trailers, but all in all, it wouldn't have mattered. He's an unlikeable character. He's annoying, he's whiny, everything about him is just annoying. In one scene where a rather awesome character dies, he says "Oh no" in this very mellow-sounding voice like he doesn't care.As for the other characters: They're not bad characters. They're at least more tolerable than Doogal, but they're kinda hit-and-miss. Apparently, the snail has a copy of Halo in his shell.Back to the humour: A lot of it just feels forced beyond compare, and it's not just pop culture references, though those do pretty much prevent this from being funny. There are also some horrid puns and other bad dialogue that just make it almost... unbearable.Another thing that just gets me is that it seems like the writers are blatantly trying to point out every cliché this movie has, rushing the dialogue, forcing dramatic tension, and it all just feels pointless as it comes across as a bad joke rather than an actually emotional moment.All in all, Doogal had potential but turned out to be nothing more than pure garbage. I don't even think a kid would get half the "jokes" (I use that term very loosely!) in this. Overall, I give Doogal 1/10 for taking a descent idea and turning it into garbage.But wait! This review isn't over yet! There is one last thing I've forgotten to go into!Now, as disappointed as I was by this movie being just as bad as everyone else said it was, I was actually angered when I discovered that Doogal isn't even an original idea from the US. It's actually the Americanized dub of a British film called The Magic Roundabout, based off of a popular stop-motion cartoon of the same title. See, I just don't get why a British film should have to be dubbed into English if it's already in English, but I digress, this made me lose it.I can't exactly remember how or where as this was long ago, but I had the privilege of seeing the original film to see for myself if it was any better. To put it simply: It's MUCH better, but that's like saying Bush was a better leader than Hitler. *Insert booing here* Okay, okay, that's harsh, but nonetheless, to say The Magic Roundabout is much better than Doogal isn't saying much as 95% of the world's movies, even the bad ones, have also pulled it off.However, while Doogal was a festering pile of trash, Magic Roundabout is a descent family film and nothing more. British critics praised it for having a lot of the charm from the show but also got at it for its clichéd story and, yeah, how it changes from a simple family film to an action movie spoof.Let's talk about the good aspects now that the bad ones are out of the way: The unlikeable characters from the US remake are likable in the original version, even Doogal, but he's more tolerable than actually likable. The story is told better and it's easier to take seriously while throwing in a number of jokes that don't feel forced. (The snail's copy of Halo was originally a toothbrush, for example)Another thing: No horrid puns or pop culture references! That made this so much more tolerable. However, much like Doogal, the voice acting is a bit hit-and-miss. Some voices fit a LOT better while others I found better in the US dub.All in all, Magic Roundabout is nothing special, but it's a descent family film and if you watch Doogal first, you'll only find yourself liking it better. Sadly, the only way to see it in America is to order it off Ebay. (Unless there are US stores that sell this movie. I honestly wouldn't know as I live in Canadaland, which doesn't sell it!)Overall: Doogal- Score: 1/10 Recommendation: Wait for it to come on TV and see for yourself whether you'll like it or not. Would I get it on DVD?: NO!!!! Magic Roundabout- Score: 5/10 Recommendation: Find a section for it on Ebay, look at the price and think about whether you really wanna order it or not. It's not a must-see, so don't make any rash decisions. Would I get it on DVD?: This is a big maybe for me. I might but I doubt I will.

People are giving this movie negative reviews and of course, I don't blame them, but there are some reviews blames ALL the people involved in this film when it is in fact the victim of terrible American dubbing. I British version(the magic roundabout) is a great film which i saw first (thank god) and I thought it was delightfully charming, they even pulled off the whole "snail loves the cow" thing while the Americans just made it creepy. And also the reason the moose's lips don't move is because He didn't talk in the original! There was also no toilet humour (which i find dire) and no crappy movie references. "Pirates of the Carrabien." Although i'm not a fan of Robbie Willeims he made Dougal (Not Doogal) quite likable and why the **** did they take out Bill Nighy who was absolutely Fantastic as Dylan. Jim Broudbent is a very sweet Brian. And Ermintrude was okay... but not the best. It seems like I'm reviewing the wrong movie, but there is simply nothing good to say about Doogal, It is a disgrace to the original film makers and the Original Magic Roundabout series. Don't bother with Doogal, is your kids or smaller sibling want to see it. Hunt down the British version. We don't disappoint.