Rover Dangerfield (1991)

That was an excellent one.

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

I am a big fan of animated movies and of animated shows, so I was interested in seeing Rover Dangerfield despite hearing from most people it was bad or mediocre. And mostly, while it is nothing great, I liked it.The film is too short I feel, I personally think the film could have done with an extra 5-8 minutes. The story does have its charms, and the idea really intrigued me, but some scenes are static and move along a little too slowly. Also there are some inconsistencies such as the business with Rocky and Connie about the birthday party that could have been perhaps avoided had the film been longer. The voice acting is mostly good, but I too did not like the farm boy who was annoying and Ned Luke's delivery ranged from just decent to horrid. And some of the characters could have done with more personality, Rover Dangerfield(who had plenty of it), Daisy, Connie and Rocky excepted.Of the voice acting, Rodney Dangerfield definitely steals the show, his voice is very distinctive and the delivery is great, often classic. Of the support cast, Susan Boyd is really quite lovely, likewise with Shawn Southwick, but Sal Landi as Rocky shows the most consistency. The animation mostly is good, with colours that don't look too flat and some of the background art is more than decent. And most of the characters are not too bad to look at either. The music and songs are not timeless classics, nor are they painful. I for one found them memorable and quite nice, especially Never Do it on a Christmas Tree. A vast majority of the time, the script works as well, Dangerfield's asides are funny, witty and perhaps even raunchy at times, even if some of the support characters could have had more to say.In conclusion, not great, not crud. 6/10 Bethany Cox

When this movie came out - I was it's target audience - a child.And I loved this movie.Rover Dangerfield, is a great movie for kids - better than half the crap, that parents are letting their kids watch, which is far too mature for them.This movie is filled with enough seriousness, that kids don't feel like they're being talked down to - and enough adult appeal, that even my father used to always sit down with us to watch it.The humour is great, the characters charming - particularly Rodney Dangerfield, as Rover - what I think people are forgetting it - it doesn't have to be perfect by your standards - unless you watched it as a kid at the time of it's release and were actually a child of that time - just let your kids watch it, and ask what they think...You probably watch what they think is crap, so who are you to be a judge?

This movie did not get the recognition it deserved. I remember it played in the theatres for 2 or 3 weeks then went to video. That's a shame because it is actually really good. It's the story of Rover, a boozing, gambling Bassett hound (voiced by Rodney Dangerfield, of course) who has Las Vegas in the palm of his hand, er, paw. Cavorting with showgirl dogs by night and sleeping off hangovers by day makes him one contented pooch. However, trouble comes one night when a thug believes Rover is a witness to a crime. Rover is thrown into a bag and tossed over Hoover Dam to drown. But our hero escapes, floats down river and winds up on a farm! This is where the humor and charm of the movie lies, and Rodney Dangerfield's classic schtick works perfectly as Rover tries in vain to assimilate himself into the dull farm life. Of course valuable life lessons will be learned amidst the humor.This was a very good attempt at trying to make an animated film suited for adults, instead of the usual kiddie stuff that is released. That's not to say that kids couldn't enjoy this film too, but it's aimed at adults, with Rodney Dangerfield's brand of humor in some cases going over the heads of children. Unfortunately, the film didn't do well, and few attempts have been made since to target adults with animation. Rent this movie if you want to see an animated film that's a bit different from everything else out there, and especially if you are a Rodney Dangerfield fan. The jokes are funny, the animation topnotch and even the musical numbers are done well. This should have been a bigger hit than it was.

Although the film suffers a bit from slow pacing and doesn't contain the technical magic of a Disney feature, it still retains a surprising sweetness. The story is centered entirely on the famous Dangerfield stage persona; and translating the comedian's raunchy material into an anthropomorphized lovable pooch must have been no small task. Visually, the artists make strong use of colors and shadings to reinforce mood, although many scenes lack zest and are just too static. Story-wise, I rate the film above-average for its warmth and low-key humor. Children these days are only interested in the hyperactive action of Pokemon, but the littlest ones will likely be charmed. "Rover Dangerfield" may look flat when held up to "Dinosaur" but it's certainly got more heart. 7 out of 10.