Customer Review: Surprisingly rewarding Nostalgia Trip
I never liked dogs when I was a kid, mostly because I was a runt and they could pretty much eat me whole. Which didn't preclude me from liking the idea of dogs, or from loving this film way back when. On a nostalgia kick I bought it again and expected to have another aspect of my childhood destroyed upon being reminded of how horrible some of the things I liked back then actually are from an adult perspective (A few examples come to mind, but at least I won't have to contend with liking a few things on TV nowadays that will definitely have future adults cringing...). Surprise, it's actually even more enjoyable now as an "adult". It's all as good as I remembered, or better. When I was a child I never percieved it as a particularly "dark" film as so many claim it to be... Truthfully, the thing that has stuck with me over the years is the songs. They really are engaging and well written, not the squirm-fests that populate most children's films of any era. And while certain things stick out as not being acceptable in today's children's pictures (the drinking, and straightforwardness on topics such as gambling and murder), I definitely don't think that's the attitude that defines the film. To "clean up" this movie would be to suck the life from it, and make it just like any more modern children's film. I have no qualms with showing it to my nieces and nephews. I think it's a shame that movies nowaday shelter younguns from anything resembling reality. Besides, at the core it's a great, touching story about love and friendship, and I think that's what shines through for most kids, and most adults upon watching the film. Anne Marie is absolutely adorable, and Charlie, voiced by Burt Reynolds is as likeable a scoundrel as any. The characters are all dimensional and believable, despite being dogs. Another thing that sticks out when viewing this film in comparison to more modern children's offerings. It can now be seen, unfortunately, as a throwback to when kids movies didn't need to rely on flashy graphics or super-hip characters and settings to be entertaining. Current studios could use a dose of this adventurousness.
Customer Review: All Dogs Go to heaven
Don Bluth's 1989 film, "All Dogs Go to Heaven" is a smart movie in it's own way. I agree with some out there that it does own a darkened tinge to it, but none the less, it's a good movie for most viewers. I, just especially love Don Bluth's traditional animation and movies including, "The Secret Of NIMH" and "The Land Before Time", which were made all around the 1980 decade. I personally think that was when Don Bluth's best and most memborable films were made. Though, back to the subject, this movie definetly stood out in my mind, with it's cute songs, but which could use more work and appear more in the movie, like "You Can't Keep A Good Dog Down". This song was the one with the main character, Charlie, a German Shephered and his loveable friend daschound, Itchy sing in the bar. With refrences to gambling, which in a dog's fantasy world, rat races, and subjects containing killing, can be gestured to adults though it has it's light-hearted, happy-go-luck kiddy moments with the graceful Whppet Annabelle and Charlie romping the the clouds of heaven and the little orphan who Itchy and Charlie take under, Ann Marie's loveable moments with charlie and Itchy. Carface and his sidekick, whose name is forgotten by me, are the nuisence of a villan, who plot to kill Charlie. Charlie who only takes care of and pretends to love Ann Marie, in hopes to pay back Carface with money owed so as he can live. After time and instinces, which the inseprible trio go through, helps Charlie to soon love the little girl. I myself, thought this movie was good if your looking for a movie with a few dark subjects and childish subjects, then this mobie is for you though I don's really recommened it to any child under 6.
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