>>REVIEW
DOOGAL
STARRING THE VOICES OF Jon Stewart, Kenan Thompson, Jimmy Falon, William H. Macy, Whoopie Goldberg and Robin Williams
DIRECTED BY Jean-Philippe Duval
Opens Friday, February 24
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Children’s stories often come off as smug, morally correct fables designed to scare kids into behaving well. Think the Brothers Grimm. Think Walt Disney.
So it was a relief not to be repeatedly clobbered over the head with the key messages of Doogal. Yes, friendship triumphs over evil. No, you’re not a bad person (or in this case, dog) if you make a catastrophic, possibly world-ending mistake.
This clever little animated feature isn’t a slick Pixar flick – and that’s part of its charm. It’s a bit rough around the edges, it’s almost as though the animators skipped a few classes at school and dropped illicit substances in their sports drinks.
There is no frothy American patriotism or obnoxious Christian hoopla here. Just good old-fashioned kids’ entertainment. There’s magical trains and enchanted merry-go-rounds and no shortage of good clean fun. Just as most cartoons nowadays hire big gun actors to play the voices of cute or not-so- cute characters, Doogal features Jon Stewart as the evil Q-bert-on-acid character, Zeebad and heavyweight Ian McKellan as Zebedee, the good Q-Bert-on-acid character.
For some reason, Stewart works as a villain. He’s not his usual self-effacing talk show self, but a cold-hearted evil genius with destruction of all things on his agenda. His one-liners and pop culture references are witty and timely and, occasionally, laugh-out-loud funny. McKellan is cavity inducing as the kind- hearted and wise Zebedee. Just say his name three times and presto! Instant good wizard to save the day.
The motley and unlikely heroes include a painfully shy snail (William H. Macy), a bovine with diva aspirations (Whoopie Goldberg), a laid-back rabbit guitarist with mad martial arts skills (Jimmy Fallon), and a hapless candy-loving dog (Daniel Tay).
Dame Judy Dench also provides the kindly, nanny-esque British narrative.
Following Doogal’s big-time bungle and the escape of Zeebad, the group set off on an icy adventure, encountering flatulent moose, booby-trapped temples and little trains that could and can.
The similarities to JRR Tolkien’s timeless Lord of the Rings tale aren’t lost on the writers. They insert quippy nods to the trilogy throughout the film. Regardless, it’s still an enjoyable movie, one that doesn’t take itself too seriously. |
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