Doogal (2006)

• Review: * (out of ****)
• Starring: Daniel Tay, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, William H. Macy, Chevy Chase, Judi Dench, Kylie Minogue, Ian McKellen, Kevin Smith, Bill Hader
• Director: Dave Borthwick, Jean Duval, Frank Passingham
• Screenplay: Paul Bassett, Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards, Butch Hartman, Tony Leech, Tad Safran, Raolf Sanoussi, Stephane Sanoussi
• Length: 85 min.
• MPAA Rating: G

Even the worst dreck from actorslike Will Farrell and David Spade can’t compare to the absolute rubbishinflicted on moviegoers in the new animated film Doogal.

Doogal (the voice of Daniel Tay)is the name of a small, furry dog whose always getting into trouble in his hometown. He’s loved by everyone but causes so much trouble that it’s hard toimagine the town hasn’t put him down for the havoc he’s wrecked. But it’s hissweet tooth that’s getting him into trouble. He can’t resist the call of goodsweets. We should realize when this pro-dietary element pops up that we’re infor a moralizing movie but it’s not until the movie starts grinding forwardthat we realize good eating habits is hardly the worst thing about the film.

Doogal destroys a protectivecasing on the town’s merry-go-round that releases an evil spring-bouncing toynamed Zeebad (voiced by Jon Stewart). He covers the world in ice and snow andtraps Doogal’s beloved owner in ice. Doogal sets off on a grand adventure tofind three crystals, that in Zeebad’s hands will freeze the sun, but in theright hands will free his ‘owner’ and seal Zeebad back in the amusement rideforever.

Along for the ride are a woefulTrain (Chevy Chase), a horribly-untalentedsinging cow named Ermintrude (Whoopi Goldeberg), a lop-eared hippie rabbitnamed Dylan (Jimmy Fallon) and a spirited snail called Brian (William H. Macy).Add to the cast British thesp Sir Ian McKellen as the good spirit Zebedee andyou have an all-star cast who, on their own, have been great at one time oranother. However, together here with a script as dreadful as the worst of EdWood mixed with most direct-to-video drivel and you have the biggest waste oftalent likely crafted by Hollywood.

Everything here fails to amuseand it’s all thanks to a horrendous, moan-inducing script by a bevy of relativeunknowns. Doogal is based on a puppetshow from 1960s television and was originally released in Britain as The Magic Roundabout. However, in itsacquisition of the pic, recasting and release in the U.S., the newly-founded WeinsteinCompany has given us little hope that they’ll be able to reach the pinnacle ofachievement they had at Miramax.

The screenplay is filled withhundreds of pop culture references. So many in fact that it’s impossible totell if there’s an actual line of dialogue that isn’t a pun or a direct theftfrom a better motion picture. Every ounce of dialogue bounces from movie clichéto movie cliché and never takes a break long enough for anyone to walk out. Yousit in stunned silence as the film continues to throw out corny line aftercorny line. It’s like a train wreck, keeping viewers’ eyes glued in one place.

Dreadful is the closest word todescribe this abject failure. A friend of mine who loves animated features(even the ones I didn’t such as Robots and Ice Age) actually admitted thatshe didn’t like this film one bit. She was appalled by it. Now, if you can’tget an animated enthusiast like her on your side, you have little hope to drawin an audience elsewise.

The only laudable aspect of theproduction is its fluid and vivid computer animation. Other than that, the onlysuitable end result for Doogal iseuthanasia at the local pound.

-Wesley Lovell (July 24, 2006)