ROCK DOG – A Review by John Strange
Bodi (Luke Wilson) is a young Tibetan Mastiff. He is the son of Khampa (J.K. Simmons), protector of the flock of sheep living on Snow Mountain. His early life was filled with music played by the sheep in the village. The village is attacked by Linnux (Lewis Black) and his gang of wolves. Only the power of Khampa was able to save the village.
Following the attack on the village Khampa decides that they must come up with a plan to protect the village using only the resources at his disposal. The important part of the plan is the locking away of all of the musical instruments. He then forces his son to assist him in protecting the village. This goes on for some time, Bodi never truly getting with the program, until the fateful day that a suitcase falls out of the sky and a radio drops into Bodi's possession. The young Mastiff learns about a form of music he never knew, Rock and Roll!
When Bodi is given a bus ticket to the city, the story really kicks into high gear. Bodi follows his heart to become a rock musician. He is relentless in his naive pursuit of his dream. We are presented with a youngster who has a dream and pursues it with an abandon that grabs our hearts!
The story is full of relentless (but bumbling) wolves determined to capture Bodi, rock god Angus Scattergood (Eddie Izzard) bumbling through the story with an Ozzy Osbourne-like style, and Bodi learning to be the legend that he is meant to be. There is a great soundtrack and the concert scene is excellent!
I loved this story. It has a charm that will attract families and the rest of us, too! The music is hum-worthy. The only drawback, the scene where the wolves attack the city for the second time. The treatment of the sheep and the barbeque grills will scare the younger kids. That scene is the reason why I would only recommend this film to people at least 8-10 years or older.
Directed by: Ash Brannon
Cast: Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard, J.K. Simmons, Lewis Black, Kenan Thompson, Mae Whitman, Jorge Garcia, Matt Dillon, Sam Elliott, Will Finn, Ash Brannon, Liza Richardson
MPAA Rating: PG (for action and language)
Selig Rating: A-
Runtime: 80 Min.
Movie Site: http://www.rockdogmovie.com/
The Selig Rating Scale:
A – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
B – Good movie
C – OK movie
D – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
F – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
