Plot
One of the most expensive of Don Bluth's animated cartoon features, All Dogs Go to Heaven was also among the most successful. Set in late-'30s New Orleans, the story centers upon a roguish German shepherd named Charlie B. Barkin (voice of Burt Reynolds), who is killed early in the proceedings by his business partner, Carface (voice of Vic Tayback). Charlie travels to Heaven, and is promptly warned that if he heads back to Earth, he can never return; he does decide to go back to Earth, however, to exact revenge on Carface, who has kidnapped Anne-Marie, a little orphan girl who can talk to Animals.The film also includes the vocal skills of Dom DeLuise, Charles Nelson Reilly, Vic Tayback, Melba Moore, Loni Anderson, and a host of others. All Dogs Go to Heaven was the first production of the Dublin-based Sullivan Bluth Studios. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Review
Animated films by director Don Bluth tend to be somewhat frustrating. There's always so much in them that is right that the inevitable flaws are especially galling -- particularly because Bluth and his crew seem to do the hardest things so well and slip up in seemingly easier areas. All Dogs Go to Heaven is one of Bluth's weaker efforts, but it does feature some exceptional animation. Bluth and his animators have created an avalanche of color, a full rendering of the palette that is often gorgeous. And the character animation itself is very good -- precise, detailed, and evocative. Also worthy of praise is Charles Strouse's score; while not a classic, it is extremely catchy. "Let's Make Music Together" is particularly good and is presented in a faux-Esther Williams style that is entirely winning. Unfortunately, these pluses are offset by an unruly and predictable script and characters that range from unpleasant to uninteresting. The dialogue is weak, with strained humor (e.g. "Some of the poorest people I know are as broke as the Ten Commandments."). And, as is often the case with Bluth, the film is too deliberately paced -- even the action sequences come across as slightly by the book rather than spontaneous. Although children will find Dogs reasonably entertaining, adults may find themselves checking their watches a lot. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- Burt Reynolds - Charlie
- Judith Barsi - Anne-Marie
- Dom DeLuise - Itchy
- Vic Tayback - Carface
- Charles Nelson Reilly - Killer
- Melba Moore - Whippet Angel
- Loni Anderson - Flo
Credit
Don Bluth - Co-producer, Gary Goldman - Co-producer, John Pomeroy - Co-producer, Don Bluth - Director, Gary Goldman - Director, Dan Kuenster - Director, John K. Carr - Editor, Morris F. Sullivan - Executive Producer, George A. Walker - Executive Producer, Ralph Burns - Composer (Music Score), Charles Strouse - Composer (Music Score), T.J. Kuenster - Songwriter, Don Bluth - Production Designer, Larry Leker - Production Designer, Monica Parker - Screen Story, Linda Miller - Screen Story, Don Bluth - Screenwriter, Gary Goldman - Screenwriter, Larry Leker - Screenwriter, Linda Miller - Screenwriter, John Pomeroy - Screenwriter, David Steinberg - Screenwriter, David N. Weiss - Screenwriter, Kevin Bartnof - Foley Artist, Ken Cromar - Short Story Author| All Creatures Great and Small (1974 Film), All Coppers Are... (1972 Film) | |
| All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996 Film), All Dolled Up (1921 Film) |
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
