Kid's movies are usually the bottom-of-the-barrel when it comes to quality control. Don't get me wrong, kid's movies (like those from Pixar, Disney, Bluth, or Amblin) can be some of the best films ever, just that the saturation of shit f*cks up the average – big time – with stuff like NORM OF THE NORTH and FOODFIGHT! clogging up the works. Only horror movies might have a more egregiously weighted average.
This all brings us to ROCK DOG, which – as anyone who owns a Netflix account – should be grateful isn't a live-action talking animal movie. Instead it's a CG-animated film from Lionsgate, and directed by one of the co-directors of TOY STORY 2. The story itself revolves around "a dog who leaves his Tibetan village to pursue his dream of becoming a rock 'n' roll star."
I mean, how bad could it be? Well, let's take a look at the trailer:
Hmm. I'm honestly surprised to see such a qualified cast in this thing, with the film starring Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard, J.K. Simmons, Lewis Black, Kenan Thompson, and Sam Elliot, among others. Then again, ANGRY BIRDS boasted Danny McBride, Sean Penn, and Peter Dinklage, so that isn't necessarily a mark of quality.
Besides that, it doesn't look as terrible as I was hoping. In some ways it looks worse: just generic and boring. I mean, there are some okay jokes here and there (the glass pane gag was solid), and the animation isn't egregious. It's just sort of…there. I mean, when all is said and done, it could be much, much worse.
Either way, ROCK DOG will rock its way into theaters February 24th, 2017.
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