Review of All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) by Brian W — 05 Jan 2009

When I went to watch this tonight, I assumed that it was my jaded, "too cool for girlie kiddie movies" 13 year old self that rated this movie so low. Alas, it was not. This was a movie with a lot of potential that was just plain messed up. Great cast (genius even, with Reynolds and DeLuise as the lead and sidekick, Vic Tayback as the bad guy). The amazingly cute voice of the girl who played Ducky in Land Before Time playing a very cute young orphan girl. And a pretty darned good main storyline.

Unfortunately too many unimportant things sidetrack the story and make the important plot points seem rushed (when they actually get included.) One thing it could have done without was most of the songs, which have uninspired words and highlight the not-so-great singing talents of Burt Reynolds. There is also a totally random scene with underground tribal rats and a singing alligator that comes out of left field and then disappears just as fast, seemingly with no real purpose except to have a lame musical number and to provide a deus ex machina for the final scene (they could have come up with something better anyway, I'm sure.).

I think I would have liked to see the pared down and fleshed out version of this movie, focusing on the squabble between the good and bad dogs, the girl's ability to talk to all kinds of animals, and her quest to find parents.