Review of The Plague Dogs (1982) by Gemma O — 11 Jun 2008

The Plague Dogs, a relatively unknown British film from the director of 'Watership Down' and based on a novel by the same author that did 'Watership', is an incredibly shocking and violent animated film. Two poorly-treated dogs from an animal research facility escape and try to start a new life, but instead go on one of the most cruel and twisted oddysee's ever seen in cinema. This movie is BLEAK and is recommended for mature viewers due to its uncomprimising darkness, and is amazing that a film like this could be made in 1982, in an era where happy Disney films ruled.

The film must be watched in its original 99-minute cut, as the 82-minute US cut removes most of the violent scenes and a few key story scenes. What makes 'The Plague Dogs' so interesting and hard to watch is Rowf and Snitter, the two dogs, never giving up hope, despite not realizing how hopeless their situation is and that their is no escape from their inevitable doom. The animation looks drab at first but quickly will make an impression on the viewer with its incredibly unique look.

However, what made The Plague Dogs for me was its brutal ending, which is without a doubt, the most depressing and bleakest ending I have ever seen in cinema. And I'm not just talking animated movies, I'm talking about live action movies as well. I really hope this review doesn't scare potential viewers away, as this film is quite unknown and is still very enjoyable and shows that theatrical animation can be so much more then "kids stuff".

This is without a doubt, one of the best animated movies ever made and a complete crime that it's so darn obscure. This movie just NEEDS to be seen.