All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Number Rolled: 59

Movie Name/Year: All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Genre: Children & Family

Length: 84 minutes

Rating: G

Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Dan Kuenster

Writer: Don Bluth, Ken Cromar, Gary Goldman, Larry Leker, Linda Miller, Monica Parker, John Pomeroy, Guy Shulman, David J. Steinberg, David N. Weiss

Actors: Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Judith Barsi, Melba Moore, Daryl Gilley, Candy Devine, Charles Nelson Reilly, Vic Tayback, Rob Fuller, Earleen Carey

Charlie, a German Shepherd, is framed and sent to be euthanized in the pound. His friend, Itchy, a Dachshund, frees him and they attempt to get Charlie back to work. Early on in trying to get back into the swing of things Charlie’s ex-partner, Carface (a bulldog), kills him and Charlie ascends to heaven. Bored as all hell in the place where all dogs go, Charlie obtains the watch that represents his life, winds it, and finds himself back alive on Earth. He goes on an adventure with Itchy to kidnap a human girl that had already been kidnapped by Carface for her ability to talk to animals in order to fix horse/mouse/frog races.

This is one of those cartoons I used to watch when I was a kid, that looking back, isn’t really for kids that age. I was six years old when this movie came out, possibly five considering my birthday is at the end of the year; keeping that in mind, think about the characters and histories. Charlie is a gambling con-man, or con-dog as the case may be, and his ex-partner is quite obviously a spoof on Scarface. Several deaths and violent interactions occur, insinuations of a sex life for Charlie, etc.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think my mother should have kept me away from it. I don’t care. However, I do know that, if this movie came out now, some parent or uptight person would have made a huge stink over its rating.

Although I like musicals, I found the music in this movie to be undeveloped and forced. Personally, I think the movie would have benefited from less or no music. The themes and storylines of the characters were geared more toward young to mid-teens, where as the music seemed to be more geared toward the six to ten years olds that voluntarily opt to see rated G movies. I preferred the movie as a child, before I really understood all the ins and outs of the storyline, but I still enjoyed it now.

Regardless of how I feel about this movie at this point of my life, I will always remember it fondly from the past. I will also perpetually hug my dog for hours after the movie has ended.  

Overall Opinion – 3.5/5