Reviews

Seeing the horrible reputation this movie had, I avoided it like the plague while also thinking "It can't possibly be as bad as people say" so when it came on TV, I figured 'Hey, what better time to check it out?' And much to my surprise... it's just as bad as the critics and average viewers say it is.

First of all, this movie had promise. It had a nice heartwarming theme and didn't try to be anything more than it could have been. It could have been wholesome family fun. It also has some rather interesting visuals, it's colourful and the character designs are actually pretty cool. The animations weren't exactly up-to-date for the time, but that's okay.

Sadly, once the plot reveals itself, it goes downhill from there. First problem: It changes from a simple family film to a cheesy action movie spoof, turning away two different types of target audiences. Second problem: Pop culture references every freaking minute! This movie probably holds the record for the most frequently used unnecessary pop culture references ever seen in a movie, almost making 4kids look like good scriptwriters back when they dubbed One Piece. I mean, half this stuff they're referencing doesn't even exist in this world the movie's giving us.

I guess something else I need to go into is Doogal himself, the puppy hero of this story. First of all, his voice was less annoying in the trailers, but all in all, it wouldn't have mattered. He's an unlikeable character. He's annoying, he's whiny, everything about him is just annoying. In one scene where a rather awesome character dies, he says "Oh no" in this very mellow-sounding voice like he doesn't care.

As for the other characters: They're not bad characters. They're at least more tolerable than Doogal, but they're kinda hit-and-miss. Apparently, the snail has a copy of Halo in his shell.

Back to the humour: A lot of it just feels forced beyond compare, and it's not just pop culture references, though those do pretty much prevent this from being funny. There are also some horrid puns and other bad dialogue that just make it almost... unbearable.

Another thing that just gets me is that it seems like the writers are blatantly trying to point out every cliché this movie has, rushing the dialogue, forcing dramatic tension, and it all just feels pointless as it comes across as a bad joke rather than an actually emotional moment.

All in all, Doogal had potential but turned out to be nothing more than pure garbage. I don't even think a kid would get half the "jokes" (I use that term very loosely!) in this. Overall, I give Doogal 1/10 for taking a descent idea and turning it into garbage.

But wait! This review isn't over yet! There is one last thing I've forgotten to go into!

Now, as disappointed as I was by this movie being just as bad as everyone else said it was, I was actually angered when I discovered that Doogal isn't even an original idea from the US. It's actually the Americanized dub of a British film called The Magic Roundabout, based off of a popular stop-motion cartoon of the same title. See, I just don't get why a British film should have to be dubbed into English if it's already in English, but I digress, this made me lose it.

I can't exactly remember how or where as this was long ago, but I had the privilege of seeing the original film to see for myself if it was any better. To put it simply: It's MUCH better, but that's like saying Bush was a better leader than Hitler. *Insert booing here* Okay, okay, that's harsh, but nonetheless, to say The Magic Roundabout is much better than Doogal isn't saying much as 95% of the world's movies, even the bad ones, have also pulled it off.

However, while Doogal was a festering pile of trash, Magic Roundabout is a descent family film and nothing more. British critics praised it for having a lot of the charm from the show but also got at it for its clichéd story and, yeah, how it changes from a simple family film to an action movie spoof.

Let's talk about the good aspects now that the bad ones are out of the way: The unlikeable characters from the US remake are likable in the original version, even Doogal, but he's more tolerable than actually likable. The story is told better and it's easier to take seriously while throwing in a number of jokes that don't feel forced. (The snail's copy of Halo was originally a toothbrush, for example)

Another thing: No horrid puns or pop culture references! That made this so much more tolerable. However, much like Doogal, the voice acting is a bit hit-and-miss. Some voices fit a LOT better while others I found better in the US dub.

All in all, Magic Roundabout is nothing special, but it's a descent family film and if you watch Doogal first, you'll only find yourself liking it better. Sadly, the only way to see it in America is to order it off Ebay. (Unless there are US stores that sell this movie. I honestly wouldn't know as I live in Canadaland, which doesn't sell it!)

Overall: Doogal- Score: 1/10 Recommendation: Wait for it to come on TV and see for yourself whether you'll like it or not. Would I get it on DVD?: NO!!!! Magic Roundabout- Score: 5/10 Recommendation: Find a section for it on Ebay, look at the price and think about whether you really wanna order it or not. It's not a must-see, so don't make any rash decisions. Would I get it on DVD?: This is a big maybe for me. I might but I doubt I will.

This movie's not really as bad as people say it is, but it's nothing great either. First of all, it has stunning visuals, especially for something done with light wave. Also, the idea was admirable enough. However, I felt that there was no feeling put into this. I felt no heart, no soul and no wit, just a cheap cash plug. Also, as another before me has said, the story is predictable and flat and the characters are stale too.

Here's something the writers need to realize. Stunning visuals are only good when they're backed up by actual effort. Overall, it's not horrible, it's just not exactly good either. It's average.

I've been a long-time Simpsons fan, but I agree that this movie was a poor effort on their part. I do indeed agree with most of the negative reviews, but most of the people who flame this movie aren't really that honest about it and don't give enough insight to really say what made this movie bad. So here we go, a much more honest review from a long-time Simpsons fan: The storyline was really generic and like others say, it does seem like propaganda, but that's not why I didn't really like this movie all that much. Animations were indeed spectacular, but I'll be lying if I said they weren't trying too hard to impress audience members, because let's not forget, a majority of today's typical viewers care more about animations than quality, which I find sad. As for humour, this is the most important category, in my opinion. It was there, I did laugh a few times, but it was really lacking and I really felt it was trying too hard. Worst thing was that Homer was basically unlikable throughout the entire thing when he's usually a pretty lovable guy from time-to-time.

Overall, this movie was really average in my eyes. It had potential and just barely passed. If you're a Simpsons fan boy who thinks all Simpsons stuff HAS to be awesome and the best ever, you're fooling yourself, but who am I to say you can't enjoy it? If you do, go ahead. If you're a hater who never liked Simpsons in the first place, then just don't bother commenting on, let alone watching, this movie in the first place.

That is all.

Okay, lots of people hate this movie because it goes against just about everything Tom and Jerry stands for. There's a lack of random fighting, the two enjoy each-other's company WAY too much and the plot really has nothing to do with Tom and Jerry in the slightest.

However, does it stand out on its own? If this didn't have "Tom and Jerry" in the title and starred a different cat and mouse duo, would people like it better? As a matter of fact, it could. It's a typical everyday family film in the eyes of one who isn't a hardcore Tom and Jerry fanatic. The songs aren't quite as bad as people say they are, though cheesy nonetheless, and the jokes feel a little dry if you've been watching Tom and Jerry all your life, but it passes.

The plot's alright, but nothing special. It's mostly about a little girl trying to find her father while also trying to escape from a bunch of people who want her for money, and for some odd reason, Tom and Jerry just HAPPEN to get involved. You all saw it coming, right? Again, for the songs, even the villain songs aren't really anything special. However, they're not nearly as bad as people say they are. I actually like the song "Friends to the end" even if it was the song that turned Tom and Jerry into... *Cough* "Really good friends" and in the Nostalgia Critic's eyes "Destroyed them". However, they're not the kinds of songs you want to listen to all the time. If you did, you'd probably hate them.

All in all, as a Tom and Jerry film, it fails. It has little to no relevance to the old cartoons and didn't even seem to be about them more than half the time. However, as a stand-alone title, it's kind of like Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. If you can ignore the fact that it's supposed to be Tom and Jerry, you can at least enjoy it to some extent. Not a great film, but a good one. C+

I love how so many people just assume this is a kid's movie just because it's animated. This is based off of a novel for adults, so of course it's not for children. That's like parents complaining about Roger Rabbit being inappropriate for kids. Just because it's animated doesn't mean it's a kid's movie.

This movie is brilliant. It's gory, dark and disturbing... but it's disturbing in a learning sort of way. I'd recommend this film for young teens and up.

The plot is very well thought-out. Yeah, there are elements of Christianity in there, but that's hardly a bad thing.