Red Dog (2011)
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Reviews Counted: 31
Fresh: 25 | Rotten: 6
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 1
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 0
liked it
Average Rating: 3.9/5
User Ratings: 2,946
My Rating
Movie Info
Based on the legendary true story of the Red Dog who united a disparate local community while roaming the Australian outback in search of his long lost master.
Oct 2, 2012
Arc Entertainment
- Official Site
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Cast
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Josh Lucas
John Grant -
Luke Ford
Thomas -
Rachael Taylor
Nancy Grey -
Noah Taylor
Jack Collins -
Keisha Castle-Hughes
Rose -
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All Critics (33) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (6)
It's not quite as blatant a tearjerker as some of its pooch-based predecessors, and frankly, it's all the better for it.
Top CriticIt's guaranteed to bring tears and laughter to popular audiences, and those who turn up their muzzles at it are on a canine to nothing.
Even hardened blokes will struggle not to choke back a few tears at the end.
Pretty sappy stuff, but the film-makers use knowing humour to snare more cynical viewers and are well-served by the cast.
I do like a good dog in a family movie.
Heart's in the right place, but very broad and quite irritating too.
Hollywood's own family fare could probably learn a little from this sweet-natured and surprisingly affecting Aussie hit.
Well, it's a doggy story for humans, anyway: an avowedly true-life tale that comes across like a well-meaning PG-certification of the real world.
Shamelessly enjoyable, this raucous Aussie movie keeps us laughing - and ultimately sniffling back the tears - as it recounts an urban myth.
All this is relayed in flashback and the storytelling is a tad episodic but it's exuberantly told, with some engaging characters and colourful visuals. Dog-lovers may even find themselves wiping away a tear or two.
Enjoyable, emotionally engaging doggy drama with likeable characters, a nicely structured script, a strong sense of place and terrific performances from a superb ensemble cast.
The humans are a pretty generic, but the dog is a charmer.
A heartwarming tale about man's best friend.
The human characters are rather sketchily drawn and the storytelling follows a blandly 'uplifting' path.
A film with as much substance as a very long beer ad.
Miners are telling Red Dog stories, and so it's essentially a series of personal flashbacks that grow larger with the retelling, exactly the way mythology gets kickstarted.
I was immensely moved by "Red Dog", and I can't picture a movie-goer who won't be. It's wonderful.
Audience Reviews for Red Dog
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Based on a short story penned by Louis de Bernieres, who was inspired by actual events in Australia, director Kriv Stenders has risen to the challenge. Red Dog is a stunningly shot fable that captures the beauty of the Outback while never losing sight of the human - and canine - spirit needed to exist in the often harsh environs.
Koko the dog plays as title role has expressions that would make some actors look wooden. He steals your heart. The landscapes of the northwest show the expanse of the area, whilst capturing the spirit of the 'settlers' of Dampier, which is a real town. It's a wild country and the stubby shorts the blokes are wearing are so 1970's.
As for star power, Josh Lucas stars as the wanderer turned bus driver John who becomes the one and only de-facto owner of Red Dog as they form a loyal master-dog relationship, with Rachael Taylor playing Nancy his love interest whom he met while serving the community, and she getting into a tussle with Red Dog on his bus. Their romance will form the crux which the story will revolve around briefly, although there are other stories which I enjoyed such as how Red Dog got into assisting an Italian miner Vanno (Arthur Angel) go after a nurse (Keisha Castle-Hughes), and a heart-wrenching moment involving the themes of loyalty and longing. And I was surprised to see two supporting actors, Noah Taylor and Loene Carmen played as married couple, reunited again since 1987's The Year My Voice Broke - almost 25 years.