Red Dog, 2011.
Directed by Kriv Stenders.
Starring Koko, Josh Lucas, Rachael Taylor, Noah Taylor, John Batchelor, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Loene Carmen and Luke Ford.
SYNOPSIS:
The remarkable story of the legendary Red Dog and the small mining community of Dampier, Western Australia.
Last year, as canine sensation Uggie carved a path to international superstardom in The Artist, another dog actor, Koko, was quietly going about his business Down Under as the lead in Australian director Kriv Stenders’ Red Dog. Based on Louis de Bernières book of the same name, Red Dog tells the remarkable true story of the ‘Pilbara Wanderer’ – a legendary Aussie dog who became famous for his travels around the North West region of Australia in the 1970s. A huge hit in its native country (where it is the third-biggest home-entertainment release of all-time behind Avatar and Finding Nemo), Red Dog went largely unnoticed when it enjoyed a brief cinema release here in the UK in February and it will be a crying shame if this charming little comedy-drama doesn’t find an audience now that it’s arrived on DVD.
Driving through the Australian Outback, a trucker (Luke Ford; Animal Kingdom) happens upon a bar in the North-Western mining town of Dampier where, in the back room, a rag-tag bunch of locals prepare to shoot a dying dog. They can’t, for this is no ordinary dog… it’s the renowned Red Dog, the heart and soul of this small community – a dog who has touched the lives of each and every one of the townsfolk and now lies fighting for his life after being poisoned by strychnine. As the residents of Dampier gather to await Red Dog’s fate, his extraordinary ‘tale’ (apologies) is recounted through a series of heartfelt personal accounts.
Arriving in the town as a stray, Red Dog immediately brings the disparate community of lonely miners together, offering both companionship and laughter with his cheeky yet loveable antics. Eventually Red Dog selects his one true master, John, an American bus driver played by Josh Lucas (A Beautiful Mind), and the two become inseparable. However, in a cruel twist of fate, John is killed in a tragic motorcycle accident; unable to account for his master’s whereabouts, Red Dog sets off on an incredible journey to find John, earning near-mythical status through his extensive travels across the Australian North West and beyond.
For as much as Red Dog is based around the life of this remarkable pooch, it’s also the story of a community coming together. Like Red Dog, each of the inhabitants arrived in Dampier as a stray, giving up their friends and family to carve out a living in the middle of nowhere, and through him they discover an unbreakable sense of loyalty and companionship. It’s all heart-warming stuff, balanced out with a solid dose of Aussie humour, and as you’ve probably already guessed, you’ll be left fighting back tears almost as often as laughter, especially once director Kriv Stenders really starting pulling at the heartstrings in the latter stages of the film.
Although the ensemble cast – which includes the likes Lucas, Ford, Rachael Taylor (Transformers), Noah Taylor (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), John Batchelor (Sea Patrol), Rohan Nichol (Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith) and Arthur Angel (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) – each do a fine job, the true star of the show is Koko, who really brings heaps of character to the role of Red Dog. Koko bagged himself the ‘Best Dog in a Foreign Film’ gong at the inaugural Golden Collar Awards, and it’s certainly one of the best canine performances that I can recall.
Overall, I found myself thoroughly impressed by Red Dog, and even if you’re not a huge fan of man’s best friend, you should still find plenty to enjoy in this film. It’s wholesome family entertainment at its very best and if it had been made by a major Hollywood studio I’m sure it would have been a huge hit. Then again, if it had been made by a major Hollywood studio, it would probably feature a talking dog, so do yourself a favour and see this Australian gem before they get the chance to do a remake.
Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Gary Collinson is a writer and lecturer from the North East of England. He is the editor-in-chief of FlickeringMyth.com and the author of Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.
Originally published June 1, 2012. Updated April 12, 2018.
