Pluskylang Great Film overall

Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Rachmaninoff28 Oh dear... I would have liked to have given this film more than 2/10 since I did like it: There was definitely something likeable and enjoyable about its atmosphere and a few of the characters. What ruined it for me was the script writing. In fact, there were some of the lamest, most cringe- inducing, cliche-ridden lines in this film that I've heard for many years. In general, the actors did well in pulling them off, but I was still left feeling very, very unsatisfied by this aspect. In parts, it reduced what should have been quite a good film to second-rate Disney. But despite that, the film is still emotionally engaging

mike48128 Found at Big Lots in the bargain "dump bin"! Never released to USA theatres, but look for it on cable. Sure not your typical Timmy and Lassie-type dog movie. Filmed and adored in Australia where it was a huge hit. Beautiful Australian location cinematography. Based on a true story about a wandering "Australian Kelpie dog" that became beloved to most of the citizens of "Dampier" a rough-and-tumble mining town. Voted as the town's "common dog" owned by no one. Honorary member of the miner's union! He chose his own master! Named Red Dog because of his color and the iron-red dust. Some "cartoonish" moments as well: Red Dog vs. Red Cat in a whirlwind fight that certainly didn't happen as staged. Red Dog supposedly roams all over Australia (like a canine "Forest Gump") in search of his master, John Grant, who died tragically in a motorcycle accident. He finally returns home to die of old age and sickness. so the majority of the story is told via flash-backs. The first third of the movie is a bit slow as the main characters are introduced and the plot is developed. Some slight crudeness of language, situations, and local slang. Otherwise, an engaging dog story. Probably not for children under age 10 with only a few scenes slightly objectionable: a poisoned dog almost (but not) put-down. Red Dog vs. a live chicken dinner? (Also doesn't happen.) Two adults wrapped in sheets in bed. It gets better as it goes along, A good yarn and yes, there truly is a cast iron statue erected in Dampier, in Red Dog's honor. To soften the ending, one of Red Dogs' puppies is found and becomes the town's new mascot!

TxMike This is a movie with fictional characters but the story of a dog is based on popular folklore in the NW part of Australia, mostly the mining area on the coast near Dampier. Set in 1971 through 1979, it features the dog named "Red Dog" by the locals, that sort of shows up and becomes part of their lives. (It may be noted that just about everything is red there, because of the red soil and inevitable dust.)The first 15 to 20 minutes are a test of your viewing patience, for there isn't anything there particularly to draw the viewer interest, it just sets the time and location, a rather featureless area. But it does pick up after that and over all it is a superb, funny, and touching movie. Most of it is told in a series of flashbacks as Red Dog appears to be on his deathbed.The biggest name here is Josh Lucas who plays John , an American wanderer who never has spent longer than 2 years at one location in his adult life. He arrives to drive the bus, and Red Dog insinuates himself into John's life. Thus the comment, "sometimes you pick a dog, and sometimes he picks you." Red Dog picked him, even though all the other men would have liked Red Dog to be their best mate.One fateful day John gets a new passenger, very pretty Tasmanian native Rachael Taylor as Nancy , new in the area to work as a secretary. She and John hit it off right away and as it turns out she is the reason he stays there past his usual 2 years.Although this love story of John and Nancy is woven in, the movie always remains about Red Dog, his almost human-like qualities, and his positive influence on the community of workers from all parts of the world. I saw it via Netflix streaming movies, it is one of the better movies I have seen lately.A side note, John has a motorcycle and it is an authentic Honda Four cylinder 750K which was first produced in 1969 and with its innovations changed the world of consumer motorcycles. Seeing that in the movie brought back good memories, a co-worker of mine owned one of those original Honda Fours back in the early 1970s.SPOILERS: John proposes to Nancy, she accepts, but after he leaves her place one morning on his motorcycle he never shows up for work, and no one knows where he is. Friends go looking for him, spot a dead 'roo on the road, then find John had hit it, he lay dead in the ditch. Life goes on but after waiting 3 weeks for John to return, Red Dog spends years wandering all over NW Australia looking for him. Not finding him, as Red Dog gets older and is in a back room of the local bar where everyone congregates, Red Dog gets up and sneaks out. They eventually find him dead, at John's grave site. The movie ends a year later as one of the guys brings Nancy a puppy, it looks just like Red Dog. Plus the locals erect a bronze statue of Red Dog.

seamus-69 Red Dog is a movie which will tell you more about yourself than you might believe. At an extreme, if you like it, you're an empathetic soul who can revel in a good yarn and be whisked away into a world of yesteryear. If you don't like it you are probably a narcissist. So if you know where you sit on the scale between empathetic soul and narcissist you can simply decide to watch it based on your own assumption of your character. The movie has very few flaws (yes I am the empathetic soul) that aren't easily forgivable, the clichés are there but not overstated and the cast all perform admirably. An excellent soundtrack and the best dog acting you may ever see make this a must see family movie. Enjoy it!!