Doogal

What’s the Story?

Narrated by Judi Dench, this U.S. remake of the animated 1960s-70s British series The Magic Roundabout tells the story of a careless puppy named Doogal (Daniel Tay). When Doogal crashes a candy cart into the frozen chamber of evil Zeebad (Jon Stewart), the wicked wizard is released and sets out to rule and also freeze the world. Zeebad imprisons Doogal's girl, Florence (Kylie Minogue), along with some other children, recruits a wooden soldier, Sam (Bill Hader), as his sidekick, and sets off to find the magic diamonds that will grant him unending power. The rescue is left to Doogal and his friends, including the opera-singing, disco-dancing cow Ermintrude (Whoopi Goldberg), determined snail Brian (William H. Macy), laidback bunny Dylan (Jimmy Fallon), and convenient vehicle Train (Chevy Chase). They set out to find Zeebad and the diamonds.

Is It Any Good?

Unoriginal and only sometimes cute, DOOGAL is mostly harmless, but dull. The current version features the original's so-so animation and storyline, and ongoing pop cultural references that don't build narrative or character relationships, but only provide punch-lines for jokes never initiated.

The film is preceded by a short, Gopher Broke, in which a gopher tries to pick up vegetables dropped of passing pickup trucks, only to have every tidbit stolen by other creatures (squirrel, chickens, crows) and also be run down by trucks, smacked by a road sign, and smashed by a falling cow.