Arctic Dogs
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Strong voice cast can't save bland animated adventure.
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Arctic Dogs
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Based on 5 parent reviews
My child is crying
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Misses the Mark
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What's the Story?
ARCTIC DOGS follows Swifty (voiced by Jeremy Renner), a white arctic fox who feels invisible in the snowy tundra town of Taigasville. Swifty grows up idolizing the town's most popular creatures: the Arctic Blast Delivery Service's (ABDS) three Top Dogs (Duke, Dakota, and Dusty). They pull the mail sleds and deliver all the packages in the isolated community. Swifty grows up to work for the ABDS, with dreams of getting promoted to Top Dog. When Duke (Michael Madsen), Dakota (Laurie Holden), and Dusty (Donny Falsetti) go missing, Swifty steps up to deliver the mail, including that of his old friend/lifelong crush, Jade (Heidi Klum), who now does remote mechanical repairs. What Jade doesn't know -- but Swifty soon discovers -- is that she's building and fixing parts for Otto Van Walrus (John Cleese), a bitter walrus who has a gang of puffin assistants and nefarious plans.
Is It Any Good?
Despite an impressive voice cast, this snowy animal adventure is disappointing; it feels more suited to a shorter TV or streaming special than a feature release. Even the initial premise is shaky: The Top Dogs aren't Iditarod-style racers, they're mail carriers, so it's unclear why they're such celebrities when the whole town is full of community helpers who are just as important to life in Taigasville. The voice acting is fine (although Klum isn't as expressive as her co-stars), but there's no propulsive music or exciting adventure sequences to set this movie apart.
Younger (single-digit-age) viewers may forgive the underwhelming narration and animation to focus on the sillier characters, like the kooky puffins and Swifty's workplace pals, Lemmy the albatross (James Franco) and PB the voice-of-reason polar bear (Alec Baldwin). But older kids and parents who are used to more layered, musical, and exciting animated fare will wonder what audiences the filmmakers were targeting. Sure, there's an environmental message to be extracted, but it's tacked on rather than woven in, and Swifty simply isn't likable enough to carry the story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about talking-animal movies. Why are they popular, particularly with younger kids? How does Arctic Dogs compare with some of your favorites?
Are there any characters you consider role models? What character strengths do they display in the story?
What are the movie's messages about the environment? What steps can you and your family take to help the environment?
How does the Taigasville community come together at the end of the movie? What positive changes do they make?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 1, 2019
- On DVD or streaming: February 4, 2020
- Cast: Jeremy Renner, James Franco, Alec Baldwin
- Director: Aaron Woodley
- Studio: Open Road Films
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship, Wild Animals
- Run time: 93 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: some mild action and rude humor
- Last updated: April 29, 2023
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