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Chance
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Violent animated movie against dogfighting; abuse, cursing.
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Chance
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What's the Story?
CHANCE (voiced as an adult by Will Cannon) is a happy, lucky pit bull pup who lives in a nice yard with his mom and his littermates. He's the kind of dog who'd rather watch the shapes in the clouds and ask his mom questions about the rest of the world than play with his brothers and sisters. That is, until the day a stranger comes and takes him away from the only home he's ever known, and throws him into a barren, dirt-covered yard with a lot of big, mean dogs. Soon he learns that all the dogs are there to fight each other, and to kill or be killed. But Chance doesn't want to fight, much less kill. Fortunately, he becomes friends with two other puppies in the yard, and the three help each other grow and endure the harsh realities of their world. But they all know that one day it'll be their turn to fight. When his turn comes, will Chance be able to hold on to his beliefs and dreams of freedom?
Is It Any Good?
The filmmakers certainly have their hearts in the right place by wanting to raise awareness and encourage reporting of dogfighting. Unfortunately, Chance misses a lot of opportunities to really drive the message home effectively. The voice actors sound like they're reading out loud instead of inhabiting a character, and awkward lengths of time between lines of dialog add to the sense that the characters aren't really together in the same place. The animation is fairly realistic looking, but especially when it comes to movement and texture, it lacks some of the details and finesse that could make characters more expressive and make it easier to believe that they're really in the spaces created by the backgrounds.
Dog lovers, and especially pit bull lovers, who can handle the violence may enjoy the story of a dog who won't give up, but it's not a feel-good movie for the whole family, and sensitive viewers of any age may find the depictions of violence and abuse too much. Although there's little blood and no gore, the extended depictions of animal abuse and cruelty, as well as the occasional strong language, make it best for teens and up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Chance. How much is too much? Does it make a difference if the movie is trying to make a point? Why or why not?
What about the strong language? Is it gratuitous? Would the story be any different, or any more or less realistic without swear words? Does it matter that it's not very often?
Did you know about dogfighting before you saw this movie? Did the movie change how you think about it? What did you learn about it?
Movie Details
- In theaters: May 19, 2019
- On DVD or streaming: May 5, 2021
- Cast: Will Cannon , Peppur Chambers , Eddie Goines
- Director: Kenny Roy
- Studio: Vision Films
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice , Friendship
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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