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Rock Dog 2: Rock Around the Park
By Jennifer Green,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Animated sequel has positive messages, minor scares.
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Rock Dog 2: Rock Around the Park
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What's the Story?
Wannabe rock star Bodi (voiced by Graham Hamilton), star of the film Rock Dog, once again leaves his mountain village and tight-knit family to seek fame in ROCK DOG 2: ROCK AROUND THE PARK. This time he does so at the hand of music producer Lang (Jason Simpson), who promises to make him a star along with his bandmates Darma (Ashleigh Ball) and Germur (Andrew Francis). What he doesn't know is that Lang isn't who he says he is and he has an ulterior motive. He begins primping Bodi to believe himself a star and trust Lang over his bandmates, friends, and family, following in the footsteps of Lang's uber-celebrity Lil' Foxy (Kathleen Barr). One part of Lang's master plan is to stage the demolition of Rock-n-Roll Park, where all the animals converge to play their music, in order to "save" it himself with a benefit concert.
Is It Any Good?
Without any of the celebrity voices of the prequel and a familiar storyline of the prodigal son venturing out, making mistakes, and returning home a better person, this sequel falls a little short. The settings of Rock Dog 2: Rock Around the Park are once again memorable, especially the Snow Mountain village. There's enough here for fans of the original movie and characters to find something to like, though that film was not exactly a box office success.
It's not totally clear who the makers of this franchise think their audience actually is. The messages seem aimed at young kids, but will that demographic know any of the musical references or recognize a 45 rpm adapter, which features here? Tossing around social media terms doesn't automatically make a script younger. The producer character is enjoyably campy at times, but putting more actual kids in the movie might have been a good idea. This film aims for feel-good, but it seems to settle at feel-okay with meh jokes and music. Maybe the third time will be the charm -- Rock Dog 3 is already in the works.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the lessons Bodi learns in Rock Dog 2: Rock Around the Park. Why did Bodi agree to the image makeover? Why were his friends upset about it?
Does the setting of this film look familiar or not? Where do you imagine the village is? How about the city?
What other films have you watched with dogs and other animals as main characters? Were they humanized like here (walking upright on two feet, speaking English)?
What character strengths and life skills were on display here?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: June 11, 2021
- Cast: Michael Adamthwaite , Ashleigh Ball , Kathleen Barr
- Director: Mark Baldo
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Adventures , Friendship , Music and Sing-Along
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: November 2, 2022
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