[.ca] Snow Dogs (Full Screen)

From Amazon.com:
This is not a fantasy about talking dogs--it's a heartwarming story about personal growth starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and a sled team of Siberian huskies. When Dr. Ted Brooks, a successful, sun-loving dentist from Miami, receives a summons to the minuscule town of Tolketna, Alaska, his mother is forced to confess that he was adopted. Teddy's desire to quickly return to Miami yields to a burgeoning curiosity about his deceased mother and biological father. Teddy's experiences in Alaska acquaint him firsthand with the wonders of sled dogs, the sport of mushing, human sacrifice, and love. The city slicker's hilarious attempts to mush even culminate in a hero's reception at the finish of the prestigious "Arctic Challenge." Snow Dogs is 99 minutes of breathtaking vistas, amusing comedy, and entertainment suited for the entire family. Rated PG due to the occasional outhouse joke and other mild crude humor. --Tami Horiuchi

A charmer fit for the family, even the pets will love it!:
A Miami dentist and a team of sledding dogs combine for a humorous, snow-filled adventure. Dr. Ted Brooks (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) has a successful practice, "Hot Smile," when one day his mother drops the news that he was adopted. He soon finds himself in a small Alaska town to claim his inheritance, which includes no money but plenty of dogs - not such a good match for the wealthy, canine-hater! Before heading back to balmy Florida, however, he braves the frigid climate in search of his biological father. He slowly finds himself drawn to the simplicity of the town and its people, including Barb, a tough but sweet bartender, and Thunder Jack (James Coburn), a very rough-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside "musher." When the "Arctic Challenge" sled race begins soon after, Brooks and his new canine friends discover the meaning of love and family. There is so much to enjoy about this movie, which comes from a long tradition of Disney snow/dog/sled racing classics ("Snowball Express," "White Fang," "Iron Will"). It's lighter in tone but still provides some thrilling moments against a spectacular Alaskan backdrop. (They could have capitalized on the scenery even more.) The laughs come naturally in this script, as a Southern city slicker thrust into the Alaskan wilderness is bound to run into goofy situations. Cuba Gooding, Jr. is in fine comedic form, and a scraggly James Coburn easily takes to his lighter side. Both actors have proven their dramatic prowess with serious, decidedly adult roles, but the two fit snuggly into this family film and share some amusing and touching scenes. Though "Snow Dogs" lacks the scriptural tightness of films before it, it warms the heart.

What's with the running gag about Michael Bolton???:
My 6-year-old is obsessed with this film. It seems like every time I hear the TV turn on, my daughter's got "Snow Dogs" popped into the VCR...again (sigh...)! It's harmless good fun and I certainly don't mind hearing her gleeful laughter resounding through the house. The only thing that gets on my nerves are the Michael Bolton references. Michael Bolton's music is used in the film soundtrack. Michael Bolton is a White recording artist, but his most successful releases have consistently been cover versions of songs by Black artists. The central character in "Snow Dogs" finds out that he's not only adopted but also only half-Black. His foster mother promptly quips that maybe this is the reason he likes Michael Bolton's music so much. Then at some point Michael Bolton himself makes a cameo in the film. And Bolton's music returns as the credits roll, this time a cover of a Stevie Wonder classic. Was this redundancy really necessary? Aside from that, I think "Snow Dogs" is a heartwarming family movie that parents will be able to tolerate without going nuts the twentieth time the kids put it on. Don't hesitate to check it out!

THE DOGS ARE THE SHOW:
Critics have pretty much bashed this movie, stating that Oscar winner Cuba Gooding has sunk to depths unprecedented by previous winners. A little harsh; SNOW DOGS works not because of Cuba; it works because it's hearts in the right place and the dogs are a pleasure to watch, especially Demon and Nana. There is one hilarious dream sequence where the dogs are sunning themselves on the beach, in lounge chairs, sunglasses and drinks in hand. Cuba does better once he gets over the prat-falling sequences early in the movies; Gooding comes nowhere near the masters of this: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Dick van Dyke and Jerry Lewis. But once Gooding stops trying to be these guys, his performance settles down, and he avoids killing the movie. Also, James Coburn is delightful as his "father", and Nichelle Nichols is even more beautiful than she was in "Star Trek." There's nothing new in this movie, but as typical Disney fare, it has an upbeat message and everything goes just as one would hope and expect; the Alaska backdrop is sumptous, too. Don't let the horrible reviews influence you; if you like this kind of "feel good" movie, it's fine.

Hilarious Family from Disney!:
Again, Disney has made a family classic for the whole family. Cuba plays Ted Brooks, a Miami dentist, that learns he is aopted when he is served to attend the reading of his biological mother's will in a small Alaska town. On arrival, he runs into his mother's champion Sled Dogs. Espically the lead dog, who gives him a serious bad time. On top of this, the local legend, Thunder Jack, harrasses him of wanting the dogs. When things couldn't get worse, he finds out that Thunder Jack is indeed his father! To proove that he isn't some city slicker that's out of his league, he tries to learn the sport! I got a kick of all the adventures this poor character goes through in learning how to ride a sled, and the bad time the dogs give him. The dogs don't talk though, that was just a dream scene. This is filled with physical humor, and jockes that will give you a good time. It also has a touching story and a happy ending that makes this enjoyable for everyone!

Cute Fun Family Fare:
Cuba is so fun in this fish out of water story. Now I want to see him do a remake of the UGLY Dacshaund! Get Bill Cosby to play the vet who talks him into a Great Dane:) The CG dogs in Snow Dogs steal the show- Nana is so sweet you want to just let her curl up with you and make everything better. The transformation of Ted Brooks DDS into Ted Brooks dog lover is fun and funny- a must for all family collections