DOOGAL

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Rated G. Ok for kids 3+. Released in theaters Feb. 24, 2006. 2.5 out of 4 Reels.

Should you bring the kids? This movie works best for kids aged 3 to 6. Although it has plenty of adult-centric jokes and references, they fall a little flat after about 20 minutes, as if they're dropped in merely for the sake of appealing to adults. For more on specific age groups, see "Bringing the Kids" below.

THE STORY: This animated movie tells the story of four friends who must foil an evil sorcerer named Zeebad (voiced by Jon Stewart) before he puts the Earth into a deep freeze. There's Doogal, a candy-loving pooch who's cute as the dickens (Kenan Thompson); Dylan, a laid-back, guitar-rockin' bunny (Jimmy Fallon); Brian, a shy little snail (William H. Macy); and Ermintrude, an opera-singing cow (Whoopi Goldberg).

To keep Zeebad from freezing the earth, the four heroes must find three magic diamonds. And to do that, they have to climb icy mountains, navigate fiery pits of molten lava, sail across vast oceans, and pass through a booby-trapped temple guarded by an army of ninja skeleton warriors. Here comes the message: along the way, they discover their most powerful weapon -- their friendship.

Integral to the story is Florence, a charming little girl who is Doogal's best friend. But when she finds herself imprisoned in a chamber of ice – or, more accurately, a frozen carousel -- will Doogal and his friends get her out in time?

This movie is based on a popular BBC children's television series shown in the U.K. between 1964 and 1967, in 5-minute episodes each evening before the news. The series has since been shown on more than 98 TV stations world wide and translated into 28 languages. A movie entitled "The Magic Roundabout" was released in the U.K. last year to much fanfare (although some say it bears little resemblance to the TV series). Now in the U.S. with the name "Doogal" and different voices, this is an entertaining movie for kids aged 3 to 6.

THE WRAP-UP: It's not often a G-rated movie comes along that's entertaining and also has a good message. While this movie gets a little tiresome for older kids and adults, there's no question that preschoolers will love it. A bonus is the mini-movie, "Gopher Broke," at the beginning. Similar to that acorn-crazy Scrat from "Ice Age," this gopher has one heck of a time trying to get his fill of veggies on a deserted country road.

BRINGING THE KIDS:

PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): Little ones will love the colorful, funny, and noisy adventures of these characters. And they might just pick up on the messages of friendship and courage, too. Be aware, however, that this movie just barely snuck under the G radar, as there are plenty of off-color jokes, including a flatulence-challenged moose.

GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): This movie has lots of action, fun characters, and some powerful messages about love, friendship, and not judging a book by its cover. But it moves a little slow in parts, and my two eight-year-old charges grew restless. The preschoolers who sat next to us, however, were laughing in glee throughout the whole movie.

SCORE: 2.5 out of 4 Reels.

Jane's Reel Rating System:

One Reel – Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels – Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.

Four Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

E-chat with me at jane@reellifewithjane.com - I LOVE to talk about movies!

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