The Plague Dogs

I'm not sure this is a film I would watch again, but I think Richard Adams really succeeded in his aim to get people thinking about the awful animal testing that was going on around that time. As a big fan of Watership Down, although that was an intense story, this rather has just one aim in its mission to highlight the atrocities of how we have treated animals. *****Spoilers****** The ending differs from that of the book slightly however I sense in both cases Mr Adams actually intends thé pair not to survive. The island they speak of most likely being the Isle of Man is 47 miles from the beach they set off from so it's unlikely they ever would make it. I think it's a real shame it couldn't have a bitter sweet ending like Watership down but I feel this was on purpose because may of the animals we have mistreated never have a happy ending and that's really what the point of the film is about. Really good movie in terms of its aim, but not a happy story so I'll probably just leave it at that.

I can't even decide how I feel about this movie. I think part of that is because I didn't connect with the characters the way I did with Watership Down. I guess I wanted more of the same. And while Plague Dogs does have a lot of similarities with WD, it just didn't capture my fascination in the same way. It makes me question what I consider to be entertainment--how can I be enjoying something that shows such terrible things? This is a bleak as it gets--you really want the characters' suffering to end so badly that you almost hope they are put out of their misery. But I guess that is part of the appeal for some viewers, who agree that terrible things happen in the real world, and that this movie is just reflecting that. I liked the experience of reading the book more than watching the movie, because in the movie it often feels like the dogs are just going from place to place, while in the book, you really get a sense of how many close calls they make it out of. It definitely made me feel something, and those emotions are conflicted.

This is a damn good attempt to make a feature film out of my favourite Richard Adams book. The problem with the book is that some of the digressions into politics and journalism are just a bit too long and self-indulgent, which disrupts the flow of the story. I'd certainly have edited down Digby Driver's part to something still vital to the plot, but more concise and direct. This animated adaptation cuts out the worst excesses of those digressions, but cuts too much else as well, in my opinion. The character-establishing story of Snitter's former master and his sister is virtually excised, for instance. The ending stops short of the original, leaving it ambiguous and darker. In addition, some of the animation makes the animals' movements look a little unnatural. Like 'Watership Down', they have employed a starry British cast of voice actors, and this is a great strength of this film. Overall, recommended, but be aware that, while parts of the original story are best discarded for narrative flow, some lost elements should have been left in. I don't imagine anyone will be attempting a new version of 'The Plague Dogs' any time soon, so this more-than-worthy effort is a good primer for anyone wanting to read the book itself. Plus, for those who are distressed by the final act, the book has a much happier ending.

The Plague Dogs is impressively animated (especially in the opening scenes) and, for a cartoon, remarkably downbeat. While the book suffered from a "tell, don't show" attitude, spending much of its time in an impassioned and sometimes overwrought critique of animal experimentation (perhaps justified; the horrific and generally ludicrous experiments in the book were apparently based on actual horrific and ludicrous animal experiments), the movie is content to show you what happens and let you be horrified on your own. People are wisely pushed as far out of the movie as possible, allowing it to be focused almost entirely on the animal protagonists. Sadly, the best thing about the book, Snitter's extreme confusion between fantasy and reality, and his poetic way of speaking, have been almost entirely lost in the movie. The book's description of Snitter's experience in the shed is far more surreal than what you get in the movie.

A beautifully melancholy and poignant story about companionship, loyalty, and hope. An incredibly strong cast (including the classically trained John Hurt and Patrick Stewart) give this excellently scripted tale a fully believable life of its own, more vivid and heartfelt than the majority of blockbuster Hollywood movies you're likely to see this year (or any other for that matter). If the fact that this is an animation puts you off, do yourself a favour and don't let it. Once the narrative is under way I defy anyone to find the animation detrimental to the experience. Certainly in regards to the genre of animated films this is superior to anything Disney have ever done, both in respect of visual and intellectual content, and stands alone as a benchmark of what can be achieved in the genre. From the creators of 'Watership Down', this film shares the same author and production company, but despite its PG certificate you should be warned that some scenes may be upsetting, not specifically for younger viewers but for everyone - this is a genuine tear-jerker of a film. Highly recommended. If you don't watch it you are doing yourself a disservice.

A forgotten animated film directed by the man who made Watership Down in 1978, and also adapted from a novel by the same author who wrote it, Richard Adams. Watership Down is famously not for small kids, although it's smart and good for older children. The Plague Dogs, on the other hand, is so relentlessly bleak that it makes Watership Down look like The Rescuers Down Under. You might call it All Dogs Go to Heaven, but Only After They've Been Through Hell. That's not to disparage it, but just to paint the mood. The story follows two dogs who escape from a government lab where they've been cruelly experimented upon. The film opens with one of the two protagonists, Rowf, struggling to stay afloat in a giant tank of water as two researchers take notes. We watch the poor lab sink to the bottom of the tank, drowned. The scientists pull him out and revive him. The second protagonist, Snitter, has had experimental brain surgery performed on him, and he has trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality. After the two escape, they forage the rather bare countryside for food. Finding little, they end up going after sheep. This puts the local farmers on the defensive, and they begin to hunt the two down like, well, dogs. When the laboratory releases information that the dogs may also be carrying bubonic plague, the military is called in to get rid of them. It's an extremely difficult movie to watch, especially if you love animals. A lot of people will be turned off because there is just no hope to be had. We know there is no real escape for the two. There's also constant talk about death between them, and how it might be better. It's dark as hell, and you should only show it to children if you want to give them nightmares or screw them up. Personally, I was deeply moved by the film and highly recommend it. Too bad Rosen didn't produce anything other animated films besides this and Watership Down. Both are beautifully animated (well, the animation is a little bit choppy in The Plague Dogs, but the drawings themselves are gorgeous), and he tells stories well. Supposedly this movie is a lot more solid than the original novel.

After watching the extended version + the end of the cut version, let me start from the end. It is same (or very slightly different) and neither distinctively suggesting that the dogs die or live, rather leaving You as a viewer to create the finish to this feature, and if I may say does it in very thoughtful way not to tip the balance leaving it open for interpretation, because You not going to see the dogs lifeless bodies float in the water, nor they reaching the shores of the island. Optimist will look at it as they didn't die, there is always hope in the life no matter how bad it is, and we will do whatever is necessary to survive. View of the pessimist is of course that the dogs died, the life sucks, and fight for life is fruitless. The fact that so many viewers are obsess to argue the end one way or the other must be the biggest disappointment to the creators of this film, because the end is as it is, only for the reason: It's not important! Watch the movie for all the great messages it delivers throughout the story. The dogs, who are victims in this film also do crimes even if it was accidentally or by the circumstance. Same goes for the people who are looking for them, they are not viciously hunting them but rather they are hunting the dogs that are threat to people and life stock. Contains fine dramatization of friendship and the sacrifices true friend do for each other. Definitely will make You think and have opinion. The film has melancholic overtones, it drags at times, and there are shortcomings from technical aspects such as: lack of underlying music which is painfully missing in some parts. 6.5 out of 10

As the plot synopsis has been covered in sufficient detail by many previous comments, I instead offer this comment as a humble plea to film and animation enthusiasts, such that they may actively seek out this criminally underrated and genuinely affecting animated drama. My hope would be that sufficient renewed interest in this successor to "Watership Down" might provide the impetus for a well-deserved North American reissue of the film in it's uncut version.(An uncut, 99 minute Region 4 PAL disc is now available online through import sites, while the only available Region 1 NTSC versions are of the 82 minute edit). The voicing of the two principle characters, the Smooth Terrier "Snitter" and the noble Labrador "Rowf", is nothing short of brilliant, with John Hurt providing an especially poignant turn as Snitter, whose brain has been tampered with at the research facility, thereby confusing his perception of objective/ subjective realities. There is a powerful message and some timely social commentary to be had here, though the film wisely refrains from overt didacticism and sentimentality. As fate would have it, the film will now stand as one of the last animated features to have been entirely hand colored (to great effect, I might add). At once powerful, haunting and emotionally draining, this film is surely not to be forgotten once viewed (example: many previous comments having mentioned the author retaining vivid recollections of the film from childhoods far removed). I implore you, please seek out a copy (cut or uncut) and view it with those closest to you. Discuss it with your friends, your children and fellow film enthusiasts. Let's not allow this masterwork to languish and slip into further obscurity. "I'm inside my head now. And it's where I should be... I can't come out. If I do, I'll go mad again" - Snitter

Richard Adams's novel 'The Plague Dogs' always stood in the shadow of his superior masterpiece - the classic 'Watership Down'. The same goes for the animated films, both of them directed by Martin Rosen. The animated version of The Plague Dogs, released four years after the acclaimed Watership Down, never quite achieved the kind of success its predecessor had; not because it wasn't as good, but because of pretty much the same reasons for the novel's limited success. While Watership Down hid violence and severe social-political criticism behind a disguise of a children's tale, The Plague Dogs is much more in-your-face, much less subtle, and makes no attempts to hide itself behind pretty words. The Plague Dogs is a tragic tale that is mercilessly critical toward modern society, taking a strict stand on the subject of cruelty to animals. The idea of an animated film strictly for adults was as difficult to swallow twenty years ago as the idea of a novel for adults told from an animal's point of view. Therefore, movie-goers didn't quite know what to make of the film; it didn't seem right for an adult to go watch an animated film about animals - and a parent who takes his little child to this film would face an even bigger problem of explaining to them why the bad people do such horrible things to the poor dogs. Fortunately, today we know that animation isn't just for kids, and we can fully appreciate this masterpiece. The story is that of two laboratory dogs, voiced brilliantly by John Hurt and Christopher Benjamin, who escape from their cages and from the lab seeking the freedom of the outside world, and finding out that surviving in the wilderness isn't as easy as that. The scientists have reason to believe that the dogs contacted a bubonic plague virus during their escape, and so the two must run for their lives and fight for survival. Most of the film is from the dogs' point of view (they are later joined by a fox, voiced by James Bolam, who helps them survive in the wild, not without his own reasons). On the other hand we also hear the humans' conversations, yet we never see a human being's face; Rosen doesn't allow us to sympathize or identify with any of the human characters. The animals are clearly the more humane here, and that's the basis of what Rosen and Adams say here. Be warned - don't let the animation fool you, this is not an easy watch. The violence in The Plague Dogs is more explicit than in most live action films, and the message it bears about human beings as a whole is difficult to swallow. John Hurt's performance as Snitter, alternately funny and sad, dominates the film, and it makes for one of the most beautiful and round animated characters ever seen on film. The story, especially that of Snitter's, is incredibly sad and touching, and is more powerful emotionally than any other animated feature I've seen. A highly recommended film, and not just for animation enthusiasts.

A perfect film. Strong characters, wonderful animation; a rarity. It manages to be real; it actually CAPTURES the totality of its components without catering to any audience. It's a difficult film to watch. You suffer alongside, vicariously. The hardships portrayed here are viciously painful. You'll hug your pets tight and be glad they wound up as your pets. This movie is very special - considering the content, it could have easily been pandering and preachy. It manages to go so far beyond anything you've ever experienced. It's quite an achievement on every level. It won't leave you happy, but it will affect you permanently. It is emotional, but never manipulative. It's a tragic and unrecognized masterpiece.

Martin Rosen's second animated film is a powerful piece, which is based on Richard Adams novel of the same name. The Plague Dogs is a very rare example of a film in the animation genre which strives for realism in the grittiest of senses. As far away from fluffy Disney films as one could imagine, this is a disturbing account of the hardships of two dogs who escape from an animal testing lab. The perceived haven of the real world soon turns out to be anything like Rowf and Snitter had hoped. However the friendship that is built through out the film between the two dogs and a rogue fox whom they meet, is touching and at times heartbreaking. To delve much further into the story would be to spoil certain aspects of the film, so that shall be left down to the viewer to discover. Suffice to say, the main strength of Plague Dogs is paradoxically the reason the film has found itself in obscurity. To this date the original, 'uncut', version has not been released on any small screen formats (not to my knowledge at least). This strength is the bravery with which Rosen tackles the story. Resulting from this is a down beat film that isn't suitable for, nor is it likely to interest most, children. This is more than likely the reason it never found the success of Rosen's previous feature, Watership Down. In short, this film deserves to be released in its full splendor and embraced by a whole new generation of film lovers. Anyone with a heart that isn't made of stone will get the appeal of this wonderful film.

This is an excellent animation, the second to be produced by Nepenthe following from 1978's "Watership Down". Although I prefer Watership Down, The Plague Dogs is certainly darker and more distressing/despairing/depressing, hence the PG rating (rather than Watership's U). Like Watership Down, Plague Dogs was written by Richard Adams, his statement against the horrors of vivisection. The story follows Rowf and Snitter, two dogs who escape from an animal research laboratory (just outside the Lakeland village of Coniston), and their attempts to evade capture, at first by farmers for killing sheep, and later by soldiers for reasons more sinister. By today's standards the animation does not look at all smooth - though I prefer this handmade quality, and I also appreciate the synthesised soundtrack, though it lapses into silliness at times. What sticks in the memory are the horrible things that continue to happen after Rowf and Snitter escape the lab, and how the animation comes to capture this. It is unusual to see animation being used to depict the horrible (being as I for one normally see it used for more saccharin Disneyesque purposes), but it works, just as Watership Down did. (Spoiler, next sentence) One particular scene of a shotgun accident works very well, in fact. The fact that it works well shouldn't stop this film being shown to children, that is to say: those who are old/mature enough to move on from the sentimentality of Disney et- al (bearing in mind its PG status). It could never be described as anything like sentimental. In fact, it starkly narrates our hopelessly backward thinking on life, and our senseless, thoughtless actions to its detriment. The fact that it narrated our heartless idiocy may have contributed to the film's poor takings, despite an excellent cast. For a film that did not perform well at the box office, there are a surprising number of copies available: on DVD versions have been published by Anchor Bay and "Hollywood DVD" (Air Media), I own the latter which is Region 0 (all PAL regions)... and it's the worst encoding I've ever seen on a DVD! From other reviews I'm told the Anchor Bay version is little better, and both versions are truncated. I regard my copy as a stopgap until the original full length 1982 version is released, rather than the 1984 cut. It was however, the cheapest DVD I've ever brought at £1.49. Nonetheless, it's extraordinary that a film of this calibre should have become so forgotten, and I strongly recommend it (even the badly mastered edited editions). For the fact fans among you: "Nepenthe": Mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, is an ancient Egyptian drug for the relief of melancholia. Coniston, the location of the animal research station, actually exists... though to the best of my knowledge there has never been an animal research station in or near the village. The village is in the Lake District National Park, Cumbria (North-West of England) (Spoiler) The original book had a happy (or at least happier) ending. The original book had illustrations by Alfred Wainwright!

I have never been a fan of anthropomorphism in film. Talking animals bug me. Most Disney work is likeable fluff with little substance and loads of Hollywood phoneyness. These aforementioned films are formulaic and frankly rather drab. But the Plague Dogs...the Plague dogs is an exception. The story of two infected dogs who escape from a containment facility is the most heart wrenching story I think I have read, and the film recreates that world perfectly. It is not that there is a bleeding heart liberal inside of me and I would stress that I am not a member of PETA. utr this film hurts. What makes this film hurt so damned much is that there is no option for the characters. You love them immediately for their innocence and nobility. You feel for them because they have no ability even if freed to make anything of their freedom. The dogs are our children. And the world they exist in, is our world, one we have allowed to stand. The Plague Dogs creates a world where the finest of our emotions falls short of saving the day. It creates a world where good things lose and die and bad things remain in control of the world, where friendship can fail, and even the trickster loses...and yet...the beauty of the story is how the best of our emotions, even though they will not neccessarily win the day, can make an ending bearable. Though this ending left me drained and hollow. This movie has the ability to shatter a viewer.

I first saw Plague Dogs when I was about 4 years old, right after I first saw Watership Down. I did not understand much of the film then, but now I do. This movie is not about happy endings, zesty lines, or colorful musical scenes. This is about the hardships of life and the ever growing errors of man's interuption in the animal kingdom. You will walk away depressed, but at the same time be more aware of how important respect towards animals is. If possible buy or rent this movie as soon as you see it. I do not believe it has ever been re-released in any form. The acting and direction feels very much like a live action film. Many things about Plague Dogs will stick in your mind for years.

As everyone else has already said - this is not a movie for kids,at least they should watch it with an adult. I first saw it at the cinema maybe 19-20 years ago and it has never left my mind.I remember crying in the end of the movie and when I hear "time and tide" it still makes me cry. It is very well made yet disturbing and as said before it has nothing in compare with Disneys animated musicals. There is nothing funny in this movie.Nothing to laugh at and it makes you feel very sad and depressed and ashamed of being a human. It is very sad that most people have never ever heard of it.It deserves a far better destiny than to just fade away in to the past. The only animated movies I can think of that is almost as touching (but still far from) as "Plague dogs",is perhaps Watership Down,Secret of NIHM,An American tail and Grave of the fireflies. I really hope that animators nowadays could watch Plague dogs and get some inspiration.Disneymovies are nice but they are far to sentimental in my opinion. Thats just one of the great things about Plague dogs - Its dark,grim and depressive but it NEVER EVER gets sentimental. Why cant anybody re-release it on VHS and DVD? "Memories is only about the past,the present time will never last, the future lies within your heart.I left this cruel world behind and I found my peace of mind.I don't feel no pain no more..."

Don't even think about showing this one to the kiddies. It's about two abused lab animals that escape only to find that the experiments that have been conducted on them leave them unfit to survive in the wild. Their desperate flight for survival leads them through a series of cruelties, heaped upon their lives already made wretched by torturous and seemingly unnecessary experimentation, that culminate in one of the most moving moments in the history of animation. I've always thought that animation could be more than an after-market money-machine vehicle for creating cloyingly sweet garbage for which actors can earn voice-over money without having to be too closely associated with the work. And yes, that's what I think most animated features are. But not this one. Animation is a way of depicting what cannot be shown in live action films. In this case, we explore the tragedy of animal abuse in a way that will never let you forget what a crime it really is. Plague Dogs is insightful, brutally honest, and unflinchingly direct in exposing the gruesome truth about animal research. This is one of the greatest animated films ever made. I cannot recommend it highly enough.