Based on the legendary true story of the Red Dog who united a disparate local community while roaming the Australian outback in search of his long lost master.
This is a rare breed – a dog’s tale that will make more than animal lovers happy.
There’s handsome widescreen photography of the sweeping Outback landscapes and a robust performance from the intrepid lead, but the human characters are rather sketchily drawn and the storytelling follows a blandly ‘uplifting’ path.
A heartwarming tale about man's best friend.
The humans are a pretty generic, but the dog is a charmer.
All this is relayed in flashback and the storytelling is a tad episodic but it’s exuberantly told, with some engaging characters and colourful visuals. Dog-lovers may even find themselves wiping away a tear or two.
Its noble canine star (six-year-old Koko) deserves better than being the antipodean Greyfriars Bobby.
The film is a broadly comic series of heartwarming vignettes that brings a ready tear to the eye and Koko the dog is a real star in the title role. Families will love it.
Is it a children's story for adults? Or an adult's story for children? Well, it's a doggy story for humans, anyway: an avowedly true-life tale that comes across like a well-meaning PG-certification of the real world.
Unlikely to linger long, but will do for a family day out.
It's guaranteed to bring tears and laughter to popular audiences, and those who turn up their muzzles at it are on a canine to nothing.
Set in an Outback mining community, the tale of the dog loved by everyone who knew him is funny, wise, supremely daft at times, but it's got a heart as big as the Northern Territory.
Red Dog: an audience with Australia's best friend
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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