Rover Dangerfield

Based on a story by Rodney Dangerfield and Harold Ramis, Rover Dangerfield is an animated film about a smart-talking Las Vegas dog who ends up on a farm when he narrowly escapes from his showgirl owner's lunatic boyfriend. The plot is simplicity itself: can the life-in-the-fast-lane dog find happiness in rustic farm life? Animated by Hyperion Pictures (The Brave Little Toaster), the hand-drawn cels are better than your basic modern cartoon fare (though hardly the "quality animation reminiscent of Lady and the Tramp" boasted on the press release). But the obvious question here is: can Rodney Dangerfield, a longtime veteran of slob comedy, make an animated film for kids that we would actually want our children to watch? And the answer is: of course not. During the Las Vegas section, Rover drops his share of mild sexist humor, but on the farm he pulls out all the stops on his song (yep, it's a musical too) "I'll Never Do It On a Christmas Tree." It's a cute little ode to urination that does make you smile, but probably doesn't belong in a children's film. Another scene, however, is unforgivable, involving a dead turkey that Rover does a slapstick routine with trying to make it appear alive. You don't make dead jokes with animated characters in children's films, especially if said character previously had a speaking part. Ultimately, Rover Dangerfield is a film without an audience: not clever enough for adults, and too tacky for kids. Not recommended. (R. Pitman)