Space Dogs: Tropical Adventure is the third installment of the Russian Space Dogs film series. Inspired by the canine astronaut duo Belka and Strelka, the film series follows the two puppies through various adventures. Also, because having talking about astronaut dogs wasn’t weird enough, there are musical numbers. PARENTS BE WARNED.
The film finds the duo returning to Earth after a mission to Saturn. Their commanders then tell them to investigate a whirlpool off the coast of Cuba. Knowing this is a movie for kids does not stop one from wondering: if these dogs are astronauts, why are they investigating something THAT ISN’T IN SPACE?!?!? (You find out later alien forces are responsible for the whirlpool. Ok sure fine whatever). Musical numbers abound. A rat named Lenny appears to help. Nothing really of note happens.
This film is proof that sometimes movie series can lose their steam quickly. The story is, quite frankly, all over the place. The songs are mediocre. The voice casts in the previous movies used well-known actors like Chloe Grace Moretz and Alicia Silverstone for their voice dubs, which gave them a little more entertainment power. That’s not the case here. Talking animals will always be a hit with kids. But these space dogs are barking up the wrong space tree.