Whether you're saving a person or an animal, says one of the critter rescuers on Los Angeles's Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team (SMART), you're saving a life. Filmmaker Justin Zimmerman's documentary underscores the passion and commitment of the decent (and remarkably diverse) folks whose official job is to get both pets and wild animals out of a variety of dangers. The men and women who make up SMART dedicate themselves to every conceivable kind of animal rescue, no matter the danger or expense to themselves. While there's too much hero-worshipping interview footage here (do we really need to know how two SMART teammates got together romantically?), there's also some very impressive action: the rescuing of a horse mired in wet sand and almost drowning; the saving of a buck whose antlers get caught on a boat line; and SMART volunteers participating in the mass rescue of thousands of New Orleans pets during Hurricane Katrina. Images of an alligator and a lion (!) trapped in L.A. urban settings suggest how exotic the work can get, but most of the time it's dogs and cats that need a hand. The film's overemphasis on the personalities and background narratives of the rescuers slow the documentary down, but any time a troubled soul on four legs appears, viewers know that something good is about to happen. Extras include a montage featurette. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)
SMART: Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team
(2016) 74 min. DVD: $19.95. Cinema Libre Studio (avail. from most distributors). Volume 32, Issue 2
SMART: Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team
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