Category: Animal: dog
-
The Cat in the Hat. Dir. Bo Welch. DreamWorks Pictures. 2003
Bo Welch’s 2003 interpretation of Seuss’ eponymous, anthropomorphic The Cat in the Hat throws the human exceptionalism paradigm into full-blown turmoil as Mike Myers embodies a character that takes on various socially specific, “human” roles all whilst staying in character as Cat. Though it is not unusual for a film of this genre to depict…
-
Labyrinth. Dir Jim Henson. Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures, TriStar Pictures, FilmFlex, EMI Films. 1986.
Teaching a Teen, Canine Companions, and the First CGI Animal in Movie History The last Jim Henson release, Labyrinth, a cinema flop but since a cult classic, follows a teenage Jennifer Connelly (Sarah) trying to rescue her baby brother from David Bowie (Jareth) by making her way through a Labyrinth “where everything seems possible and…
-
Blue Valentine. Dir. Derek Cianfrance. 2010.
Derek Cianfrance’s 2011 feature film, Blue Valentine, explores the instability of the family unit in the rural American suburbs. The almost immediate death of the family dog Megan underpins this instability as her absence becomes symbolic of marital collapse. Through two temporally separated narratives, the film observes the story of Dean, Cindy, and their daughter,…
-
Parasite. Dir. Bong Joon-Ho. CJ Entertainment. 2019
Bong Joon-Ho’s 2019 black comedy thriller Parasite uses pet dogs to extend the presentation of wealth disparity and examine the human hierarchy system established within the film. The plot explores the relationship between the lower-class Kim family as they gradually infiltrate the Park family through fraudulent employment and fulfil domestic roles within the upper-class Park…
-
Fünf Freunde 3. Dir. Mike Marzuk. Constantin Film. 2014.
The movie “Fünf Freunde 3“ is the third filming of Enid Blyton’s book series “The Famous Five”. It is summer, and George and her dog Timmy travel to Thailand, following her father, who works on a project with an old friend concerning greenhouse gas. As usual, George brings her cousins Dick, Anne, and Julian with…
-
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. Dir. James Gunn. Marvel Studios. 2023
The relationship between humans and animals has evolved throughout history. There are countless cases of humans exhibiting a persistent desire to influence the course of evolution in the animal kingdom. This desire to revolutionize animals is often driven by a complex interplay of scientific curiosity, environmental concerns, and the pursuit of benefits for human society.…
-
Hotel for Dogs. Dir. Thor Freudenthal. Dreamworks. 2009.
Animals, a cutesy love story and the rise of underdogs… literally. What more could you want in a film? Well, ‘Hotel for Dogs’ (Thor Freudenthal/ 2009) covers a multitude of heart-wrenching topics which are compacted within a fun-loving Nickelodeon film. W.C. Fields stated ‘never work with children or animals’;[1] Thor Freudenthal the director ignores this…
-
The Banshees of Inisherin. Dir. Martin McDonagh. Searchlight Pictures. 2015
“Do you think God gives a damn about miniature donkeys, Colm?” “I fear he doesn’t. And I fear that’s where it’s all gone wrong.” Martin McDonagh’s, “The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022), is a Tolstoyan tragicomedy combined with macabre naturalism which works to present the asperity and invaluableness of life and friendship. One significant friendship occurs between…
-
Anastasia. Dir. Don Bluth, Gary Goldman. 20th Century Fox. 1997.
Oh great! A dog wants me to go to St. Petersburg. Anastasia. 1997. An adventure with strangers and a new puppy! Twentieth Century Fox’s whimsically animated Anastasia follows an orphaned Russian princess, who befriends a scruffy puppy, Pooka. The real journey begins once Pooka is introduced, winning the audience’s heart with his doe eyed, emotive…
-
Barking Dogs Never Bite. Dir. Bong Joon-ho. Cinema Service. 2000.
Barking Dogs Never Bite is a dark comedy film directed by Bong Joon-ho, who has received critical praise for his recent filmography, in the same genre, Parasite. This film deals with a seemingly small incident about the disappearance of dogs in one apartment complex, but it raises questions about social morality and justice problems prevalent…