Customer Reviews

The 12 Dogs of Christmas

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I don't mind admitting it, I am old. Older than dirt. My Social Security number has only five digits -- get the picture? So I'm a fuddy-duddy. But I am sick and tired of Hollywood trying to tell me that "family entertainment" needs to include language that I never heard until I joined the military, and what they call "romance" has to look a lot like "s-e-x" to me.

Remember when Disney used to make pictures that you could take a 3 year old to, or a ten year old to, or a fifteen year old to, or all three to at the same time, without any embarrassment? When the bad guys were bad, but at a kid's level, and the good guys were good, but at a matching level? Well, it is possible you are too young to remember that, but I do.

And apparently Kieth Merrill does too, because that is exactly the kind of movie he has made here. Hollywoood mavens would blow it off as "fluff", but take a kid to see it (oops, little slip there, theatres probably won't show this one -- not "commercial enough") show it to a kid or two by way of your DVD player (there, that's better), and listen to the giggles and screams of enjoyment, and the calls of warning when the bad guys get up to something a bit nasty.

These are wonderful characters drawn close to life, but just a fraction larger than life (especially the bad guys). Villany sneaks around looking villanous, virtue does its own kind of sneaking, and, in the finest of fairy-tale traditions, wins out in the end. Old men in the audience wipe happy tears from their eyes.

And after it all, my feeling is that the more I see of films like this, the less I want to see Hollywood productions. Here is where true entertainment is to be found. Joyful and fun. No big message pounded out (although I suppose there is some kind of message about nice folks can win in the end in there somewhere) just ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. Get it, you won't be disappointed -- unless, of course, you're a Grinch!

Ohmygosh---this movie is awesome. I watched it with a bunch of kids and even 2 year olds will watch the whole thing. The story is really sweet and we adults all cried, it was so touching. What a big, happy ending! The photography is amazing and the music is SO GREAT! WOW! Buy it for all your friends who have dogs or kids or just love a fantastic Christmas story. We love the book too, but this is a total FAMILY experience.

I bought this movie for a Christmas present for my grandaughters. We watched it Christmas Day and we loved it. There just arent enough dog movies for me....so what a great find to have a Christmas one.Set back in the 1930's, they started a dog orphanage and some 75 years later...many are closing due to lack of funding. Gave me alot to think about. A must own movie for dog lovers.

Based on the book by 14 year old Emma Kragen, THE 12 DOGS OF CHRISTMAS is another one of those doggone cutesy movies that you just can't resist. Set in 1931 at the height of the Great Depression, this heartwarming story focuses on young Emma (newcomer Jordan Claire-Green) who is shipped off to her "aunt" when her father loses his job and they are being evicted. Turns out the "aunt" isn't really blood relation, but a former girlfriend of daddy's. But the story really centers on the little town where dogs have been banned and how Emma and a crusading "Dog Lady" try to save the dogs. The cast does well with some nice bits from Eric Lutes as the coach turned Christmas program director, Bonita Fridericy as Aunt Delores; and Richard Riehle as the posturing mayor. It's all cliche-driven and predictable, but it's a marvelous movie for dog lovers and Christmas movie afficionados. Only a Grinch would find it unappealing.

1931, and it's hard enough keeping people fed--let alone dogs. The town of Doverville decides to impose a 1906 law that states no dogs in town. Their newly-elected Mayor opts to hire his brother as the town's dogcatcher.

Into this comes Emma, who's been sent to stay with her Aunt Dolores, who is really not her aunt but an old girlfriend of her father's. Emma's father has promised her he'll be there by Christmas, but Dolores advises her she's heard those words before from him and don't believe it.

But, Emma still has hope. She's found a puppy that's she'd hidden from Dolores and claimed for her own. She's also made a friend of the lady by the river who keeps a dog orphanage.

Unfortunately, the town has claimed the land near the river. The dog orphanage will be closed at Christmas and all the dogs impounded.

It's going to take a miracle to even get the dogs fed, let alone keep them safe past Christmas.

"12 Dogs of Christmas" is a sweet, old-fashioned tale of faith even in hard times. The story teaches great lessons about teamwork and thinking outside of the box to solve seemingly insurmountable problems.

My one star deduction on this film was primarily due to the DVD itself. Parts were so dark the picture was extremely hard to see. Also, I am not sure I would show this film to very young children because seeming mistreatment of dogs may disturb them.

OK, so I read all the reviews for this movie before I took a chance on getting it. Some people thought it was great and other, well maybe not so great, but in the end I decided to go for it, and I am glad I did. It is a made for "TV" movie but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a lot of heart. Here is a movie that is made for anyone who loves dogs. Sentimental? You bet!! And why not. It is about time someone made a movie about people who just want to help stray dogs, and protect them from the evils of non-dog lovers. Here is a movie that wants your kids to care about someone other than themselves. This movie is great and it is something that the whole family, from grandma to the 5yr old, can watch together without any embarrassing moments. If you have a true dog lover in your family or love watching movies with happy endings, then this is for you and your family
The 12 Dogs of Christmas

The idea was good, this could have been a good movie. But the plot was not well put together, the dialogue was often disjointed, and even the props were often incongruous. The acting ranged from so-so to poor. The character development disjointed. In short, other then some cute shots of dogs this movie just did not work.

If you love dog movies you will love this one! Is isn't too far fetched. The story line reflects some of today's issues with dogs and cats being given up like an extra piece of furniture. This movie will warm your heart and hopefully make you think about a pet as more than just a cute entertainer or status possession. Not a deep movie but a nice one.

Beware if you have young children and think this is a family Christmas movie - there is a conversation in this movie regarding S.C. that is NOT appropriate for all audiences(and it was totally not needed for the storyline) IMO they should have included a warning on the packaging or a PG rating rather than G. Could have been a cute story if it weren't for the horrible writing/acting. I'd recommend skipping this one...

i gave this movie to my best friend for chritmas and she loves it.

i loved this movie too.

i bought it from amazon.