Customer Reviews

Snow Dogs

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

My 6-year-old is obsessed with this film. It seems like every time I hear the TV turn on, my daughter's got "Snow Dogs" popped into the VCR...again (sigh...)! It's harmless good fun and I certainly don't mind hearing her gleeful laughter resounding through the house. The only thing that gets on my nerves are the Michael Bolton references. Michael Bolton's music is used in the film soundtrack. Michael Bolton is a White recording artist, but his most successful releases have consistently been cover versions of songs by Black artists. The central character in "Snow Dogs" finds out that he's not only adopted but also only half-Black. His foster mother promptly quips that maybe this is the reason he likes Michael Bolton's music so much. Then at some point Michael Bolton himself makes a cameo in the film. And Bolton's music returns as the credits roll, this time a cover of a Stevie Wonder classic. Was this redundancy really necessary? Aside from that, I think "Snow Dogs" is a heartwarming family movie that parents will be able to tolerate without going nuts the twentieth time the kids put it on. Don't hesitate to check it out!

A Miami dentist and a team of sledding dogs combine for a humorous, snow-filled adventure. Dr. Ted Brooks (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) has a successful practice, "Hot Smile," when one day his mother drops the news that he was adopted. He soon finds himself in a small Alaska town to claim his inheritance, which includes no money but plenty of dogs - not such a good match for the wealthy, canine-hater! Before heading back to balmy Florida, however, he braves the frigid climate in search of his biological father. He slowly finds himself drawn to the simplicity of the town and its people, including Barb, a tough but sweet bartender, and Thunder Jack (James Coburn), a very rough-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside "musher." When the "Arctic Challenge" sled race begins soon after, Brooks and his new canine friends discover the meaning of love and family.

There is so much to enjoy about this movie, which comes from a long tradition of Disney snow/dog/sled racing classics ("Snowball Express," "White Fang," "Iron Will"). It's lighter in tone but still provides some thrilling moments against a spectacular Alaskan backdrop. (They could have capitalized on the scenery even more.) The laughs come naturally in this script, as a Southern city slicker thrust into the Alaskan wilderness is bound to run into goofy situations. Cuba Gooding, Jr. is in fine comedic form, and a scraggly James Coburn easily takes to his lighter side. Both actors have proven their dramatic prowess with serious, decidedly adult roles, but the two fit snuggly into this family film and share some amusing and touching scenes. Though "Snow Dogs" lacks the scriptural tightness of films before it, it warms the heart.

Critics have pretty much bashed this movie, stating that Oscar winner Cuba Gooding has sunk to depths unprecedented by previous winners. A little harsh; SNOW DOGS works not because of Cuba; it works because it's hearts in the right place and the dogs are a pleasure to watch, especially Demon and Nana. There is one hilarious dream sequence where the dogs are sunning themselves on the beach, in lounge chairs, sunglasses and drinks in hand. Cuba does better once he gets over the prat-falling sequences early in the movies; Gooding comes nowhere near the masters of this: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Dick van Dyke and Jerry Lewis. But once Gooding stops trying to be these guys, his performance settles down, and he avoids killing the movie. Also, James Coburn is delightful as his "father", and Nichelle Nichols is even more beautiful than she was in "Star Trek." There's nothing new in this movie, but as typical Disney fare, it has an upbeat message and everything goes just as one would hope and expect; the Alaska backdrop is sumptous, too. Don't let the horrible reviews influence you; if you like this kind of "feel good" movie, it's fine.

Again, Disney has made a family classic for the whole family. Cuba plays Ted Brooks, a Miami dentist, that learns he is aopted when he is served to attend the reading of his biological mother's will in a small Alaska town. On arrival, he runs into his mother's champion Sled Dogs. Espically the lead dog, who gives him a serious bad time. On top of this, the local legend, Thunder Jack, harrasses him of wanting the dogs. When things couldn't get worse, he finds out that Thunder Jack is indeed his father! To proove that he isn't some city slicker that's out of his league, he tries to learn the sport!
I got a kick of all the adventures this poor character goes through in learning how to ride a sled, and the bad time the dogs give him. The dogs don't talk though, that was just a dream scene. This is filled with physical humor, and jockes that will give you a good time. It also has a touching story and a happy ending that makes this enjoyable for everyone!

Cuba is so fun in this fish out of water story. Now I want to see him do a remake of the UGLY Dacshaund! Get Bill Cosby to play the vet who talks him into a Great Dane:)

The CG dogs in Snow Dogs steal the show- Nana is so sweet you want to just let her curl up with you and make everything better. The transformation of Ted Brooks DDS into Ted Brooks dog lover is fun and funny- a must for all family collections

This is a Disney's fish out of the water comedy. Cuba Gooding Jr takes the reigns of a championship sled of dogs. Gooding plays Ted Brooks, a Miami denist traveling, to Alaska too claiming an inheritance from his mother. Ted must adjust to harsh climates of Alaska in contrast to the warm climates of Miami Florida.. The self discovery is between his father Jack who tells Gooding about his independence mother making up years of memories.
Snow Dogs was advertised as a movie with talking siberian dogs to bring the audience into a comedy dialogue. You won't hear talking dogs.
There are many funny parts in Snow Dogs: 1. Ted's first encounter with the Dogs 2. Pizza delivery 3. Golf on the snow. 4. The lawyer making the inheritance speak 5. Gooding trying to get the dogs to Mush. 5. Ted falling in love with a tough but beautiful native girls. Ted eventual return as a denist in Tolketna. 6. The outhouse and all its contents being deeded to Jack

Thunder Jack enters the Kondic race and despite blizzard conditions moves out in the front. Gooding finds Thunder Jack refuged in a secret cave which he knows about, and Jack has been stranded by knee injury. Gooding comes to his rescue and wins the loyality of the lead pack dog by biting its ear; and the affection of a parental Jack. The dogs are bounding with energy and these thoroughbred dogs bring the energy of the race to the big screen. The sudden deviation on the high Alaskan cliffs test the dogs teamwork prevailing to save Jack and Ted.

Snow Dogs is a farewell to James Coburn adding a booming voice, a toothy smile, and a defacing snarl.

This movie is so funny. It has this dentist called "Rupert' that always seems to bother Theodore Brooks in a way that causes laughs from the whole family. For example, the time when Theodore's mother was talking to Theodore about how it was up in Alaska, Rupert got on the other line and started to ask Teddy about when he was coming home, and this was very annoying to Teddy and his mom. But, the funniest parts of this fabulous film were when Theodore Brooks encountered the cute Alaskan Malamute dog called "Demon" in the barn. Demon kept growling and showing his teeth at Theodore, and finally, after a short minute, Demon chased Teddy and bit him in the rear causing him to scream and yell. This movie is really action-packed and fun for the entire family! If anyone wants to see a movie that is hilarious, action-packed, and cute, then one would highly reccomend them watching this film! What a great movie!

This is a really cute movie!! Cuba Gooding Jr. pulls of his part really well! The best part of the movie is all of the dogs, they are really pretty and have really cute names! I recommend this movie to young adults and anyone who enjoys Disney movies!
It also has some really good special features too!
***Check it out***

When Disney gets it right, they get it really right. Such is the case with "Snow Dogs," a funny movie with a truly all-star cast that keeps the spirit of the Disney of old while giving us modern entertainment.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. plays dentist Ted Brooks. Ted is more than just a dentist; he has a huge practice in sunny Miami, apparently quite wealthy, a true man of the city, until a summons arrives one day informing him that his mother has died. One small detail, his mother, Nichelle Nichols of the original "Star Trek" series and movies fame, had neglected to tell Ted that she was his adoptive mother. Ted's biological mother lived in the wide-spot-in-the-valley of Tolketna, Alaska. Isolated does not describe Tolketna, which appears to be reached only by helicopter or airplane, and even those must be small.

Ted's mother turns out to have been a very nice lady, with a penchant for sled dog racing. Lucky Ted, he not only inherits the bulk of his mother's possessions, he also inherits a team of potentially prize-winning sled dogs. If only Ted did not hate dogs.

In the course of discovering that small-town life is infinitely more appealing than living shoulder-to-shoulder with your neighbors, Ted also discovers a lot about himself and about life in general. He discovers his father and discovers true love in the cold and snow of mythical Tolketna. During this voyage of discovery we gain an appreciation for the beauty of the far north, lots of laughs, and several tense moments, including one where Ted Brooks and Thunder Jack Johnson (James Coburn) are hanging suspended over a cliff, hoping the sled dogs can pull them to safety.

Superb family movies seem to be hard to come by these days. This movie is excellent and a family movie. The violence is minimal, the tense moments generally work out well, there are lessons regarding perseverance, and there are dogs that have more expressions than Mr. Spock. While I often caution parents that some portions of a movie may be a bit too tense for younger members of the family, that caution is unnecessary for this PG rated movie. Admittedly there are several moments of very mild violence, but those moments I found to be less than that in other family movies, such as "The Wizard of Oz."

With the combination of scenery, a reasonably plausible plot, excellent cast, and frequent funny moments, this movie is a great movie for everyone. I recommend this movie highly.

A James Coburn fan, I searched out this film mainly to see how the late,great actor did in this Disney tale about a Miami dentist who inherits a pack of sled dogs with minds of their own and a whole lot of pride and attitude. Coburn,who plays the young dentist`s long-lost father Thunder Jack,evidently enjoys playing this rough,tough,stubborn and mean ole mountain man who posesses as much pride and attitude as any sled dog-and I just loved watching this.The tiny town of Tolketna is the scene of many hilarious showdowns between Jack and Ted,and the folks in town are just wonderful-wonderful when their stick their noses into other people`s business and wonderful when they really truly care. I`ve had many a good laugh watching this movie,and it is truly moving to hear Coburn as Thunder Jack tell Demon,the lead dog,how they ought to give folks something to remember them by. Did he ever.Highly recommended!