With crossword puzzles and air guitarists taking leading roles in engaging documentaries, it seems that the most unlikely candidates can make for the most interesting films. After the launch of the Jamaican dogsled team, the topic's oddity appeared natural for likewise treatment and quickly received it with Andrea Stewart's
Sun Dogs.
Cool Runnings told the story of the country's unlikely bobsled team that competed in front of the entire world at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Practically banking on the inevitable dogsled/bobsled misunderstandings as an "in," the filmmakers seem to think that they have another bizarre Jamaican success story and want to be the first to break the news in cinematic form. The only problem is that the story is barely worth telling. That, and high schoolers regularly make higher quality video projects for Honors English on their iMacs.
After the commercial success of the bobsled team's run to fame, Jamaica proved that it was capable of producing more than just Bob Marley and Rasta culture. But since the release of
Cool Runnings, little in the country has changed. Dogsled team founder and co-owner Danny Melville thinks that the best way for Jamaica to attract attention and rise up is to participate in yet another unlikely event involving nationally absent snow. He plans to enlist dogs rescued from the J.S.P.C.A. for the team's local training and work up to competing in races overseas. The idea is wild enough to attract Jimmy Buffett as a co-sponsor and with well-known Minnesotan trainer Rick Johnson teaching the novice squad, the team has all the potential that it needs...except location.
The possibility of traditional sled racing on wooden runners and snow appears to be the team's goal. In order to combat the obvious lack of winter weather, the film introduces a multitude of snow-free races involving various combinations of wheels, human running, and dogs. The format settled on by the Jamaican team is a large tricycle sled led by four canines. While this arrangement seems like a logical starting point, we patiently wait for the upgrade to snow.
In the meantime, the filmmakers focus on the social and economic problems of Jamaica, setting the film apart from being a typical inspirational underdog (*sigh*) sports movie. For a while, the look at the nation represented by the team outranks the dogs in screen time and it is enlightening to see the true nature of an idealized country primarily experienced by outsiders at the Sandals resort. In order to reverse the rough times, Melville's team of locals is open to any assistance and their willingness to listen is inspirational alone.
But this focus is merely a sideshow. Local officials and other notables lament about Jamaica's many problems, but they offer no potential solutions. Instead, the filmmakers overstress that the abused dogs are vicarious heroes for the battered people of Jamaica. Everyone involved is ecstatic of the new hope, yet the film's sloppy pacing indicates that they also expect instant results. And besides, we want to see the dogs. Or is the ailing country more appealing? What about the profiles on chief musher Devon or apprentice Newton? And what happened to Jimmy Buffet? Each of these aspects are so half-baked that none of them reach their potential...much like Jamaica itself. Wait, is this film operating on a Fellinian or Lynchian level? Nah...
Well, when Newton fails the team by breaking the law, he does validates the negatives of the country. As Melville laments, “That’s Jamaica,” and once more we are peppered with the metaphor. It turns out that we really do prefer the dogs after all. And where is that snow?
However, the pups don't escape humiliation entirely. Once Melville assembled the necessities for the team, he went looking for promotion. He initially envisioned an animated sled dog movie and the filmmakers make the mistake of including brief cartoon clips that attempt to further the film and add patches of humor. Instead, the dogs' voices are indecipherable and the animation ends up as a wasted effort.
Now what about that racing on snow? The payoff hinted at throughout the film never comes and the long wait for that answer emulates the letdown handed down by the film. As a result, the film feels too much like Part I in a multi-chapter series. The closest the team comes to ice is Newton's week-long excursion to Minnesota, another undercooked tangent. And what of the rescued dogs? Will they eventually be used abroad in the tricycle races? How about on snow? Or are they only rescued pups meant for training? When the credits roll, these mysteries remain unsolved and poor Robert Stack isn't around to help.
The story is intriguing, but more appropriately belongs in a Time Magazine human interest article. Plus, the anticipated cry of "Mush mon!" is never uttered once. The film isn't good, but it has a big heart and good intentions. "Sun Dogs" may encourage you to add the team's homepage to your RSS feeds, but is good for little else.