Doogal (2006)

Doogal is a challenge to review definitively. It might have a totally different feel depending on which vocal incarnation you're watching: French, English, or . . . American English. In addition to the film getting a British makeover, since the 1960s French series The Magic Roundabout was beloved by British children, American distributors then went and outfitted their version with American vocal talent. Never mind that American children are quite accustomed to British accents from the Harry Potter films, making this endeavor superfluous at best -- especially when two of the Brit voices (Ian McKellen and Judi Dench) were allowed to stay on. But the American version also alters the essential persona of its main character, giving vocal duties to a blandly enthusiastic child actor (Daniel Tay) rather than making Doogal distinctly adult and full of vinegar -- the character British children grew up on. Unfamiliar American audiences won't know the difference, but why even use the Doogal name if you aren't adhering to what made it worth adapting in the first place? Granted, none of these complaints get at the actual story or visuals, but there's not much relief there, either. While Doogal has a generally captivating animation style, it isn't vastly more sophisticated than what's possible in the cheaper straight-to-DVD market. The plot and characters don't distinguish it from that spaghetti-against-the-wall realm, either -- there's little intelligibility behind why a dog, a cow, a rock-n-roll rabbit, and a snail must team up to fight an evil creature shaped like a spring. Jimmy Fallon is annoying as the hip rabbit, and Whoopi Goldberg is something of an unfortunate choice to play a cow dressed up like a Southern Baptist on her way to church. The perfunctory cinematic references -- a character actually shouts out "Pirates of the Caribbean!" at one point -- are about as random as anything else. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide