Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

Rock Dog Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 15, 2017

Was there really any doubt that dancing and good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll were going to return to Bomont by the end of Footloose? Of course not, and like so many other films where the plot arc is pretty predictable, the film’s pleasures were derived not so much in the (expected) destination as in the journey toward getting there. Rock Dog is an affable if generally unambitious animated film that has a rather interesting voice cast but which suffers from a totally rote story (despite a few exotic elements) that, like Footloose, posits a society where music has been forbidden and where it’s simply a given that music will ultimately end up saving the day. The film has rather interestingly been subject to some scuttlebutt involving its perhaps surprisingly paltry box office returns in China, one of the film’s production countries, something that has been suggested is due to some scheming on the part of one of China’s largest theater chains, which kept Rock Dog from being screened in wide release. That may be a convenient excuse, however, for some curmudgeons might suggest that the film’s failure to connect with audiences (and not just in China) is due at least as much to a cliché ridden story that tries awfully hard to entertain (perhaps too hard, some might suggest) while simply not offering much if anything innovative that would have helped pique the interest of anyone over the age of, say, six or seven. The film is brightly (if again fairly unambitiously) animated, and as mentioned above it has some interesting voice talent, but this is one rock dog that could have used a few more music lessons.

The fact that Rock Dog was adapted from a Chinese graphic novel entitled Tibetan Rock Dog may help to explain a certain Lost Horizon ambience that creeps into at least the setting, which for all the world looks like that hidden llamesery in Shangri-La, but which in this telling is a sequestered village known as Snow Mountain. Snow Mountain is home to a coterie of sheep and mastiffs, who don’t just live together peacefully, but who delight in making music with each other. When a horde of nasty wolves invades, all bets are off, however, and head mastiff Khampa (voiced by J.K. Simmons) decides the only way to protect Snow Mountain is to not just develop a bunch of “dummy” mastiffs (which amount to sheep dressed up in dogs’ rather than wolves’ clothing), as well as putting the kibosh on any musical activities, especially since they tend to be the one thing his errant son Bodi (voiced by Luke Wilson) shows an interest in.

Probably without even writing one more word on where the story of Rock Dog ends up going, many readers will guess the broad outlines of the tale. Bodi’s interest in music is only momentarily diverted, and of course is probably only fostered by his father’s pronouncement that tunesmithing is a forbidden activity, with Bodi’s talents on the guitar ultimately ending up saving the day when even his father’s signature move, a kind of magical martial arts technique called the Iron Paw, fails to divert the wolves, led by bad buy Linnux (voiced by Lewis Black). Maybe this predictability wouldn’t be so hard to swallow were it not for the by the numbers approach Rock Dog’s screenplay takes at virtually every turn.

One place where Rock Dog perhaps defies expectations, if only a little, is in letting Bodi escape from the confines of Snow Mountain in order to chase his musical dreams. That allows for a long section of the film to be devoted to Bodi’s adventures in the “big city”, especially with regard to his idol Angus Scattergood (Eddie Izzard), who of course ends up playing a major part in the story. But this detour only serves to highlight the trajectory of the film, which is resolutely toward a completely routine denouement. The message of the film isn’t just the typical “follow your dreams” riff, but actually has a fairly commendable undercurrent that the Arts are at least as effective in peacemaking as soldiering up, but it’s a message delivered in a way that has nothing new to say.

Rock Dog Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Rock Dog is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (mostly) in 1.78:1 (as can be seen in a few of the screenshots accompanying this review, there's a sequence featuring what looks like more traditional cel animation that is in 2.00:1). Director Ash Brannon mentions budget limitations in one of the supplements included on this disc, something that in his words led to his decision to simplify character design, but I have to say while there's nothing revolutionary here, the rendering is often quite well done, especially in close-ups where textures look excellent and individual elements like hair (and/or fur as the case may be) has a really tactile quality. Overall detail levels are sometimes hampered by the perhaps odd decision to have so much of the film play out in dimly lit or downright dark environments. Backgrounds are a little less detailed at times, but the palette is generally very vivid throughout the presentation. There are some momentary instances of noticeable banding, but otherwise this is a problem free presentation.

Rock Dog Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rock Dog features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, one which derives sufficient energy from the so-so score to lots of effects in action sequences, especially those involving the wolves. Dialogue is well rendered and prioritized throughout, and the film's signature song "Glorious" gets a number of treatments throughout that often spread the sonics nicely through the surround channels.

Rock Dog Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Finding the Fire: The Making of Rock Dog (1080p; 6:16) is standard EPK fare with interviews and scenes from the film.


• Mic Check: Casting the Voices (1080p; 6:05) has some fun backstage footage of the voice cast.


• A Rockin' New World: Animating Rock Dog (1080p; 5:53) is pretty generalist but has some good looks at storyboards and other early renderings as well as some the 3D CGI techniques employed.


• Rock Dog and Roll: Exploring the Music (1080p; 6:20) focuses largely on Adam Freedman, co-writer of "Glorious".


• "Glorious" Music Video (1080p; 3:43)

Rock Dog Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rock Dog turns out to be a kind of middling effort that may well delight (or at least momentarily distract) younger kids while leaving adolescents and adults pretty underwhelmed. The story is pretty resolutely predictable from the get go, despite its supposedly exotic setting, and as director Ash Brannon admits, budget constraints may have kept the animators from really stretching their limits. Technical merits are generally strong for those considering a purchase.