Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Dog Who Stopped the War Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 8, 2024

The horrors of combat are handed the family film treatment in 1984’s “The Dog Who Stopped the War.” A Canadian production, the picture looks to understand the strange ways of childhood as neighborhood kids gather to battle one another in a grand scheme of conflict, with snowballs replacing more violent weapons. Director Andre Melancon has the unenviable task of corralling a large group of child actors to help realize this study of playful aggression, and he manages to extract some impressive performances for the feature, which goes from comedic events to a sobering conclusion. “The Dog Who Stopped the War” miraculously holds together during its run time, with Melancon finding a way to preserve the material’s messages on the end of innocence while maintaining a heightened reality with this community of reluctant combatants.

In a small Canadian town, Luc (Cedric Jourde) is ready to spend his winter vacation in an unusual way. He hatches a plan of war in the neighborhood, recruiting classmates to participate in a two-week test of survival, taking control of his own soldiers while Pierre (Julien Elie) becomes a rival general, joined by his dog, Cleo. The rules of engagement are laid out and battle plans are made, but the situation is complicated by the arrival of Sophie (Marie-Pierre A. D’Amour), a girl who joins Pierre’s side of the conflict, while Luc falls in love with her. As the days pass, attacks are carried out and Pierre’s pal, Francois (Minh Vu Duc), constructs a large snow fort, which becomes the focus of conflict as the children experience the ways of warfare.

Adults are mostly ignored in “The Dog Who Stopped the War,” with the writing remaining on the experiences and attitudes of the young characters. They’re free for two weeks, finding Luc taking inspiration from the discovery of a family combat bugle, putting a plan for battle together over winter break, keeping the kids busy in the cold weather. There’s a bit more aggression involved in the situation, as Luc presents determination to dominate, claiming the most soldiers while Pierre has Francois, a snow fort-building master. The bulk of “The Dog Who Stopped the War” remains at the fort, watching Luc and his army try to infiltrate the structure, which contains various surprises. And there’s time spent on attacks, with Sophie cooking up a plan to fill snowballs with paint, ruining the enemy’s clothes and staining faces as they’re hit.

“The Dog Who Stopped the War” deals naturally with child behavior, taking time to understand frustrations and fears, which inspires a few to walk away from the battle zone as the conflict becomes serious. Melancon doesn’t exactly do the feature any favors by adding cartoon sound effects to snowbound attacks, but his dramatic points are made, and he has a talented cast of kids to juggle. Stars Jourde and A. D’Amour are particularly strong, communicating the confusing ways of adolescent infatuation, and Vu Duc is especially charming as the brains of the operation, attempting to make the ultimate in snow fortresses to win the conflict.

“The Dog Who Stopped the War” is offered in two versions: a Theatrical Cut (89:11, in French and English) and an Extended Cut (91:00, in French and English).

The Dog Who Stopped the War Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "Scanned and restored in 2K from the original 35mm camera negative." The viewing experience offers a decent sense of skin particulars on the young actors and their canine companion. Costuming also offers inviting textures with cold weather gear. Exteriors retain depth, exploring the snowbound world, and interiors are dimensional. Colors are compelling, with a sense of while snow and greenery. Skin tones are natural. Clothing choices offer sharper primaries, and dog fur retains a rich brown. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain looks a bit processed, but remains acceptably resolved. Source is in good condition.

The Dog Who Stopped the War Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

"The Dog Who Stopped the War" is presented with French 5.1 DTS-HD MA and English 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix options. The French track seems like the most natural listening event, preserving dialogue exchanges and offering balanced surges of excitement from the young actors. Music supports with decent instrumentation and dramatic emphasis. Surrounds push out a few musical moods and carry wintery atmospherics, also detailing exterior echo. Some mild directional effects are detected, and low-end isn't challenged.

The Dog Who Stopped the War Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (18 pages) contains an essay by Marc Lamothe and an interview with actors Marie-Pierre A. D'Amour and Cedric Jourde.

Disc #1

• Commentary features film historian Kier-La Janisse, writer Ralph Elawani, and "Special Guests."

Disc #2

• "The Dog Who Stopped the War…As Time Goes On" (80:44, HD) is a 2009 documentary on the making of the film, reuniting cast and crew to discuss the experience of the movie, returning to the original locations to help stir up memories.

• "Love and War" (36:41, HD) is a dual video conference interview with actors Marie-Pierre A. D'Amour and Cedric Jourde, who detail their origin stories with "The Dog Who Stopped the War." The casting process is detailed, with the producers searching schools to find children, "non-actors," to audition. Cast camaraderie is examined, with the young actors left with limited adult supervision, finding their own way with friends in a remote location. Memories of director Andre Melancon are supplied, with the helmer working carefully with youngsters, making them feel comfortable with the work. The interviewees share details from the shoot, including a sudden plan for a kiss, the collapse of the castle, and time at the premiere. Post-release lives are detailed, with A. D'Amour and Jourde getting used to attention, also figuring out the possibilities of an acting career, eventually going a different way with their lives.

• "An Important Message" (12:26, HD) is a video conference interview with co-writer Roger Cantin, who originally had a plan to direct "The Dog Who Stopped the War," eventually stepping aside for Andre Melancon. The writing process is also explored, with Cantin working through multiple drafts, and casting is analyzed, finding the right kids for the job, changing the material to suit their abilities. Cantin also details the pacifist theme of the movie and its grim ending, looking to create a story that sticks with the young demographic. The interviewee also looks back at the reaction to the feature, shocked by its success.

• Audio Interview (15:57) is a discussion of "The Dog Who Stopped the War" with composer Germain Gauthier.

• Audio Interview (4:00) is a brief exploration of "The Dog Who Stopped the War…As Time Goes On" with director Marie- Helene Copti.

• Interview (8:08, SD) is a 1999 chat with producer Rock Demers, who shares the origin story of "The Dog Who Stopped the War," which was initially created for the "Tales for All" film series. The interviewee explores the hunt for a proper title and the release of the picture, which managed to become a big hit with audiences and festivals, collecting a few awards, which Demers has on display in his office. Global success is celebrated, with "The Dog Who Stopped the War" making its way to China. Demers also reveals his mission to spruce up the movie for its DVD release, adding scenes and creating a new soundtrack.

• Interviews (8:20, SD) from 1999 collect thoughts from actors Cedric Jourde, Marie-Pierre A. D'Amour, Duc Minh Vu, Luc Boucher, Maryse Carthwright, Jean-Francois Leblanc, Gilbert Monette, Mario Monette, Patrick St-Pierre, and Olivier Monette.

• Deleted Scenes (1:54, HD) are offered.

• And an English Theatrical Trailer (2:28, HD) is included.

The Dog Who Stopped the War Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Dog Who Stopped the War" aims to show the cruel reality of battle in its final act, but such severity doesn't land as intended. Too much of the movie is played as silliness to really score a gut-punch conclusion, and climatic reactions to such grim exposure border on indifference, which is strange to see, diluting emotion. The very end of "The Dog Who Stopped the War" hopes to reach a crushing reality, but the picture is more effective with the realness of child actions in games of personality conflicts and snowball fights.