The Plague Dogs
This beautifully animated saga concerns the friendship between a pair of pooches. Captured and imprisoned in a frightening laboratory by sinister scientists, our heroes escape only to find themselves hunted mercilessly as they prowl about England's lake district searching for a safe home. The film is based on a novel by Richard Adams and directed by Martin Rosen, who also handled the movie version of the author's timeless classic Watership Down. While many of the visual elements on display here remain within the traditional boundaries of cinematic animation, the grim story and characterizations are in almost defiant contrast to the cuteness of a Disney movie. Not for young children, but lovers of animation should seek out this delightful and enlightening film.
