Search - The Dog of Flanders on DVD

Not for Children or the Faint of Heart !!!

R. R. Rudell | Los Gatos, CA USA | 06/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After seeing this video advertised on one of my children's television shows, I immediately sought it out. The animation reminded me of "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service" (both of which are among the best childrens' videos available, imho). After peeling off the wrapper (which had a sticker on it which said it was suitable for ages 3 and up) I sat down to watch "The Dog of Flanders" with my two children (ages 7 and 9), and the three of us were bawling our eyes out by the end of the film (me primarily due to guilt for not screening it earlier!) My kids were devastated by the ending of this movie. This is NO Disney flick. Any of you familiar with Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl" will have an idea of how this story winds up.I do, however, give this movie 5 stars because it is a beautifully rendered video of a classic tale. The characters are very well developed and the animation is really beautiful. However, this probably only served to contribute to the sense of horror my children experienced when the video was finally over. They were truly inconsolable.If you do decide to purchase this video, please be sure to watch it yourself before screening it for your kids."

Pioneer DVD Shames The Movie

James Francis Ryan | Japan | 05/08/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This classic from the World Masterpiece Theater series gets seriously botched by Pioneer Entertainment. First Off, this is the EDITED VERSION, and ONLY the EDITED VERSION! Scenes were cut from the original Japanese theatrical release to 'tame the violence to the dog' sequences, which were some important moments. Also, the original Japanese dialogue is nowhere on this disc.
But for some reason, the VHS release comes in either edited and dubbed, or widescreen uncut japanese with english subtitles.
My opinion is to go for the subtitled uncut version on VHS. Either that or somehow find the original series that aired on Japanese TV years ago to get the full story.
This movie is an absolute treasure in many Japanese childrens' childhoods, and now pioneer disgraces the DVD format.
5 stars for the movie, and 4 stars gets retracted for the butchering."

Oh Boy, Did I Cry, And How!

Kelly K. Coyle | Michigan | 03/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Where do I start, without giving anything away? I watched this movie yesterday with my daughter. We were thinking, "La-tee-da, a happy movie, with beautiful Japanese animation (in the tradition of Kiki's Delivery Service and Totoro), about a boy and his dog . . ." And boy, were we in for a loo-loo of a surprise. I never cried so much at an animated movie, I gave myself one mondo killer headache, attempting to retain some composure for my child's sake, but lost it in the end, and we both sat there, in her room and cried together. She summed things up pretty well, when she said, "Mommy, sometimes sad movies are still beautiful." And this one is a beautiful story indeed.
The movie is about a poor,young boy and his love for his dog.(and vice versa) He lives an oh-so-humble, but happy life with his aging grandfather. The movie tells the story of how his life then changes, based on the actions/thoughts of those around him. It's also about art/love and the beauty of art, as the young boy, the center of the movie, Nello, loves to draw, and does it well. He longs to see some of the paintings of Reubens,but cannot afford the cost of viewing the paintings.
I guess the overall message of the movie is that, God is beauty and art and love and the three of these things are all one giant amorphous blob of , well, blob of goodness . . .and that human lives are fragile and finite.
I wouldn't recommend this for the very young, and would suggest parents view the entire movie (with tissue nearby) before showing to the kiddies."

A beautiful story about a young boy who want to be a painter

James Francis Ryan | 07/29/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let make my review simple, this is one of the most beautiful story I ever known. The dog of Flanders is also one of the most excelent animated movies that ever made. This is the first movie that actually made me cry, it's probably because of the combination of the story, the music and the art of the animation. Well, I'm not good at explaining something, all I can say is "WATCH IT!!!""