Rover Dangerfield

Last updated
Rover Dangerfield
Movie poster rover dangerfield.JPG
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • James L. George
  • Bob Seeley
Screenplay by Rodney Dangerfield
Story by
Produced by
StarringRodney Dangerfield
Edited byTony Mizgalski
Music by David Newman
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • August 2, 1991 (1991-08-02)
Running time
74 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Rover Dangerfield is a 1991 American animated musical comedy film starring the voice talent of comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who also wrote the screenplay and story and co-produced the film. [1] It revolves around the eponymous character, a canine facsimile of Dangerfield owned by a Las Vegas showgirl, who gets dumped off the Hoover Dam and finds himself living on a farm. Critical reception was unfavorable, although its animation received minor praise.

Contents

Plot

Rover Dangerfield is a Basset Hound or St Bernard dog living the life of luxury in Las Vegas with his owner Connie, a showgirl. One night, he sees Connie's shady boyfriend Rocky negotiating with a pair of gangsters, and accidentally disrupts it by dropping a bone into the meeting. Thinking Rocky is an undercover cop setting them up, the gangsters flee as their boss tells Rocky that he has blown his last chance. When Connie goes on tour for two weeks, she leaves Rover in the care of Rocky. In retaliation for ruining his deal, Rocky stuffs Rover in a bag, drives him to Hoover Dam and throws him into the water.

The bag is later pulled out of the water by two passing fishermen, who take Rover back to shore and place him in the back of their pickup truck. Rover regains consciousness, jumps out of the truck during a stop, and begins wandering down the road. He ends up in the countryside, and eventually runs into a farmer, Cal, and his son, Danny. Danny convinces his father to take the dog in. Cal agrees on one condition: if he causes trouble, he'll be sent to an animal shelter. If nobody claims him, the animal shelter can put him down. Rover has difficulty adjusting to life on the farm but with the help of Daisy, a beautiful collie next door, and the other dogs on the farm, he succeeds in earning their trust. Rover spends Christmas with the family, and begins to fall in love with Daisy.

One night, a pack of wolves attempt to kill a turkey on the farm. Rover saves the turkey, but the bird ends up dead of shock. Cal mistakenly believes Rover to be responsible for the turkey's death, and takes Rover into the woods to shoot him the next morning. The wolves then attack Cal, but are fended off by Rover, who then rallies the other farm dogs to get the injured Cal home. Rover's heroics make the papers; Connie discovers Rover's whereabouts and travels to the farm to pick him up and take him back to Las Vegas. Although initially satisfied to be reunited with Connie and his old friends, Rover soon begins to miss his life on the farm. Rocky comes into Connie's dressing room, and accidentally confesses to her what he did to Rover, causing Connie to break up with him. Infuriated, Rocky tries to retaliate, but Rover and friends chase him out of the casino, where he is beckoned into the gangsters' limo, presumably taken to be thrown off the Hoover Dam.

Sometime later, Rover, missing Daisy, becomes depressed. Realizing that he misses his new life, Connie takes Rover back to the farm to stay, allowing Cal and Danny to keep him. Rover is reunited with Daisy, who leads him to the barn, revealing that he is now a father of six puppies: five of them resembling Rover and one resembling Daisy. The story ends with Rover teaching his kids how to play cards and playfully chasing Daisy around the farmyard.

Voice cast

Additional voices by Bob Bergen, Louise Chamis, Bill Farmer, Barbara Goodson, Patricia Parris, Burton Sharp, and Ross Taylor

Production

Conceived in the late 1980s, the film was planned at the time for a December 1988 release. [2] It was originally planned as an R-rated animated film, in the vein of Ralph Bakshi's films, but Warner Bros. wanted the film's content to be toned down to a G-rating. [3] [4] Cartoonist Jeff Smith, best known as the creator of the self-published comic book series Bone , described working on key frames for the film's animation to editor Gary Groth in The Comics Journal in 1994. Although he admitted he had fun working on the film, he would describe the film itself as "terrible". [5]

The film was preceded in theaters by a re-issue of the 1958 Merrie Melodies short Robin Hood Daffy . [6]

Reception and legacy

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 17% of 6 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.8/10. [7]

Entertainment Weekly graded the film a 'C', questioning Dangerfield's decision to make the film and said, 'Dangerfield should have known he had written a no-win scenario. His strongest suit — that gleeful lounge-act vulgarity — has always been a little too crass for kids. Yet when Rover offers gooey, sentimental life lessons, it feels unconvincing, like a rock star in a suit. This mongrel-movie badly wants to be a kidvid hit, and with that star and decent animation chops, it stands a chance. But don't bet the farm on it.' [8] TV Guide awarded the film two stars, criticizing the tone and inconsistent animation, and said, 'The result is a confused hybrid creation, suspended in a twilight zone between Don Bluth's benign but dull children's fare and Ralph Bakshi's gratingly hip work.' [9]

Screen Rant , on the other hand, listed Rover Dangerfield as a must-see performance for its star, stating that:

"To hear Dangerfield voice an animated version of himself is quite funny, and the film, while no classic, is completely watchable due to Dangerfield's fresh and entertaining voice-performance". [10]

Home video

The film was released on VHS and LaserDisc on February 12, 1992. Warner Archive Collection released the film on DVD, [11] and Blu-ray on January 30, 2024.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Bakshi</span> American animator and filmmaker (born 1938)

Ralph Bakshi is an American animator, filmmaker and painter. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1994, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, predominantly urban dramas and fantasy films, five of which he wrote. He has also been involved in numerous television projects as director, writer, producer and animator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney Dangerfield</span> American stand-up comedian (1921–2004)

Jack Roy, better known by the pseudonym Rodney Dangerfield, was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, his catchphrase "I don't get no respect!" and his monologues on that theme.

<i>The Lord of the Rings</i> (1978 film) 1978 animated fantasy film by Ralph Bakshi

The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 British-American animated fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi from a screenplay by Chris Conkling and Peter S. Beagle. It is based on the novel of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien, adapting from the volumes The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. Set in Middle-earth, the film follows a group of fantasy races—Hobbits, Men, an Elf, a Dwarf and a wizard—who form a fellowship to destroy a magical ring made by the Dark Lord Sauron, the main antagonist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kricfalusi</span> Canadian blogger and animator (born 1955)

Michael John Kricfalusi, known professionally as John K., is a Canadian illustrator and blogger, as well as a former animator and voice actor. He is the creator of the animated television series The Ren & Stimpy Show, which was highly influential on televised animation during the 1990s. From 1989 to 1992, he was heavily involved with the first two seasons of the show in virtually every aspect of its production, including providing the voice of Ren Höek and other characters. In 2009, he won the Inkpot Award.

<i>Cool World</i> 1992 American film by Ralph Bakshi

Cool World is a 1992 American live-action/adult animated fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi and written by Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Starring Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne and Brad Pitt, it tells the story of a cartoonist who finds himself in the cartoon-like universe he thinks he created, but has existed long before. In this world, he is seduced by one of the characters, a femme fatale who wants to become human.

<i>Wizards</i> (film) 1977 film by Ralph Bakshi

Wizards is a 1977 American animated post-apocalyptic science fantasy film written, directed and produced by Ralph Bakshi and distributed by 20th Century-Fox. The film follows a battle between two wizards of opposing powers, one representing the forces of magic and the other representing the forces of technology.

Conrad Vernon is an American voice actor, director, writer, and storyboard artist best known for his work on the DreamWorks animated film series Shrek as well as other films such as Monsters vs. Aliens, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, and Penguins of Madagascar. He also co-directed non-DreamWorks animated films such as Sony Pictures' Sausage Party and MGM’s The Addams Family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Showgirl</span> Female performer in a theatrical revue

A showgirl is a female performer in a theatrical revue who wears an exotic and revealing costume and in some shows may appear topless. Showgirls are usually dancers, sometimes performing as chorus girls, burlesque dancers or fan dancers, and many are classically trained with skills in ballet. The term showgirl is also sometimes used by strippers and some strip clubs use it as part of their business name.

<i>American Pop</i> 1981 film by Ralph Bakshi

American Pop is a 1981 American adult animated jukebox musical drama film starring Ron Thompson and produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. It was the fourth animated feature film to be presented in Dolby sound. The film tells the story of four generations of an immigrant family of musicians whose careers parallel the history of American popular music in the 20th century.

<i>Coonskin</i> (film) 1975 live action/animated satirical crime film for adults by Ralph Bakshi

Coonskin is a 1975 American live-action/animated satirical crime film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi. The film references the Uncle Remus folk tales, and satirizes the blaxploitation film genre as well as Disney's racially controversial film Song of the South, also adapted from the Uncle Remus folk tales. The film's narrative concerns three anthropomorphic Uncle Remus characters, Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear. They rise to the top of the organized crime racket in Harlem, encountering corrupt law enforcement, con artists, and the Mafia, in a satire of both racism within the Hollywood film system, and America itself. The film stars Philip Thomas, Charles Gordone, Barry White, and Scatman Crothers, all of whom appear in both live-action and animated sequences.

<i>Hey Good Lookin</i> (film) 1982 film by Ralph Bakshi

Hey Good Lookin' is a 1982 American adult animated coming of age comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Ralph Bakshi. The film takes place in Brooklyn during the 1950s and focuses on Vinnie, the leader of a gang named 'the Stompers', his friend Crazy Shapiro, and their respective girlfriends Roz and Eva. The film stars the voices of Richard Romanus, David Proval, Tina Bowman, and Jesse Welles.

<i>Barnyard</i> (film) 2006 film by Steve Oedekerk

Barnyard is a 2006 animated comedy film produced by Nickelodeon Movies and O Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is produced, written, and directed by Steve Oedekerk, and stars the voices of Kevin James, Courteney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes, Andie MacDowell, Tino Insana, John DiMaggio, and David Koechner. It tells the story of Otis, a carefree cow who learns the value of responsibility when he becomes the leader of his farm home's community after his adoptive father's death from a coyote attack.

<i>Fritz the Cat</i> (film) 1972 film by Ralph Bakshi

Fritz the Cat is a 1972 American adult animated black comedy film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi in his directorial debut. Based on the comic strip of the same name by Robert Crumb, the film focuses on its Skip Hinnant-portrayed titular character, a glib, womanizing and fraudulent cat in an anthropomorphic animal version of New York City during the mid-to-late 1960s. Fritz decides on a whim to drop out of college, interacts with inner city African American crows, unintentionally starts a race riot and becomes a leftist revolutionary. The film is a satire focusing on American college life of the era, race relations and the free love movement, as well as serving as a criticism of the countercultural political revolution and dishonest political activists.

<i>The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie</i> 1981 animated feature film directed by Friz Freleng

The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie is a 1981 American animated comedy package film with a compilation of classic Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies Warner Bros. cartoon shorts and animated bridging sequences produced and directed by Friz Freleng, hosted by Bugs Bunny. The new footage was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It was the first Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies film with a compilation of classic cartoon comedy shorts produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

<i>Hare and Loathing in Las Vegas</i> 2004 Bugs Bunny animated short film by Peter Shin

Hare and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 2004 Bugs Bunny cartoon short, which co-starred Yosemite Sam. It was directed by Peter Shin and Bill Kopp, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

<i>The Nutcracker Prince</i> 1990 film by Paul Schibli

The Nutcracker Prince is a 1990 Canadian animated romance fantasy film directed by Paul Schibli based on the screenplay by Patricia Watson. It is a retelling of E. T. A. Hoffmann's 1816 short story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and Marius Petipa & Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 1892 ballet The Nutcracker, about a girl named Clara who is gifted a special nutcracker by her uncle. The gift draws her into a world of magic and wonder, and she brings about the conclusion to the legend of The Nutcracker, Prince of the Dolls: a young man named Hans who was transformed into a nutcracker by mice, and can only break the spell if he slays the Mouse King. The film stars Kiefer Sutherland as Hans, Megan Follows as Clara, Mike MacDonald as the evil Mouse King, Peter O'Toole as Pantaloon, an old soldier, Phyllis Diller as the Mouse Queen, and Peter Boretski as Uncle Drosselmeier.

Dennis Blair is an American stand-up comedian.

<i>The Boss Baby</i> 2017 animated film by Tom McGrath

The Boss Baby is a 2017 American animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Loosely based on the 2010 picture book of the same name written by Marla Frazee, it was directed by Tom McGrath from a screenplay by Michael McCullers, and stars the voices of Alec Baldwin as the title character, along with Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Miles Bakshi, and Tobey Maguire. The first installment in The Boss Baby franchise, the plot follows a 7-year-old boy named Tim helping his baby brother who is a secret agent in the war for adults' love between babies and puppies.

Events in 1921 in animation.

References

  1. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 201–202. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. Beck, Marilyn (1987-04-03). "Donner Works on Sequel". The Victoria Advocate. p. 7D. Retrieved 2010-06-02. A Rodney Is a Rodney Is a Rodney
  3. "Old Brew". Cartoon Brew . Archived from the original on June 12, 2011.
  4. "The R-Rated Animated Movie That Ended Up With a G Rating". 12 August 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  5. "The Jeff Smith Interview". The Comics Journal . December 1994.
  6. "'Rover Dangerfield' barks up right tree". The Orlando Sentinel . August 5, 1991 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Rover Dangerfield". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved June 8, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  8. "Rover Dangerfield". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  9. "Rover Dangerfield - TV Guide". TV Guide. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  10. Rodney Dangerfield: His 10 Must-See Performances - Screen Rant
  11. Amazon.com