Doogal (2004)

8% of critics liked it
(49 reviews)
26% of users liked it
(90,429 ratings)

A plucky little girl and her dog join their magical pals to save the world in the computer-animated comedy-adventure for the whole family. The Enchanted Village is a happy place ruled by the good-natured wizard Zebedee where young Florence and her dog, Doogal, come to play with their friends,… More A plucky little girl and her dog join their magical pals to save the world in the computer-animated comedy-adventure for the whole family. The Enchanted Village is a happy place ruled by the good-natured wizard Zebedee where young Florence and her dog, Doogal, come to play with their friends, including opera-singing cow Ermintrude, beatnik rabbit Dylan, and Brian the Snail, a sloppy sort who has a crush on Ermintrude. However, life in the Enchanted Village takes a turn for the worse when Zebedee's evil brother, Zeebad, arrives, freezing the town under a layer of ice and bringing the magic merry-go-round to a halt. Zeebad is searching for three magical jewels that will give him the power to freeze the whole world and rule the Earth, but Zebedee is able to thaw out himself, Florence, and her friends, and they join forces aboard the Magic Train in a bid to stop the villain before it's too late. Doogal is based on The Magic Roundabout, a children's television series from the 1960s in which a handful of wooden stop-motion figures enjoyed whimsical adventures; produced in France, the program enjoyed massive popularity in Great Britain, where actor Eric Thompson provided narration, voiced all the characters, and invented new stories to fit the action. (The film was also called The Magic Roundabout for its U.K. release.) In the film's British release, Kylie Minogue provided the voice of Florence, Ian McKellen voiced Zebedee, Robbie Williams spoke for Doogal, Joanna Lumley read Ermintrude, Bill Nighy voiced Dylan, and Jim Broadbent contributed the voice of Brian. Several characters were given new voices for the film's American release, with Whoopi Goldberg taking over as Ermintrude, William H. Macy as Brian, Jimmy Fallon as Dylan, and Jon Stewart as Zeebad. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: G, 1 hr. 19 min.
Directed By: Dave Borthwick, Jean Duval
Written By: Paul Bassett Davis
Genres: Animation, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Feb 24, 2006 Wide
On DVD: May 16, 2006
Studio: Weinstein Company

Critic Reviews

Jason Anderson, Globe and Mail
The slapdash dialogue and smug vocal talent detract from the visual appeal of the most energetic sequences (like a raucous train chase) and what's left of Danot's designs.
Christy Lemire, Associated Press
The laziest, most disheartening kind of animated children's film.
Scott Brown, Entertainment Weekly
Where is it written that 4-year-olds don't deserve a good story, decent characters, and a modicum of coherence?
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
It's a movie that scrounges so desperately for laughs, it features both a flatulent moose and a flatulent train.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
It's easily the worst kid's movie since Spy Kids 3-D, a confusing blur of a magical quest based on an ancient British stop-motion animation TV show.
John Anderson, Newsday
Doogal has a few moments of wit, but they're largely lost thanks to inconsistent direction and an uncertainty about who or what the movie is for.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
A sheer waste of priceless talent.
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix
Too often those behind the slick 3-D animation spectacles aimed at children imbue them with too much adult humor.
Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
So-so kids' movie about animals saving the world.
Frank Lovece, Film Journal International
A delight for very young children and any parent who'll get the Attorney General joke of "Geneva Convention? I don't care if it's a Star Trek convention!"
Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy
A jumble of bad movie cliches strung together into an overly simplistic tale of a pooch who gets in trouble over candy.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
This one will probably be a hit with pre-schoolers, but a miss with the rest of the family.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
For U.S. audiences the voices have been dubbed by the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Jon Stewart, Chevy Chase and Jimmy Fallon, who add nothing; in fact, the movie drags them down with it.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
I can only assume that half the movie got lost in translation, and that's how we ended up with the bald mess we have today.
John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
The characters (a snail, a cow, a rock-n-roll rabbit, a train, a wooden soldier) and voice actors (Whoopi Goldberg, Judi Dench, Chevy Chase) seem chosen at random...
Pam Grady, Reel.com
Doogal is definitely a dog.
Steve Davis, Austin Chronicle
A wretched experience from start to finish.
Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters
Unoriginal and only sometimes cute, DOOGAL is mostly harmless, but dull.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
This isn't dumbing-down. This is a full-scale lobotomy.
Nathan Rabin, AV Club
Hungering for more references to the 'Wassup' commercials, Dr. Phil, 'Bling Bling,' The Lord Of The Rings, MC Hammer, or The Matrix? Don't worry, Doogal contains nods to all of these.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Brad W

I hated this movie, the animation was bad, the comedy was horrible, and I think kids will know better than to watch this crap.
Red L

So many animated movies these days. This is one of the lousier of such movies. I didn't think much of the animation, nor the story.
Stuart B

Why do Americans have to re voice and re name movies? Dumbasses
Kalel J

Stupid. Moronic. Idiotic. Shameful. A travesty. A sham. A bad movie. This film is complete tripe and will appeal to very few people (yes, even children should see the shitness of this movie). It holds next to no potential, holds a bad story and characters, and is generally made… More
Stupid. Moronic. Idiotic. Shameful. A travesty. A sham. A bad movie. This film is complete tripe and will appeal to very few people (yes, even children should see the shitness of this movie). It holds next to no potential, holds a bad story and characters, and is generally made badly. How on earth did actors like Jon Stewart and William H. Macy sign onto this schlockfest? Just don't see this, I think I would rather gauge out my eyes with a spoon than endure this torture one more time.
Bradley W

I hated this movie, the animation was bad, the comedy was horrible, and I think kids will know better than to watch this crap.
Juan C

a story like this can't be called fun, it can't be called good looking, and especiall can't be called cute, it's called old, brood, lame, has been, and excuses. that is the doogal's personality and the films personality. F
Lee K

my 5 year old loved however form a grown ups perspective....next
Leo L

Good, very cute.