Doogal | 
| Directors: Dave Borthwick, Frank Passingham, Jean Duval
Actors: Jon Stewart, Judi Dench, Daniel Tay, Jimmy Fallon, Whoopi Goldberg
Studio: Weinstein Company
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $1.08
You Save: $13.87 (93%)
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Rating:  49 reviews
Sales Rank: 14554
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd, Full Screen, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Genre: 0
Rating: G (General Audience)
ESRB: Teen
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 78 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: D79169D
UPC: 796019791694
EAN: 0796019791694
ASIN: B000F0V0KO
Theatrical Release Date: February 24, 2006
Release Date: May 16, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
A herd of American celebrities--from Whoopi Goldberg to Kevin Smith--have been corralled to redub Doogal, formerly a CGI cartoon from England called The Magic Roundabout based on a French stop-motion tv show from the 1960s called Le Manege Enchante. The title character is a dustmop with a face--presumably a dog of some sort--whose craving for sweets inadvertently traps his beloved owner Florence in a frozen carousel and unleashes an evil wintry wizard named Zeebad (voiced by Jon Stewart, The Daily Show). Doogal and his ragtag group of friends--singing cow Ermintrude (Goldberg, Sister Act), hopeful snail Brian (William H. Macy, Fargo), slacker rabbit Dylan (Jimmy Fallon, Fever Pitch), and a choo-choo train (Chevy Chase, Fletch)--must find three enchanted diamonds to stop Zeebad and bring spring back to the world. Presumably, Doogal's target audience is the very young, yet the dialogue (rewritten for the American market) is crammed with allusions to adult fare like Saturday Night Live and Pulp Fiction. In fact--though it may have seemed differently with the original script--the entire movie comes across as an ungainly patchwork stitched together from scenes fromThe Wizard of Oz, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Matrix, Ice Age, and much more. The effect is not so much funny as inexplicable. Also featuring the voices of Judi Dench (Iris), Ian McKellen (X-Men), and pop star Kylie Minogue. --Bret Fetzer
Product Description
A group of friends embark on a journey to save their world from freezing over by the evil Zeebad.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 44 more reviews...
 Lost in translation July 3, 2006
Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana)
13 out of 15 found this review helpful
The Magic Roundabout is a British television series adapted into a movie. There are three versions for the UK, France and the USA, and this one is the US version. I've seen both the UK and the US versions, and the US version is the better of the two, largely due to the narration of Dame Judi Dench which is not in my copy of the UK version. The UK version also uses different actors for some of the characters. (Most notably Robbie Williams and Bill Nighy)
The story is very simple, back to the old basics of good versus evil. Shaggy dog Doogal (Daniel Tay) accidentally releases bad wizard ZeeBad (Jon Stewart) from his prison inside the Magic Roundabout, causing a chain reaction that traps his owner Florence (Kylie Minogue) and her friends inside the iced over roundabout. Doogal and his friends call on good wizard Zebedee (Sir Ian McKellen), who sends them on a quest to recover three magical diamonds and replace them in the roundabout. If however ZeeBad gets his hands on the diamonds he will have the power to freeze the sun triggering an eternal ice age.
The intrepid adventurers are Doogal, Ermintrude the opera singing cow (Whoopi Goldberg), Brian the brave snail who's in love with Ermintrude (William H. Macy), Dylan the tripped out rabbit (Jimmy Fallon) and Train the train with tunnel vision (Chevy Chase). ZeeBad enlists Soldier Sam (Bill Hader) formerly of the roundabout to be his accomplice, and along the way they meet a helpful but flatulent Moose (Kevin Smith).
With this kind of star power Doogal should have been a great movie, but somewhere along the way it changed from a children's story to an action movie spoof, thereby effectively losing both intended audiences. It has a few laughs, some catchy music and you'll have fun picking out the pop culture and movie references, but that's about it. Rent it for the star power, but don't expect too much.
Amanda Richards, July 3, 2006
Fart jokes and Matrix references - where could you go wrong? July 29, 2006
TrezKu13 (Norfolk, VA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The history of this film is a bit confusing to me. I first knew it as a production from the people who made "Hoodwinked," found out later that it was based off an old British stop-motion TV series, then after some research found out it was originally a French series translated into English on the BBC and now made into film. Reportedly the English fellow responsible for writing the English scripts for the show would watch the French episodes then write in new dialogue with his own story ideas. I think this was followed somewhat with this movie - more on that later.
The story is centered around a happy little town with a carousel at its center. The village is led by the kind wizard Zebedee, a strange toy-like fellow who's a spring from the waist down, who long ago trapped the evil twin wizard Zeebad in the carousel. One day out title character Doogal (who is oh-so-competant) is trying to hijack a truck carrying candy when he crashes into the carousel, unleashing Zeebad into the world. With the carousel frozen and Doogal's beloved owner trapped inside, Zebedee informs Doogal and his friends (Ermintrude the cow, Dylan the rabbit, and Brian the snail) that they have to collect three crystals from across the land to put in the carousel to trap Zeebad forever.
OK, few points her. First off, you couldn't put Zeebad, one of the most dangerous wizards in the universe, in anything more stable or defensive? A simple car crash unleashes death and destruction across the globe? Also, if these three crystals are the secret to keeping Zeebad locked up forever, why didn't you go get them and keep them handy nearby in case this happened? As a matter of fact, why didn't you go get them and use them the minute you trapped Zeebad? Am I the only one who thinks about these things?
Doogal and his troupe go on their wacky, wonderful adventure, screwing up along the way. Seriously. These people can't do anything right. They allow Zeebad to get all the crystals, and thirty minutes in they even give him the map to all the crystals. The dialogue in this particular scene is very bizarre - Zeebad is threatening Brian when Ermintrude steps in:
Ermintrude: "You mess with the snail, you mess with the cow!"
*pause*
Ermintrude: "Here's the map!"
Me: *watching the movie* "WHAT?!"
Wow, way to fight the villain guys. Here's an idea, just capitulate and let him reign death and destruction on all your loved ones if you're just going to spoonfeed the position of the crystals to him. Again, am I the only one that thinks on these things?
Knowing what I've just told you, you can probably second-guess what happens at the end, as I did thirty minutes into the movie. But really, I can't blame the movie's faults on the plot alone, because much of my anger was towards the dialogue and characters. Remember when I mentioned the English guy added his own dialogue in? Apparently this was also done with this movie. From what I've heard there was originally a British cast for this film and it was called "The Magic Roundabout," true to the original series. Except for the roles of Zebedee, the narrator, and Florence (Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, and Kylie Minogue respectively) the other characters were dubbed over. What does this get you?
Well, it gets you Whoopi Goldberg as a wise-cracking ghetto cow. Yes, a cow named "Ermintrude" that says things like "You're lookin' at a diva!" and sounds like any sentence she says is going to end in, "Shyeeeet!" I also agree Doogal's voice was very annoying, and to be honest it didn't seem to fit the character - I understand now why on the TV trailers for this film you didn't hear Doogal's voice at all. You also have Jimmy Fallon as Dylan the rabbit, and while Fallon's a funny guy the persona he gives Dylan of a rock 'n roll stoner seems odd and forced. In fact, you hear better, more relaxed voice acting from the entire cast in the bloopers at the end. I also want to talk about Kevin Smith and the moose - I don't know if there was originally a voice for the moose in the UK version, but his dialogue was the most forced...and what was with the fart jokes? Did we really need those for the moose? Seriously.
I also think they went with way too many liberties on the dialogue. I have a feeling that they added in a lot of stuff that wasn't in the original film. Why, you ask? For one, the lip-syncing is off so many times it becomes unbearable - what the characters say and what the mouths look like don't go together. Also, there were so many moments when characters didn't even have their mouths moving and were still talking! Remember at the beginning of "Mrs. Doubtfire" when Robin Williams keeps talking even when the bird on the screen isn't? Yeah, it looks like that. And, like I said, a lot of the dialogue comes across as forced, and there are so many wise-cracking stupid jokes that the dialogue will actually bump into each other, not giving you a breather for a second. This is combined with waaaaaaay too many pop-culture references. The greatest sinner in the entire film is the skeleton scene:
Skeleton Warriors: *mouths not moving* "Pirates of the Carribean!" / "Want some ribs?" / "Bring out your dead!"
Dylan: "I was trained by Morpheus!" *strikes a pose* "My name isn't Dylan, it's Neo..." *beats up the skeletons* "There is no spoon!"
It was right here I wanted to kill myself.
It could have been a cute little film, but in the end what you get is slaughtered by the bad dialogue. Forget shooting fish in a barrel - take an M30, stick it in the water, and pull the trigger, and THAT would be how easily the dialogue kills this movie. It's your typical example of why so many animated movies today fail. Instead of working on a good script to go with great visuals, you get billions of dollars spent on visuals peppered with pop-culture references that will die out in five years and stupid jokes every single second. Trust me, I doubt even your kids will like this. Just in case they might, however, blot out any sign that this movie exists to them...at least until they can comprehend things like "character development," "plot," or "good writing."
 Cute, Sweet, PERFECT for Little Ones May 28, 2006
Kristen C (So Cal)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This is a simple, sweet story that is definitely for littler kids. I suspect the people who have given the film a bad rating here were disappointed by it's "lack" of mature humor that is so brilliantly scripted in movies like Shrek. Monster Inc., or The Incredibles (I frankly found this the beauty of the film and quite refreshing). The animation is also more focused on an illustrated look rather than realism. So, if you're an adult without kids, ignore this film.
BUT, if you have little ones (mine are 3 1/2 and 18 months), definitely buy or rent this film. I'll be honest, it isn't a film that has such impact that you keep talking about it (like Incredibles or Shrek or Robots). It's simply a sweet children's story with a good plot that relates the dangers of selfishness and self-centeredness and the benefits of friendship and teamwork very well. It also shows that even the most misguided of us can be redeemed by our good actions. It's something you'd see on the Disney channel and worth adding to your children's library of "good message" movies.
I personally would love to see it with the original British cast (Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellan, thankfully, remained in the film...and I loved the comic performance of Bill Hader as Soldier Sam!). I think the American cast was mixed oddly in the casting room office, some of the choices work, some don't. Two very odd choices were the use of Jon Stewart as the villian and Whoopie Goldberg as Ermintrude the Cow and I think they somehow work once you get over the juxtaposition of the voices to the characters. Jon Stewart pulls it off because he's so darned sardonic. I'm still trying to decide if Whoopie truly works as an opera singing cow.... Daniel Tay as Doogal...ehh...nothing to write home about. Jimmy Fallon portrayed the laid-back, hippie-esque Dylan the Rabbit with ease, of course. I loved William H. Macy as Brian, his calm voice fits the country Snail beautifully. Fallon and Macy (along with Hader) were probably the best performances in the film.
See Hoodwinked Instead May 16, 2006
J. Conn (Pittsburgh, PA United States)
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
After seeing Hoodwinked and enjoying it, I looked forward to this movie, by the same makers. Also, with talent like Kevin Smith, Chevy Chase, Whoopi Goldberg and William H. Macy, I had high expectations. I was very disappointed.
The movie makes a few cultural references, which is amusing, but not really funny. There are very few actual jokes, and characters that are not at all developed after the initial introduction. The wizards, good and evil, look like Jack-in-the-Boxes which have escaped their boxes, which seems odd and unnecessary. Their powers come from their pizza-box-guy stereotype mustasches, which is sort of cute.
Small children will probably enjoy the brightly colored scenes and the triumph of good over evil, but I'd give this one a miss if you're over 6. I gave it two stars because it wasn't so bad that I had to turn it off, though I came close.
A Fun and Entertaining Film ... For Kids, At Least April 2, 2006
Chris Pandolfi (Los Angeles, CA)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
I've often found that young children go into animated movies with the same mindset: they'll love it even before the lights in the theater go dim. And what's not to love? Everything is bright, wacky, and fun, no one gets killed, and a happy ending is virtually guaranteed. Of course, adults have a different set of standards for the films they'd prefer to see. Sure, a family film is okay; at least then there's something for everyone. But if they're forced to sit through a cartoon made entirely for young children, then there's a lot to be desired. "Doogal" is definitely a children's film, and for them, I would recommend it. But for adults, even those who have young children ... well, it may be something you'll want to pass on.
A completely computer generated adventure, "Doogal" has everything a child would love: lots of vivid colors, talking animals, talking toys, juvenile comedy, and harmless dialogue. Of course, the visuals will probably distract them from the basic good vs. evil storyline. Then again, they may not; it's a genre that's been utilized in countless numbers of cartoons, most of which they've seen on more than a couple of occasions (and for that we can thank the folks at Disney). It's a genre that also has the ability to close cultural gaps. The film itself is proof of that; it was originally produced in France, only to later be re-dubbed by English speaking actors. The script was also completely rewritten by American born Butch Hartman, the creator of Nickeloden's "Fairly Odd Parents."
Nothing was complex or detailed as far as the plot is concerned, and the characters were appropriately made one-dimensional (a plus, considering the average child's attention span). In what was obviously crafted to be an under aged salute to the "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy, "Doogal" is the story of a puppy and his quest to save the world. When the evil sorcerer Zeebad (Jon Stewart) is accidentally released from his merry-go-round prison, he takes his revenge by covering the whole world in snow and ice. Things only go downhill when he steals three magic diamonds, the ones that have the ability to freeze the sun permanently. If there's to be any hope of thawing the frozen landscape, then the diamonds have to be restored. (It should be noted here that Zeebad is a metal spring. That's right: a metal spring.)
Here enters the good sorcerer Zebedee (Ian McKellen, whose character is also a metal spring). He puts together a ragtag fellowship specifically for this dangerous quest. It's led by Doogal (Daniel Tay), a self-serving, candy obsessed young mutt whose best friend, Florence (Kyle Minogue), has been imprisoned by a wall of ice. If he's to succeed in saving her--as well as in saving the world--he must learn to think of others and not just himself. Helping him are his friends, including: Dylan (Jimmy Fallon), a guitar playing rabbit who is always sleepy; Ermintrude (Whoopie Goldberg), a cow who dreams of musical stardom (despite the fact that she can't sing to save her life); and Brian (William H. Macy), a levelheaded snail who happens to be in love with Ermintrude. (Don't bother asking why; remember, this is a kid's film.) Completing the list of characters in the unseen narrator, voiced by the Academy Award nominated Judi Dench.
Yes, "Doogal" is the kind of film kids would love. Unfortunately, I'm an adult, and I couldn't help but analyze it from an adult's perspective. There was just so much that didn't work for me, not the least of which was animation that couldn't hold a candle to the likes of Dreamworks or Pixar. Every shot looked like an amateurish, half-hearted attempt, qualities that would only be dismissible were it a weekly cartoon on Playhouse Disney or Kids' WB. I'm not saying the characters had to look realistic: if anything, that would hurt the movie more. I just felt that the graphics people could have put a little more effort into things like texture, lighting, and movement. I also would have liked it if the characters' mouth movements were redone. I've already told you that this was originally a French film. Because of that, the voices were out of sync with the mouths. At first I could let it go, but after a while I found it to be distracting and detrimental to the movie.
Another problem was a noticeable clash of comedic styles. Visually speaking, the audience is immersed in a toddler's dream world: completely sterile, fantastic, and loaded with a mishmash of seemingly unconnected creatures. (Who'd have thought you'd see a film where humans, animals, and toys coexisted?) This in and of itself works. However, it loses cohesion when you factor in Hartman's Americanized dialogue. Almost every joke in this film is a pop culture reference, something that seemed too removed from the genre and too mature for young audiences. Would four-year-olds understand any of the references to "Lord of the Rings"? For that matter, would they understand the references to "Star Trek," "King Kong," or "Indiana Jones"? I hope they can, because they all find their way into the movie.
Even some of the voice styles worked against the movie. Case in point: Dylan the rabbit, whose guitar playing called for him to sound like a wasted rock star. Fallon's tired and consistently disinterested performance might have worked had "Doogal" been aiming for a preteen audience. I don't know; I just think that if the filmmakers insisted on including jokes adults would get, they should have veered away from the cruder gags only children would appreciate. The best example is a moose (Kevin Smith) that continuously passes gas.
I guess this review is basically a warning to parents: your child in all likelihood will love "Doogal," but you in all likelihood will not. It's just not meant for anyone over the age of eight. I suppose that's not a bad thing; kids enjoy seeing movies that live up to their standards of entertainment. I still think it would have been better if the humor had meshed with the film's overall look. But what do I know? As I said earlier, I'm an adult.
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