The best cartoon canines to stream for a barking good time
In honour of Max and his friends bounding into cinemas this weekend with The Secret Life Of Pets 2, here are five more pooch-powered cartoons to go fetch on home streaming, including a five-star stunner.
Leigh Paatsch
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With The Secret Life Of Pets 2 ready to play in cinemas this weekend, Leigh Paatsch has pulled together a list of his top animated movie picks involving man’s best friend ready for you to stream.
ISLE OF DOGS (2018)
Foxtel Now
*****
Filmmaker Wes Anderson’s second stunning foray into stop-motion animation (remember The Fantastic Mr Fox?) is both a visual and storytelling triumph to be treasured.
In a near-future not disposed towards pooches of any persuasion, the pro-cat Japanese city of Megasaki has banished all dogs to live in squalor on a faraway island.
One determined young boy travels there to free them all.
THE PEANUTS MOVIE (2015)
Google, iTunes
***1/2
A low-key, sincerely loveable adaptation of the long-running comic strips by Charles M. Schulz.
All iconic characters are present, and their defining traits have not been tinkered with in the slightest.
The script is episodic in structure, allowing a wide selection of everyone’s favourite Peanuts moments to be covered.
The uniquely poignant air associated with Schulz’s work is always to the fore.
BOLT (2008)
Netflix, Stan
***1/2
Lively, loveable animated comedy about a canine TV star (voiced by John Travolta) who thinks he has secret superpowers.
After falling into a package that transports him across the country, our shaggy little hero must find his way home with the help of a strange entourage of stray pets.
For very young viewers, the story is exceptionally easy to follow, and the vocal cast keep the hammy, hey-listen-to-me! stuff to a minimum.
101 DALMATIANS (1961)
Foxtel Now
****
Almost 60 years old now, and still very much a sparkling gem whenever it is hauled from Disney’s classic animation vaults.
Youngsters invariably connect with the beautifully crafted adventure at the heart of the story, in which a playful litter of dalmatian puppies are abducted by the dreaded Cruella de Vil.
She wants their coats to make a fashion statement. Their parents Pongo and Perdita are not about to let that happen.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (2016)
Google, iTunes
***
A likeable, lively G-rated affair. Ever wondered what domestic pets get up to when their owners aren’t about?
The answer, not surprisingly, is that pets raise all kinds of hell when nobody is watching. Some switch on the TV and catch up on their favourite soaps. Others are partial to video games, self-styled exercise regimes, or merely swapping notes with other cooped-up creatures living nearby.
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