Lassie

The bitch is back. That huggably heroic canine superstar of film, TV, radio, and print has bounded back into our midst to charm a new generation of kids and believers of all ages. Unfortunately, Lassie's latest movie has a nasty case of mange. Continuity problems besiege Lassie in a way that's unexpected in a movie of this caliber. Action sequences cut between human activities and canine reaction shots. It is always obvious where stand-ins have been used and where Lassie's actions have been filmed separately and inserted later. Fully one-quarter of the dialogue consists of people saying to Lassie, "What is it, girl?" and "Hey, wait up." Yet, in spite of all this, when Lassie yanks the old heartstrings, it's fairly impossible to resist the tug. Children behind me were sobbing audibly at points and young and old alike would rouse themselves to cheers. If you don't place too many demands on it, Lassie will while away your time pleasantly. But, ultimately this pup is all bark and no bite.