ROVER DANGERFIELD

Attempting to capitalize on the success of comedian Rodney Dangerfield, this animated cartoon tells the story of Rover, a basset hound that looks like the foul-mouthed comic.

Owned by a sexy showgirl in Las Vegas, Rover is captured by her jealous boyfriend and dumped into Hoover Dam. Fortunately, a pair of fishermen haul Rover out, enabling him to venture into the country. Rover is then adopted by a young boy who puts him to work on the farm, which is a new experience for him.

Predictably, Rover is a sluggish city dog. He winces every time he has to do chores, and circumstances always seem to get the best of him. Twice, he is caught in the hen house. The second time, it nearly costs Rover his life, as the boy’s father takes him into the woods to kill him. Just as the father begins to pull the trigger, three wolves jump and attack him. Rover comes to the rescue and saves the father’s life, pulling him home on a sled. Saving the day, Rover victoriously lives and shortly thereafter fathers a family of his own.

Throughout ROVER DANGERFIELD, off-color musical numbers are sung by Rover and his flock of furry friends, with lines such as “heaven is filled with gold-plated fire hydrants.” The animation is creative, but the storyline lacks zip. Overall, the film uses cartoon caricatures to attract kids, but the scatological humor is strictly for adults, making the film unsuitable for either audience. In fact, when asked how he liked the movie, one six-year-old noted defiantly, “Bad.”