This was a 2005 British-French movie based on the tv series 60’s which was a French TV show that was dubbed into English back in the good old days of Black and White shows. This is an animated movie unlike the original stop motion show. It stars the voices of British Legends - Tom Baker, Jim Broadbent, Joanna Lumley, Ian McKellen, Bill Nighy, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Ray Winstone and Lee Evans. OK Minogue isn’t English but the rest are. With Robbie taking the lead role of Dougal and Minogue is Florence.
A new character is introduced just to be the villain in this movie. It is Zeebad who I am going to say is the brother of Zebedee he has been trapped in the roundabout for many years within one of the statues. Zeebad wants to freeze everything and basically wants to return everything to the ice age. The only way to stop him is to retrieve three gems what will stop his dastardly plan. So, Dougal a sweet munching under worked dog must rally his gang of misfits, well a cow, a train, a young girl, a snail and smack head rabbit called Dylan. I have no idea what Zebedee is but he explains that if you return the three diamonds to the roundabout Zeebad will be re-imprisoned there. Zeebad is voiced by Tom Baker and he is fantastic.
Oops I jumped into this paragraph early there. Tom Baker is the former and best Doctor Who ever (if not my favourite, you cannot argue with the facts that he was the best). He also plays this villain to perfection. Lee Evans as the train is also a notable voice to please me. Even Robbie Williams did well. It is an enjoyable movie and one that I have even found myself watching when the kids have got up and gone to do something else. It did not do that great at the box office with a return of $26m from a budget of $20m basically means it didn’t make a profit so I would be amazed to see a sequel. Obviously loved this side of the Atlantic it could have not done that well in the states despite it being re-voiced by a host of famous people including a note of Kevin Smith, Chevy Chase, Whoopi Goldberg and Jimmy Fallon. As already mentioned I like this film and would recommend it but there is a but if you loved the old show you will be in for a disappointment as the story each week were mundane and dull the movie goes for big and epic and is CGI rather than the stop motion of yesteryear.
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