Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw (1988) User Reviews

An incredible experience

[thesevensamurais · 6/10 · 27 July 2006]

Hello,I did vote to help the film's cause a bit,cause I directed it,and the total schedule time was no more then 5 months and a half;Now imagine Disney trying to make a film that fast,we had 2 months and a half to prepare designs,storyboard ( 6 weeks ),locations,art direction,etc.,etc....

Then we had 3 months only to lay it out,animate it,do BG's,shoot it....And we only pencil tested no more then 10 scenes for a dance sequence,the rest was done with me guessing by writing the exposure sheets and checking drawings,and actual cells to find the in-between mistakes.The editors we're going crazy to get the film finish on time for the screening,so many mistakes we're made that we had fixed,but they ended up in the final cut anyways.

So I would just like to say that it was a hell of a challenge,and we produced it in Taiwan,so we did not have Disney caliber talent,but I am glad no matter what, it was an experience I don't regret even if it did make mean having to work 7 days a week and an average of 14 hours a day.My blessings go to everyone that was involved with the project,they all worked very hard to do their best.

Thank you. Pierre De Celles

I loved it as a child but

[tetur-michael · 5/10 · 12 January 2015]

I saw this movie about 50 times during about 11 first years of my life (now I am 19) so I still remember most moments of the film. Have to admit that I saw few episodes of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon which this is based on, after I'd seen this movie numerous times. I would like to point out some differences compared to the series. The characters' designes are different because there are older. Although Cooler and Whopper are somewhat comparable to their original selves, Nose Marie panics too much and reminds a spoiled girl more than calm, mature mother-like character of the series. Howler turns from a kind of wacky inventor to the most frightened character and nothing more. Bright Eyes, the sweetest one of the series, is seen as teenage-like during the first musical scene, however she speaks rarely in the movie, although she has big screen time like the major characters, she has a very small role to the story and is more like a prop. What is more, there is a large bug when Whopper along with Bright Eyes move away from the rest of the gang and everyone sees only Whopper is absent but Bright Eyes is located in two places at the same time. The movie brings up new characters like Reflex and the cats (Hairball and Charlamange) which are more focused than Bright Eyes during the story. It also has different antagonists compared to the series. What to say more, the animation makes it look at least 10 years older than it really is and there are bugs like changing colours and some holes in the story. I don't see bad it being a musical but it's such a commercial, quickly made film but I used to like it and see it many times so I cannot give it less stars.

Calling this mediocrity is a bit kind, but it was one of my childhood favorites

[lpratt6 · 5/10 · 3 January 2013]

I actually loved this movie when I was little. I had it on video and watched it all of the time. I noticed a lot of the technical goofs as I got older, but they didn't really ruin the movie for me. I enjoyed pretty much every moment, every character, every song, and every joke. I think it's because I saw the movie when I was very little and loved cats, dogs, and music enough for the movie to have a big impression on me. I've outgrown the movie now but there's still a heavy nostalgia cloud around it for me. All I can really say for others is this: Pound Puppies is corny and messy like many of the toy-based movies from the '80s, but little kids might like it. It can work as a time-waster for them, but it won't mean much of anything to people who are older.

It's Cheap, it's dull and it makes no sense

[rorymacveigh · 1/10 · 18 July 2012]

I can't exactly put too much of the plot down because basically I can't figure out the plot. This isn't exactly a film I watched as a child but somehow after coming across it recently, I'm glad I didn't because it would have probably left me a mental mess. From what I've gathered through the self-righteous mess that is the script, it has something to do with a magical bone that is used to allow dogs and cats to communicate with humans and thereby live in the everyday world as individuals. There's never any explanation how this bone came to be, only that it was found in a similar fashion to that of Excalibur. However, an evil man with a name as cosmopolitan as some of those found in a Captain Planet Cartoon named McNasty is out to claim the the bone for himself and thereby overthrow the world. The way they depict this is he puts the bone back together and guess what... Absolutely nothing happens, he remains stood there the same as he was before with no obvious differences, and proclaims himself King of the world, whilst singing an insufferable rip off of 'Bad to the Bone' by George Thorogood, with just the five beats of the drum being his musical accompaniment, a real epic of a song, sure does beat the pants off those Disney Classics and other evil themes. Eventually, he gets defeated by this giant dog called Big Paw who only appears at the very end of the film and spends most of the time hiding even though the film title clearly states that it is 'The Legend of Big Paw' and he is turned good by some kind of tumble drier. The others celebrate and sing terrible songs and basically annihilate all that is music.

In all, this film is a jumbled concoction of idiocy, with terrible songs, worthless dialogue that sounds like it was made up in a 3 year old's sleep, animation that's the equivalent of the Saturday morning cartoon this movie came from and a humour that you could say is as dry as a bone! Steer well clear of this one folks if you want to keep yours or your child's dignity intact.

What were they thinking?

[bartallenii · 10 April 2001]

The producers were obviously trying to cash in on the "let's make a big screen cartoon out of a saturday morning series" formula that worked so well with "The Chipmunk Adventure", "The Care Bears trilogy", and "My Little Pony".

The animation is extremely cheap for a feature film. And it has almost no connections with the ABC cartoon series that was running when this so called film was released. Sure, they got the t.v. voices for Nose Marie, Whopper, and Bright Eyes for this movie, but where were Cooler and Howler?

Stick with the Cartoon Series from Hanna Barbera. It's much better quality than this.

Another cheap 80's cartoon movie that is based on a popular toy.

[ryanward-45039 · 4/10 · 27 April 2022]

In all, this film is just dull and a very dated dog bone that shouldn't be disturbed. Pound Puppies was never really my thing since I did not grow up in the 1980's and I never really saw the show, but all I do know is that one is kind of it's own movie as it doesn't have the same show's continuity, in that it's mainly set in the 1950's rather than in the 1980's like the cartoon, the dogs Cooler, Bright Eyes, Howler, Whopper, Nose Marie are notably different from that of the show and they have different owners in this as well as different voices, so I don't know why they needed to be change everything, at least the MLP cartoon, Transformers, and even the Care Bears didn't change characters or personalities from the toys they were based off of, so this is the coming from someone that barely watched the show and honestly never really cared for it since I grew up a decade after this came out. But it is pretty harmless and not the worst animated film ever made, far from it, so I would give it some credit it does have kind of cute concept, but never fleshed out enough, and maybe one or two characters like Big Paw that are interesting. The other characters are just so bland and generic and the villain is just as lame as his name would suggest. It's best if you stick to Disney classics that had dogs in them or other 80's toy cartoons like MLP or Transformers. And yes I did see the re-launch of Pound Puppies that aired on the Hub several years ago but sadly the show wasn't quite the original as they updated them with different names and breeds as well as the show not becoming big as Friendship is Magic.

4/10.

Love this Movie!

[MissGalinda · 9/10 · 30 January 2006]

I love this movie! I knocked off one point for the animation - it is mismatched sometimes with the audio - but the story is a very good one and the songs are excellent! I used to rent this movie EVERY time I went to the movie store when I was little. It is what began my love of music from the 1950s. I recently purchased it on Ebay and I enjoyed it just as much as a college student as I did as a child.

Besides entertainment, "Pound Puppies: The Legend of Big Paw" teaches several worth while lessons: Rumors aren't always true, why you shouldn't "cry wolf," sometimes scary things can be "all in your mind," and that love is stronger than evil.

The nose knows what the nose knows and the nose knows this is a great movie!

A Little Childhood Fancy

[lpdreamweaver94 · 6/10 · 7 March 2012]

Any cartoon or TV series based on a toy line is bound to receive vehement criticism in the animation world. Many people see them for exactly what they are: toy commercials, dribble, and fluff. However, I don't see how creating a show or a movie about a toy is a terrible thing. If children like a certain toy and it means a lot to them, then there's nothing wrong with them enjoying a cartoon/movie about their favorite toy. They may not enjoy it forever, but it would form into a fond memory, and be a fun thing to smile and laugh about later on down the road.

Now that's that out of the way, let's talk about the main topic of this review: The Pound Puppies Movie. It certainly isn't a powerful or remarkable piece of animation. It's easy to tell where the animation is faulty and the writing is sub par. Still, it's a movie for children, and children aren't as prone to be bothered by such factors. I, as a matter of fact, loved this movie throughout my childhood, and sneaked secret viewings of it up until I was about thirteen. I wasn't quite ready for the magic to die, I guess you could say.

I believe I loved this movie so much because it had talking animals and music. I had that in all of the Disney movies I owned, so it was easy for me to get into this one. Also, I saw it when I was young enough. My memory stretches back to age three, but I was probably watching the movie a bit earlier than that- I (once) had the movie for as long as I could remember; I think it belonged to my older brother first. If I had seen it when I was ten as opposed to when I was a toddler, it probably would've made a difference. Getting further into why I loved the movie, I really liked all of the characters. They were all funny and cute to me, and the villain in particular had two cronies- one skinny and one fat- who would always get involved in silly slapstick humor that left me in stitches. The giant dog, Big Paw, was endearing to me as well. Everyone thought he was vicious, but he actually turned out to be gentle and lonely. I liked that as a child. Also, the memory I take away most from the film is this: the music. I was always filled with anticipation and excitement when the first song began ("At the Pound", based on the '50s hit "At the Hop" by Danny and the Juniors), and I danced to virtually all the others. I became interested in '50s music thanks to this movie, as a matter of fact.

All in all, The Pound Puppies Movie is a cheesy, far-from-perfect animated film that kids will probably like, providing they see it when they're little enough and love movies with talking animals/musical numbers. It's not a movie for all ages, but a good one for kids. I have outgrown the movie (though I occasionally look up the songs on YouTube for old time's sake), but I thank it for the memories it gave me, and for introducing me the the music of the '50s.

PS: I'd also like to note that when I was little, Pound Puppies weren't in as in style as they were in the '80s, and I also had a video of the original cartoon, which was vastly different. Didn't stop me from loving the movie. ;-)

I loved this movie!

[smilez1029 · 10/10 · 6 July 2004]

I loved this movie when I was a kid and still do. I have it on tape, recorded off TV, but one time I accidentally hit record while watching it screwing up the middle of the movie. I'm so sad. I wish I could find it on VHS or DVD. I would buy it in a heartbeat. I have enjoyed this movie many times during my childhood. It has great catchy songs that I would sing along to and the plot is simple but good. It's not just some silly pound puppy story. It's serious. It has a dramatic crime that is committed by comical bumbling fools that work for an awful awful man. The puppies, although unrealistic, can speak to humans and they can understand them, but when the crime is committed the communication is lost. Then some dogs turn mean by the doing of the evil man but evil can not triumph when love and friendship are involved. That's why this movie is a good kids movie, it's got love, friendship, morals, comedy, drama, and of course great songs!

A wonderful example of childhood nostalgia

[lauramca1989 · 8/10 · 18 June 2005]

This film takes me back to my childhood.Every Saturday when i was my turn to rent from a local video shop, i always headed for this film much to my parents and elder siblings annoyance (they don't seem to get the appeal of giant singing dogs.) Full of happy songs guaranteed to put a smile on your face and keep you singing them the whole day through.

To watch it now, i realise it may not be the best quality animation by todays standards but i feel the storyline wholly makes up for this. Remembering it gives me wonderful memories that are priceless! A wonderful example of childhood nostalgia and a must for any child or adult alike to see at least once! My only regret is not hanging on to the video.

Very Good Movie, Great Way to end the Animated part of the Pound Puppies Fanchise

[brian_walmer · 10/10 · 14 January 2006]

The movie is done very well, and the animation makes the characters more believable, the songs are great to dance and sing to.

This movie is great for all ages, because it shows that the old saying is true, that Love conquers all! Mini-Spoiler: For example when most of the Pound Puppies (except for Cooler and the Purries) are turned mean coursty of Mcnasty's Mean Machine, it takes one Colette's puplings to say to her that they love her just as she growling and about to hurt them to change her back, so Cooler notices this, say's it to her friend Reflex and then by the ringing of a bell, has Reflex saying to all the Pound Puppies by hugging and kissing them.

So if you want a good family film without the volenice to enjoy. Get this one.

Childhood Favorite

[vqxpnd · 8/10 · 26 May 2023]

I rented this movie every time we went to Blockbuster. I watched it 6 times in the 2.5 days I had it. I later went on to purchase it on DVD as an adult. I still watch it and sob my little heart out.

When King Arthur pulls Excalibur from the stone his puppy pulls The Bone of Scone from the stone as well. The Bone of Scone allows humans and pets to communicate. But when the bone is stolen, it's up to Cooler and the gang to find it to restore communication. Cute premise and good songs for the time period. The animation is also fairly good for the time period. Definitely a family feel good movie. I can't recommend the movie enough.

I loved this movie

[flutter21 · 27 April 2001]

i used to love this movie. when i was little i used to rent it all the time. actually i wold check it out from the library and when it was due back i would rent it again. i also have the movie poster that has had a spot in my room for about 10 years.