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Snow Dogs
Buena Vista Pictures / Walt Disney Pictures


6.6

based on 26 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 25 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: PG for mild crude humor

Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., James Coburn, Joanna Bacalso, Brian Doyle-Murray, Graham Greene, and Sisqo

When Miami dentist (Gooding, Jr.) finds out that he's been named in a will, he travels to Alaska thinking he's going to be rich. Soon, his dream of wealth turns to mush when he finds out he has been left a team of racing dogs. As Ted's life goes to the dogs, he vows to learn to mush, no matter what it takes. (Walt Disney Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Comedy
WRITTEN BY:	Gary Paulsen (book Winterdance: the Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod) Jim Kouf Tommy Swerdlow and Michael Goldberg Mark Gibson and Philip Halprin
DIRECTED BY:	Brian Levant
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: May 14, 2002 Video: May 14, 2002 Theatrical: January 18, 2002
RUNNING TIME:	97 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Miami Herald Christine Dolen

A Disney family film, with all that the term implies: It's playful, corny, silly, adventuresome and enjoyable.

Washington Post William Triplett

A throwaway movie, but that doesn't mean it's bad. In fact, if you have a soft spot for man's best friend, it's a pretty good throwaway movie.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

As for Gooding, he's sadly gone to the dogs -- Snow Dogs has got to be his most humiliating role since "Lightning Jack."

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

Snow Dogs isn't subtle, to say the least, but it's a serviceable city-slicker-in-the-frozen-sticks comedy for kids and undemanding adults.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

I never thought I'd see a slapstick animal action movie about the beauty of interracial relationships and nonmarital sex, but that's what this is, and kids seem to love it.

TV Guide Frank Lovece

Formulaic but not entirely predictable, it's like old-school Disney, but without Tim Conway.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Cuba Gooding Jr. lands on his behind more often than a one-legged figure skater, and the preschooler next to me giggled every time.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Snow Dogs? "Snow Job" is more like it.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Like shave ice without the topping, this cinematic snow cone is as innocuous as it is flavorless.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Snow Dogs never comes close to transcending its own inherent silliness, but Coburn, Gooding, and a genial tone help make the movie harmless tomfoolery the whole family can tolerate.

Variety Joe Leydon

Small children will be amused by the frenetic antics of Cuba Gooding Jr. Grownups, however, will be far less enchanted.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

The movie's gentle and friendly, but nowhere close to exciting. It would be hard to believe that anyone involved with this production --considers Snow Dogs anything more than phoned-in business as usual.

Boston Globe Loren King

Harmless, if witless, stuff for the kids.

Chicago Tribune Robert K. Elder

Amiable Gooding still smiles through it all, weathering the cold, physical abuse and implied racism, doing his best to make his audience believe that Snow Dogs isn't offensive mush. But he can't bring it off.

USA Today Claudia Puig

The best actor in Snow Dogs is a glowering Siberian husky named Demon. In fact, all the dogs in the movie do a better job than their human counterparts.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

It's the sort of visual joke you would wince at in a 1940s movie; to see it nowadays, you're tempted to dismiss it as unintentional.

LA Weekly Mark Olsen

Relies almost exclusively on the gushing exuberance of Gooding Jr., and the aw-shucks factor of his digitally expressive, face-licking canine co-stars, leaving such potentially game actors as James Coburn and M. Emmet Walsh out in the cold.

Los Angeles Times Gene Seymour

Every generation is entitled to its dopey, sticky junk and, deep into the winter blahs, they don't get stickier or dopier than Snow Dogs.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

The vocal canines appear for about 30 humorous seconds, in a dream sequence, and are then never seen again. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the rest of the film, which runs an additional 98.5 excruciating minutes.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

As distressed as a comedy can be without qualifying as a snow emergency.

San Francisco Chronicle Neva Chonin

Don't let this dog out -- please.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

Lame children's entertainment.

New Times (L.A.) Luke Y. Thompson

Snow Dogs may simply be a stupid waste of your time. But if you know the source, it's an abomination.

The New York Times Dana Stevens

Snow Dogs is, even by the standards of a tradition that includes "Son of Flubber" and "The Shaggy D.A.," remarkably inept.

Film Threat Michael Dequina

Incredibly dull.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

The marketing weasels over at Disney deserve to have their beady little eyes gouged out with flaming icicles for the fast one they've pulled on audiences with Snow Dogs.

The average user rating for this movie is 6.6 (out of 10) based on 25 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Stupid Alien gave it an8:
Excellent comedy! Those dogs are quite realistic [nice computer work, Demon winks???]

Pat C. gave it a4:
A truly amazing film that sustains momentum in spite of not containing one fiber of substance.

M K gave it a 0:
Boring as batsh.t. we had to watch it in class, and i've never seen people so bored in mylife. not the least bit funny.

Brad B. gave it an 8:
Give me a break... this film wasn't intended to be The English Patient. It's a cute "feel good" family movie. The scenery was amazing.... the characters were meant to be larger than life- as well as the dogs (fine with me). It had just enough comedy and romance to keep the adults engaged. My daughter loved it and I certainly enjoyed it - not a common scenario!

Michelle P. gave it a 10:
Yes, I'm aware that this movie has a rather silly plot. But I don't think it was absurd enough to deserve a 20. I mean, we don't get these kind of feel-good, fun, movies, other than "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". This film has 3 things that not too many films have 1. A beautiful scenery. I haven't seen any beautiful sceneries since "The Fellowship of the Ring", but this film contained such a beautiful Alaska scenery that you just wanted to move there right away. 2. Animals get respected. I haven't seen this happening since "Princess Mononoke". The dogs in this film are beautiful, cute, clever, brave, mischievious, lovable, and even get their name in the title. So far, films have been taking such helpful animals that have saved the lives of humans for many centuries for granted. But this film shows how important they are. 3. No sensuality. There is romance sprinkled in this film, but no boy sleeping with a girl when they're not married. Nowadays, romance or comedies seem to always have that, to "spice up" the movie. Nice try. I think critics these days are a little too picky about certain films and take them for granted when they could be a stress relief. See this one, whether you're a kid, teen, or an adult. But especially if you're a dog-lover (like me ^_^)

Rell S. gave it a 10:
Both my wife and I loved this movie - we have watched it several times and plan on watching it again.

Angel D. gave it a 10:
I give this movie a 10. And I am speaking from it's target point of view: the kids and those ones not asking too much philosophy out of a children's movie. Probably the gentlemen and ladies at the New Times (L.A.) and other so-called-raters are more fond of the "Die Another Day" and other "action" movies that "warm their souls" and are expecting crappy gun-shots and fighting on the screen, especially when they are taking their kids to a Disney movie. Well, they get what they want, as "peaceful" and funny movies like SnowDogs are not welcome anymore by the new generation of "critique"-ers. Too bad...

Snow Dogs Buena Vista Pictures / Walt Disney Pictures

Snow Dogs
Buena Vista Pictures / Walt Disney Pictures