All Dogs Go To Heaven

Check out our review of All Dogs Go To Heaven - is it any good and how suitable is it for kids?

A Dog's Purpose Poster

All Dogs Go To Heaven

Starring: Voices by Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Judith Barsi. (U)

Release date: 1989

3 out of 5

3

An inventive little animated movie from Don Bluth (The Secret of NIMH), this is a cautionary tale about a casino-owning dog named Charlie (Reynolds) who is bumped off by one of his business associates, named Carface (Vic Tayback). Charlie wakes up in heaven (because, as the title tells us, all dogs go there, even greedy ones), but conspires to get back down to earth so he can settle the score.
Yes, it’s a canine Sopranos, with a cute human orphan thrown in who can talk to animals and has an uncanny knack for predicting winners at the track (a help for Charlie’s scheme). It’s got bright animation, fun characters, enjoyable (but not too scary) bad guys and some musical numbers, too. A passable sequel, All Dogs Go to Heaven 2, followed in 1996, with Charlie Sheen filling in for Reynolds as the voice of Charlie. 

Is All Dogs Go To Heaven suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...

As the title hints, this film has death as a central theme, and there are some dark moments, so parents of young children should watch it first to decide if it is suitable.
There is a pretty scary scene in which Charlie imagines himself in hell.

If you like this, why not try: One Hundred And One Dalmatians, The Aristocats, Cats & Dogs, Flushed Away, Chicken Run,