Dogtanian and The Three Muskehounds: Nostalgia nightmare
The announcement of a movie adaptation of Dogtanian and The Three Muskehounds was met with nostalgic approval from movie fans of a certain age. Originally a Japanese cartoon series, the canine interpretation of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers was re-dubbed into English in the mid-80s and is affectionately remembered by those for whom post-school cartoons were a daily ritual.
This CGI film version tells the story of Dogtanian (voiced by Tomás Ayuso), an idealistic young hound who arrives in Paris with dreams of becoming one of The Muskehounds. Despite his tendency for clumsiness, his skills with the sword earn the trust of the Muskehounds, whom he teams up with to stop the evil Cardinal Richelieu (Stephen Hughes) from seizing control of the city.
The computer animation is bold, mimicking the style of a Hannah-Barbera cartoon. Sadly, there’s none of the personality of that brand, as lifeless voice performances can’t emulate the vivid world seen on screen. A very basic re-tread of the novel, the hero comes off as an annoying, oblivious buffoon whose mishaps are observed by his squire Pip (Robbie K. Jones), a mouse who’s trying to trick him out of money. Intended as a comedy side character, he provides needless commentary as he mutters to himself about money.
The main character are very standard interpretations of their literary inspirations. Porthos (also Hughes) jokes about lunch and being overweight, The Cardinal scowls menacingly from the shadows. The only real twist is Aramis (Julio Perillán), the romantic Muskehound, who talks in excruciating rhymes (“you fight with skill, you fight with style, I’d sooner fight a crocodile”). If you’re one of the people lovingly looks back at the original series, with its earworm theme tune and quirky concept, this may bring you crashing back to Earth.
Traditionally, rushed animated projects like this will lean on the caveat that younger audiences are less demanding. It’s true that the bright colours and farting horse jokes may make for a diverting afternoon for very small viewers, but the genre has moved on. Pixar has elevated the animated film to the point where good writing and coherent storytelling are minimum requirements even for lightweight tales, and in that sense Dogtanian and The Three Muskehounds falls flat on its face.
Dogtanian and The Three Muskehounds is in cinemas from 25th June.