Charlie, le conte de Noël

The IMDb rating is pretty appropriate, given how bad this movie is. I admit to not being into the "All Dogs Go To Heaven" franchise, so I don't know how this fits into the continuity of the other films. The best part is probably how they got the original voice actors back. It was easy to recognize Ernest Borgnine as I could remember Mermaid Man's voice. Anyway, this is probably the worst version of "A Christmas Carol" I've ever seen. As much as people make fun of Disney sequels, Don Bluth had it even worse.

This just lacks anything sustenance and we can start with the animation. The usage of bright colors yet doing so little with them reminds me if this was animated by the same people as "Sonic Underground". Most of this film isn't even about "A Christmas Carol" but instead focuses on some boring plot about Carface gaining the will to save Christmas. The only saving grace was Annabelle and she was barely in it! As someone who found the original film to be just okay, I couldn't find myself attached to these characters. The story's setup even makes little sense within its own setting. *1/2

I still prefer the original 1989 film, but this entry is a great improvement over "All Dogs 2". Dickens' basic plot for "A Christmas Carol" has been cleverly reworked here. Ernest Borgnine is wonderful as Carface, and this film allows us to see a different side to him. The talented Bebe Neuwirth does a nice job of pulling off an interesting dual role as both good Annabelle and evil Belladonna. The songs are good, and "Clean Up Your Act" is downright irresistible. This one is not as good as the first, but charming nonetheless.

The first All Dogs go to Heaven is not my favourite Don Bluth movie, but it is one of his most charming and memorable. I actually didn't mind the sequel either, it was nothing great due to its dull animation and rushed story but it wasn't awful as I liked the soundtrack and voice work, plus I can name worse sequels. This one was very nice and heart warming. Is it as good as the original? Not quite. But is it better than the sequel? I think it is. I however have real issue with the IMDb rating for this movie, literally saying it is horse poop. Seriously it is not that bad, I can think of a number of animated movies worse than An All Dogs Christmas Carol. Titanic:The Animated Movie? Doogal? The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue? Pokemon:The First Movie? Cool World?

Enough of that, let's get down to business. Right the animation is better than it was in the second. It's not quite as luscious as the animation in the original, but there are some nice backgrounds and the characters are at least well drawn. I also really liked the music, and I am probably alone here but I found the soundtracks here and in the second more memorable than in the original personally. The first song can be repetitive to some but it is nice and well sung, Carface's song about being a puppy was rather touching and Clean Up your Act was irresistibly catchy.

The story is also much better thought out and paced. One or two scenes do drag I agree, but I loved the canine twist on the immortal Christmas literary classic A Christmas Carol and the dig at It's a Wonderful Life(It's a Wonderful Carface) and it was less rushed than the second in my opinion. Plus the dialogue was pretty good. Then there were the characters. Charlie and Sasha aren't given as much to do but they are pretty likable, while Timmy is adorable. The two scene stealers were Carface, who steals the movie as a Scrooge-like caricature and the villainess Bella Donna who is deliciously bitchy. The voice acting on the whole is well done. Ernest Borgnine is brilliant as Carface, while Dom DeLuise is humorous as Itchy. Sheena Easten is lovely as Sasha, while Bebe Neuwirth was a huge improvement in the dual roles of Annabelle(Melba Moore was better though, and I found Neuwirth irritating in the second film) and Bella Donna(she gave the better vocal performance of the two with Bella Donna). The only weaknesses for me were Steven Weber, who just lacks that roguish charm, and Charles Nelson Reilly, who not only sounds different here, but got annoying at times.

Overall, An All Dogs Christmas Carol wasn't really that bad. Actually it is quite charming and heart warming. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I never understood the success of the "All Dogs..." franchise. The original theatrical movie was pretty bad. I've tried numerous times over the years to get through it but that's easier said than done. That movie was followed by an endless series of straight-to-video sequels. I don't know who was buying those videos but someone must been doing it. "An All Dogs Christmas Carol" is a tough watch. It is instantly forgettable every step of the way. Maybe some very small children would like it on as background noise while they're stuck in some old aunt's house on a Sunday afternoon. I don't know. All I know is that it instantly became background noise for me.

This is the Christmas special based on the "All Dogs Go To Heaven" universe. Sometimes I wonder why I bother with prequels as they are never (well, rarely) as good as the original, but maybe I am rating this based on the film that started it all.

Again, we do have a return of some old and new characters, and we have the song and dance that was done so well in the original. However, if you've never seen the original, I would recommend that. I would not recommend this Christmas special or the sequel to the original. However, if you're looking for a fun Christmas special and are in need of some background noise or someplace to put the kids, then this will do, but don't expect anything great.