Scent of Danger

As my wife is part of a Search and Rescue team, we decided to watch this movie on the Animal Planet which was supposedly about S&R.

Obviously this movie had no technical advisors as everything was totally wrong and made real handlers look stupid. For example, it takes years of training under all sorts of weather with qualified instructors and after passing difficult exams to become a certified S&R dog and handler. Yet one of the dogs was trained in a backyard once for 5 minutes and suddenly became a S&R dog. I can just imagine how the S&R handlers who were in NYC on 9/11 must feel.

This movie made everyone look bad including the police and the FBI. I just hope that people who know my wife and friends don't think that the movie is realistic. This is a good example as to why "tv-movies" are terrible for the most part. After this insult I will no longer watch anything on the Animal Planet. I thought they were smarter than this.

This movie was not amazing but it was okay. It was one of those movies that you watch when you really have nothing else to watch and it just happens to be on T.V. There were some of those tearjerker, I love animal scenes. They were admittedly over the top and cheesy. But lets face it I gave my dog a hug anyways!It was a very typical "made for T.V." movie. I think the guy that commented on this previously took the movie a LITTLE too seriously! I mean clearly it was inaccurate! It starred the woman whom I only know of because she was on a few episodes of Gilmore Girls. This movie is simply a way to kill time and in no way should it reflect upon the police force, FBI or S&R teams. It also in no way should have prevented the previous commenter from watching Animal Planet (It wasn't THAT bad)

A good murder mystery with quiet, but effective acting moments, and a fair share of action. Children and animals in danger heightens the suspense.

More of a detective, suspense movie than an action thriller, my spouse and I enjoyed this when it first aired on tv and I kept the VHS tape for years. Now we watch it on DVD.

Clever film, I especially liked the theme of the SAR dogs, even if it wasn't super realistic in their training (who cares?!). I would have loved to have seen a sequel or a (mini)series.

So I thought the private detective and the dog handler made an interesting team. The cop was the sort you love to hate. The character was stiff enough that I wouldn't miss her in a sequel.

After reading other reviews, I do want to say that I understand the training was unrealistic BUT this was a thriller presented by Animal Planet. It wasn't a documentary on real life search and rescue dog handling, it was fictional. If I had been looking for knowledge on how search and rescue dogs were trained then I would have looked for educational videos such as a documentary. Though I wasn't, which is why I don't think the lack of precise knowledge in this movie is awful.

Now as for what I actually thought of the movie. I think the story line kept you on the edge without making it too action packed cheesy. I actually enjoyed each character. Brenna and Blue both needed to come out of their shell it seemed, I felt their acting appeared a little forced in the beginning. But AFTER only a couple scenes with them their characters really took off. I liked that most of the main characters were included rather equally. It gave it the "teamwork" type atmosphere to the case. I honestly would watch it again and would watch a sequel if there was ever one.

I'm referring to «This movie is an insult to real handlers and their dogs., 22 October 2002 -- Author: TC-4 (markviilin@aol.com)» I might candidly agree to all the «technical» arguments regarding dogs training. To a layman like me, they seem founded. But aren't they a bit too «limited», precisely by the dog training experience ? I mean, isn't that movie judged ONLY through that prism ? I would have wanted a personal opinion about the other aspects of that movie. There must be some... even if it's by no means the «greatest movie for TV ever made»! Personally, I found it «original» BECAUSE of the roles played by the dogs. Also, who but other «dog experts» could or would agree with the flaws denounced -- however accurate they are...? And I would tend to think that they really ARE! As a layman, of course. Cheers!