Guard Dog

As we see this bulldog who walks with his master, imagine all the horrors that are out there. A little girl with a jump rope that has the ability to decapitate. A squirrel and a grasshopper, all providing mortal danger. And then, when we least expect it, something quite bizarre takes place. Quite a unique little presentation.

This is a wonderful short film and I certainly am not surprised that it nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Short. Like most of Bill Plympton's shorts, this one is wonderfully drawn and hilarious from start to finish.

The film begins with a crazy looking dog (the same one that appeared in another Plympton short, GUIDE DOG) and it shows his thoughts as he and his master go on a walk. Like many small dogs, this one is very yappy and for once you can see why the dog is this way--as he imagines an amazing array of dangers awaiting his beloved owner. The perceived dangers are so over-the-top and silly that you can't help but laugh. From a little girl to a squirrel to a grasshopper--EVERYTHING seems to be trying to kill the guy--at least from the point of view of the dumb dog. The best, by far, is the little gag involving Ronald McDonald, but I'll say no more--just see it for yourself.

Exquisite animation and insightful writing--this is one funny short film you should not miss.

We've all been there, walking along a street or park, glaring at the guy with the dog that barks at EVERYTHING. Why won't that dog shut up? Why??? WHY????!!!! Well, because he's protective, of course! This short by Bill Plympton is the first short of the 2005 Animation Show produced by Don Hertzfeldt and Mike Judge, which is where I saw it. It's a great introduction to independent animation and the directions it can take. The drawings may be a little odd, but they are still cute and silly... even when they're tearing apart human beings from limb to limb. Well, one human being... and only in the dog's mind.

It's a bit predictable, but that doesn't matter too much. It's a silly romp that ends in a real drag, sure to be fun for the whole... every black humored individual out there.

--PolarisDiB

Guard Dog (2004)

**** (out of 4)

Hilarious, Oscar-nominated animated short has a loyal owner taking his kind dog out for a walk and soon we see the dog grow violent towards various apparent kind things. We then learn why dogs hate little squirrels, kids, flowers, grasshoppers and various other items. This is the first film I've seen from Plympton and I became an instant fan within these short 4-minutes. This was an incredibly clever little gem that has more brains than the majority of animated films out there so it's easy to see why this has gained such a big cult following over the years. Having a loyal dog see the "truth" behind evil creatures like the squirrel is very funny and over and over we just see these creatures and how they want to kill the owner. We get a decapitation, a hanging and that's just the start. Seeing as how there's all sorts of violence and blood, this here certainly isn't for kids but adults should really dig the humor, the beautiful animation and most importantly the clever way of presenting the events in the walk through Hell Park. A true gem that even gets a wonderful joke aimed at Ronald McDonald.

I wasn't hooked at first but once it sucks you into the story, the premise is so clever and it's executed so well - hilarious and outlandish imaginings by the pooch. Nice ending too. I love the dog's manic nature.