Rock-a-Doodle (Sullivan Bluth, 1991)

I was going to write that we had here the most precipitous drop in quality of any movie we’ve seen on the list so far. The most astonishingly sharp turn from good to bad that the blog has yet given us. And while that’s probably still true (though the Lion King to Pocahontas is a fierce contender as well), it’s not quite the feeling I got from this. After all, while All Dogs Go to Heaven was very good, it wasn’t flawless. It’s more a feeling of a movie where all the Don Bluthy aspects worked perfectly being followed by one where they didn’t work at all. And in true Bluth fashion, the reason is a mix of studio interference, regrettable circumstance, short-sighted ambition, and personal shortcomings. The result? Probably the worst movie featured on the blog since Chicken Little. Definitely the worst since Quest for Camelot.

Birds!

Songs!

Plot!

Coherence!

Constant Narration!

IT’S ROCK-A-DOODLE!

All Dogs Go to Heaven (Sullivan Bluth, 1989)

The Land Before Time cemented Bluth’s critical success after the shaky reception of An American Tail, and inspired Spielberg to go off and form his own studio, which we’ll hear more about later. Bluth was once again left to his own devices, with the success to pursue his art as he saw fit, and no producers to overpower him. Bluth, Goldman, and Dan Kuenster directed, Bluth, Goldman, and Pomeroy produced, and Bluth was free to Bluth it up all over the screen, with complete creative control. In future projects, this would turn out to be more a good idea in theory than in practice, like giving Gene Roddenberry more control over Star Trek. For this one shining movie, though, all the Bluthy stars truly aligned.

DOGS!

ORPHANS!

VESTS AND NECKTIES!

IT’S ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN!