Review:
"Sgt. Stubby:
An American Hero"
Release Date: April 13, 2018
Running Time: 85 minutes Stubby by name, stubborn by nature. The fact-based computer-animated Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero offers a family-friendly take on the World War I exploits of the tenacious canine mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment. Yes, Stubby was promoted to the rank of sergeant because of the heroics he displayed during 18 months of combat on the Western Front. As recalled in vivid detail in Sgt. Stubby, the Boston terrier saved his regiment from a mustard gas attack, caught and held captive a German soldier, and searched the battlefield for wounded U.S. troops. The film depicts Stubby as a headstrong stray that “adopts” the 102nd Infantry Regiment during basic training in Connecticut and remains with the regiment during its 1917-18 deployment. Stubby is cared for by Corp. Robert Conroy (voiced steadfastly by Logan Lerman) and undertakes reconnaissance missions with Conroy and French infantryman Gaston Baptiste (voiced with friendly charm by Gerard Depardieu). Working from a script he co-wrote with Mike Stokey, director Richard Lanni takes a realistic approach to telling the inspiring story of his four-legged subject. He does not anthropomorphize Stubby, which may disappoint children weaned on such recent Disney films as Bolt, Chicken Little and Zootopia. But when you are dealing with a global conflict, Lanni knows better than to trivialize World War I’s 18 million fatalities by having a talking dog patrol the trenches. Stubby’s story is extraordinary to begin with, so there is no need to turn the dog into something it is not. He is trained to “salute,” but that’s about it when it comes to any human-like behavior. In order to appeal to all ages, Lanni depicts the battles as graphically as he can without showing any deaths onscreen. (A supporting character is killed late in the film, and his death is acknowledged and mourned appropriately by his comrades.) This tactic still manages to evoke the chaos and the cruelty of war without severely traumatizing younger viewers. By shining a light on Stubby’s brave deeds, though, Lanni offers an intriguing history lesson that reveals not all heroes walk on two legs. Robert Sims Aired: April 13, 2018 Web site: http://www.stubbymovie.com |
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