Sven Timmermans I first saw this movie when I was 12 years old. It has lingered on in my mind from time to time and I just saw it again today (I'm 26 now).Needless to say, I was way too young when I first saw it, but my parents probably didn't read the description and thought it was just another animation. The movie is depressing, gut wrenching, and far too deep for children. Thankfully, it didn't scar me despite the graphic imagery.I don't want to say too much about the plot or anything, but everyone should definitely give this film a fair shot (if you can take depressing movies). It is one of the most touching movies I have ever seen and despite its age it has that nice nostalgic feel that only hand-drawn animation achieves. The only thing keeping me from giving this a perfect 10 is the sound which hasn't aged as well.I consider it a unique piece of art that's essential viewing for every fan of cinema.

wolfen320 I normally am not a fan of old movies (especially cartoons/anime). When I saw this available, I decided to give it a try. I've never heard of it before, but it looked like it was going to be good from what I saw. I was not disappointed at all. I immediately got attached to the characters. They were very well done. By the ending, I almost teared up (and I'm a guy that does not do that in movies). For a movie to emotionally affect me is a special thing.Of all the modern animated movies I've seen, none have been as good as this one. Anyway, I cannot recommend this movie more. Very emotional, serious, and amazing.

Stompgal_87 I watched 'The Plague Dogs' for the first time today on LoveFilm Instant because I love dogs. I didn't even know this film existed until 31 years after it was made, but I decided to give it a go anyway.As I mentioned in the title/summary of this review, the most positive aspects are the realistic backgrounds, true-to-life character designs (especially the animals) and the voice acting. The negative points of this film are its slow pace throughout, some disturbing scenes (such as a dead slightly balding dog being burnt in an incinerator and sights of a dead bloody sheep and lifeless chickens) and some of the animation being as slow as the film's pace. The camera movement was sometimes rough and choppy as well. As for the music, the beginning and ending songs were a treat to the ears and the background music was sparse yet chilling. The story was somewhat hard to understand, but I liked the chemistry between the two leading dogs Snitter and Rowf (whose name I thought was spelt 'Ralph' because they're similarly pronounced). When I first saw The Tod's eyes shine in darkness, I thought he was an owl but he is, in fact, a fox. I did find his name rather unoriginal because there is already an animated fox named Tod in Disney's 'The Fox and the Hound.' I also feel this film is a tad intense for a PG in the UK due to its disturbing scenes, language and sights of blood. It should be rated a 12 at the very least.All in all, this was a decent if slowly-paced film that had its artistry and voice work as its redeeming merits. 7/10.

sonicfan5715 The Plague Dogs... it's kind of hard to describe why this film is so good, because of all the things it manages to execute to near perfection.The animation, for it's time, is amazing, especially seeing that Martin Rosen's approach to this and "Watership Down" (another great) was to make the world and the animal characters in it seemingly realistic to a key (to an awkward point, when they draw out the dogs "package"). Nonetheless, the settings are dreary and threatening for our characters Rowf and Snitter (voiced by John Hurt, who also voiced Fifer in Watership Down) to traverse, and both the animals and even the humans are very well done.Such a provocative story as well, one that makes this more of an adults film rather than a children's (given a PG-13 rating for a few bloody reasons). The relationship between Rowf and Snitter is done brilliantly, and though I've never read the actual book, the way these two characters work with one another and each others self-conflicting emotions (Rowf's cynical yet determined will to survive, Snitter's intellect but often driven mad by his past misdeeds and being "cursed") to survive the harsh brutal world they escaped to is phenomenal. Even the characters they come to interact with (the sheep herders two collies, and "Tod" the fox) play their parts in helping these two find their way to freedom, though they may not actually be helping. Tod in particular is a fittingly cunning fox, and while he is helping these dogs for his own gain, he comes to a point in his life that he puts aside his own selfish thieving gain and sacrifices himself for the two. In the end, after enduring long and treacherous times in the wilds of Scotland, pursued by hunters for slaughtering sheep, and believed to be ridden with a "plague" from the cruel lab they escaped from, they come to the end of their journey. The film ends on a very sad (or if you choose) uplifting note, depending on how you interpret the ending of their story, whether or not they survived in the end. It may leave you with a mixed feeling, but the overall journey with Rowf and Snitter and everything in between makes this one of the greats in animation.Reasons this film is mainly geared more for adults isn't just for the enthralling story and the end result, it especially touches base with the issue of animal cruelty (most expressed in the beginning of the film, where Rowf is forced day by day to undergo endless swimming sessions of "endurance", drowning in the end and being revived by the humans to be put through the torture once more). Though I can't put my finger on what they did to Snitter, but it severely messed with his personal mind, causing his terrible imagery of his past, which in my mind delves even deeper on what terrible things we've done to animals simply for the sake of "what will happen." Say what you will about the issue, but I don't uphold animal cruelty on any level, but I wouldn't put a human first in line to be tested by a drug or treatment before it's proved foolproof. Wherever you stand on the issue, this film still manages to prove its point well, and makes you think about the aspects of animal experimentation/cruelty in labs.To top it off with dark story elements, such as the dogs trying to revert to the "wolf" ways to kill to survive, and bloody details of injuries, attacks on both animals and humans (one in particular that Snitter did not mean the cause may very well scar you for life), "The Plague Dogs" never ceases to amaze in my eyes.This film is definitely one to see at least once in your life, and many times thereafter if you truly grasp what the film attempts to evoke to its audience. Definitely in my top 10 favorite films (not just animated) of all time (alongside "The Iron Giant" of course).9/10 Jeffrey V/sonicfan5715