Lassie (2005)

I love this movie so much

Undescribable Perfection

Pretty Good

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Intelligent, well made family feature from the original novel, bearing little resemblance to the now campy-seeming US TV series. Beautifully shot, well scored, and featuring a first-rate adult cast (Peter O'Toole, Samantha Morton, John Lynch, Peter Dinkage) along with some very endearing child actors, this manages to be sweet without being saccharine, sentimental without being cloying. It even has a nice layer of social commentary about the English class system – the story involves the beloved pet being bought away from a near-starving family who can't afford to say 'no' when a lord offers them cash for their son's faithful companion. I appreciated that Lassie is treated as a real dog, and not some kind of super-mutt. A great, wonderful dog to be sure, but her behaviors all stay within the realm of real-life dog abilities. A very good film for kids and tweens, and a not at all bad one for grown ups who might watch with them. While it might not have quite the deep emotional power and/or wild humor of the truly classic family films, it's certainly well crafted and worth watching.

Lassie is just a wonderful movie. It has a sweet, engaging story, and everything works so well that you completely forget any areas that fall on the predictable side. Lassie's greatest strength is that it is never afraid to explore deeper and present some mature themes.The film also looks beautiful. The photography is just marvellous and wonderfully evergreen, while I loved the scenery just as much as it was stunning and quite picturesque. The script is also a strength; it is a very poignant one that cleverly avoids falling into mawkish sentimentality and also balances subtle humour social tension adeptly.The cast are just excellent. It also helps that the characters are well fleshed out and easy to relate to. Jonathan Mason brings the right amount of pathos to his character, while Peter O'Toole is a warm and charismatic presence and John Lynch, Peter Dinklage and Samantha Morton are also impressive. Lassie though makes the picture endearing, what a cute and talented dog and it makes it easier for the audience to sympathise with Lassie's predicament too.All in all, a very beautiful and moving film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This inspired adventure will warm your heart and provide your children with an introduction to the inequities of class-based society. Set in early 20th century England, a struggling working class family faces destitution when the local coal mine shuts down, leaving no work in town. Their young son's primary source of joy is his dog Lassie, but they can scarcely afford to feed him. When the granddaughter of nearby duke fancies Lassie, a deal is struck to exchange the dog for cash. How will Lassie respond to this form of trade? What effect will the dog have on these two families representing either extreme of peerage? Find out, and enjoy a couple of delightful subplots along the way. Meet an opportunistic upper-class "wannabe," an amiable puppeteer with a traveling sideshow, and even catch a glimpse of the era's dating scene.Like most children's films, the performances lean toward the pedestrian, but the cast is engaging nonetheless. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the story is fully realized. Don't miss it!

This is a superb, authentic adaptation of Eric Knight's novel "Lassie Come Home". It avoids unnecessary, forced sentimentality to tell a straightforward tale of a dog's dedication to "home" (and Master). Structurally, stories like this are potentially problematic because the central plot threads divide once the heroine (Lassie in this case) escapes from bondage and begins her incredible journey. The trick is to make all the characters interesting enough so that when their lives are intercut with Lassie's progression, we don't lose interest in their plights. Thankfully, director/writer Charles Sturridge creates fascinating, complex characters all round and casts every role beautifully. Jonathan Mason is pitch perfect as Joe, the little boy whose devotion to Lassie equals the dog's devotion to him. Hester Odgers is magical as Cilla, the smart, sensitive granddaughter of eccentric aristocrat The Duke. And Peter O'Toole, as The Duke, strikes a perfect chord in every scene and gradually reveals his true, noble heart. John Lynch and Samantha Morton are entirely convincing as the struggling, working class couple who face an uncertain future and are forced to sell Lassie to make ends meet.The uncredited "Mason" plays Lassie, and what a moving, emotion-laden performance it is. It's not often that a male plays a female so utterly convincingly. Every scene the dog is in is riveting, and there isn't a moment that we don't sympathize with her ordeal.One of the film's most touching chapters is the one in which Lassie joins a traveling puppeteer (Peter Dinklage) on the road, performing in shows with another loyal dog. Dinklage, who previously appeared in the wonderful "The Station Agent", is thoroughly fantastic as the pint-sized puppeteer with a heart of gold. How this chapter plays out (in a misty forest) is quite traumatic and dramatic, and is an example of director Sturridge's firm control of the material. Interestingly, the tone of this sequence recalled Todd Browning for me, and was just off-kilter enough to still be suitable for the kiddies while keeping the oldies satisfied.I must also mention the stellar work here of cinematographer Howard Atherton. His understated style perfectly captures the period (pre-WW2) and breathes rich cinematic oxygen into the nasty sequence in the forest while making the montages of Lassie's difficult trek soar. Score by Adrian Johnston is suitably old-fashioned while echoing contemporary scores such as Mark Isham's musical masterpiece for "Fly Away Home", a film this one parallels tonally.A great film in every sense of the word, and one that doesn't resort to flashy tricks or bombastic style. It is a work of great discipline.