The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby

Took my 2 boys aged 8 and 5 to see it and they loved it.Gerry Cott who trained Bobby did a wonderful job.Bobbys antics were hilarious and he really captured the heart of the audience. Cinema had an audience aged from 1 to approx. 75 and everyone leaving at end only had good things to say. The scenery is amazing and being able to recognise places made the film even more special. Ardal O'Hanlon,Christopher Lee and James Cosmo all played excellent parts. This film pulls at the heart strings and you feel for the characters so much more than you do in most new releases. As for my two,they applauded Bobbys final act to the baddies and we are going back for a second viewing this week.

Living in Edinburgh, and have a great thirst for history, I was very put off by the "libertys" taken. Wrong breed of dog for a start!! Bobbys owner Old Jock was an old single man, who came to Edinburgh and died a pauper in lodgings, not like in the film at all. For anyone coming to Edinburgh and hoping to see sights of the film,you will not find the graveyard in Princes St Gardens!! There were a few moments were a tissues would have been great. The actors were fantastic at padding out a rather flimsy script. I don't feel the poor wee Bobby actually got enough screen time, possibly due to being "lost" at one point. All that said, the film was fine and any 8 yr old will enjoy.

The story of Greyfriars Bobby is one that has no definitive true version, as there is much debate about this real life story and many of the details. Because of this, it didn't bother me too much that the film says it is BASED on the dog's life. Adding a few details and fictionalizing up the story, a bit, didn't bother me because of this. However, one detail that is consistent in the stories is that Bobby was a terrier, but looked little like the West Highland White terrier you see in the movie. Most say Bobby was a Skye terrier, but photos of him don't really look like a Skye but a mixed dark terrier about the size of a Skye or Westie. So why didn't they at least use a dog that looked more like Bobby (such as a Cairn or Border terrier)? Apparently, Westies are more photogenic or something. I didn't like this choice...but unlike one reviewer who gives the movie a 1 just because of this, I am willing to cut it a bit of slack.

As per what we know about the wee doggy, he was owned by a night watchman who died prematurely due to tuberculosis. Following the man's death, the dog seemed to follow the daily route of his master as well as hang out at his master's grave. The film particularly focused on the grave, not the route nor how the doggy often was seen next door at a local pub which his owner frequented.

So do I recommend the film? Well, it's an enjoyable dog movie provided you don't spend too much time comparing it to the older Disney version...which I think is superior. But it's not a bad tale and is well worth seeing.

By the way, I noticed a lot of 10s and 9s among the reviews and wonder if this is more an indication that these folks love dogs as opposed to this being a superior production. I adore dogs myself but cannot see giving it a score much higher than 7 or 8 for technical and dramatic reasons.

Let me say at the outset that this is a wee gem of a film. Put all the nit picking you may have heard about locations and breeds aside - they fade in the bright shiny faced light of John Henderson's lovely family film. It is a film trivia buff's dream in that there are incongruities in the story but this is not a film for obsessives and grown ups - it' s for kids and their parents. O.K.? And dog lovers. It delivers an hour and a half of perfectly paced entertainment and I really enjoyed it. My four year old daughter did too. A lot.

The key to the film is that the dog is the star - humans play big parts but the dog is the centre of the story. There are several excellent human performances, notably James Cosmo as the gravedigger, Ardal O'Hanlon, who has the best lines and the two "baddies". Steady work from Gina McKee and Greg Wise keeps the story plausible. Beautiful cinematography, a good music score, outstanding costumes and location dressing top up the whole and the result is a film which could become a modern classic.

Greyfriars Bobby isn't a clever dick film either - it's simple and understood by kids under 12. However, it holds everyone's attention and deals with some difficult issues really well.

What is the story? You don't know? O.K. Clever wee dog works with his master, a policemen, and is a general boon to his owner. Sadly, owner dies, but dog sits on his Master's grave "guarding" it. Villains try to get rid of said dog, but dog is gutsy and tenacious. Dog wins friends, becomes well known and has many adventures.

It's nice to see a film that's not full of egos and cgi inserts too - the cast are chosen, I guess, for their ability to play the role well enough and not steal the dog's thunder. John Henderson's comment to the audience was to the effect "If you don't like it, stuff you" but John, we do like it. It's nice and doesn't try to be anything else. Take as many kids to this film as you can - they'll love and you'll enjoy seeing that.

i had no idea what to expect from this movie, i never even new the story and that bad form being form Scotland. This is a beautiful movie and really worth watching but i don't think its really suitable for under 10's as it does deal with some bad issues but they do it in a really good way. Its also a bit of a tear jerker in the end. I have no idea why people have voted this movies so low as it is very good and very entertaining. The dog i thought was the star of the show, very clever and very cute indeed. It makes me want to look more into the story and the history of Edinburgh. All in all go and see this you wont be disappointed, i wasn't!