I loved watching the film Superpower Dogs. The camera work is absolutely amazing with so many interesting shots and lighting angles in this 3D IMAX production. The director really worked with so many special effects to get lots of close ups and precise detailing. You really see things from the dog's point of view, as well as its trainer's. It is a very entertaining movie that appeals to all ages. This movie really shows that all dogs have super powers with their amazing senses, even if they are not trained to dig 15 feet into the snow or lift forty times their own weight.
The movie features a disaster response dog named Halo and her journey to become a service dog for disaster response. She is joined by five other dogs named Henry (avalanche rescue), Reef (water rescue), Ricochet (emotional support dog who enjoys surfing) and Tony and Tipper (endangered species protection in Kenya). Their trainers play extremely important roles in the film and also in their training. It shows what all the dogs do, but the main focus is on Halo.
This is a documentary so there are no actors involved. It is directed by Daniel Ferguson and produced by Dominic Cunningham-Reid, George Duffield and Taran Davies. The cinematographer is Reed Smoot. Big propos to all the crew! There are all kinds of special effects where they show us a peak of the dog's anatomy. It is very realistic, but purposefully made as a special effect, which is so great. Also, they show a physical representation of scents from a dog's perspective, since they have very exquisite smelling skills. It is difficult to bring smells to life but this IMAX movie does it!
The only bummer for me was I wish they gave a little more attention and time to the other dogs in the movie. I think the director only had 45 minutes, so I imagine it would be hard to include lots of details about all the dogs and their trainers.
The message of the film is that all dogs have superpowers, even if they are not rescue dogs. This movie can will appeal to all animal lovers (even cat lovers), even though the main focus is on dogs. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, as well as adults.
Reviewed by Lukas L., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.
