Snow Dogs MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: +2

In this slapstick comedy from the Disney organization, popular film star Cuba Gooding, Jr. plays Ted Brooks, a prosperous, young black dentist in Miami who inherits his mother’s estate in Alaska. This comes as a big surprise to Ted, who has been raised by affluent black parents in Miami, but never told he was adopted. So Ted takes off for Alaska to claim his inheritance and find out about his real parents. His inheritance turns out to be very meager, but includes a team of eight, very fine sled dogs. When Thunder Jack (James Coburn), a crusty old mountain man, tries to buy the dogs too cheaply, Barb (Joanna Bacalso), an attractive local barmaid, comes to Ted’s aid. And, of course, a romantic relationship develops between the two. Ted then embarks on a hilarious series of mishaps to learn the skills of dog sledding. He even gets good enough to enter the annual cross-country Arctic Challenge Dog Sled race. Jam-packed with action and all sorts of slapstick comedy involving Ted, the sled dogs and the town characters, SNOW DOGS is bound to have broad appeal. Cuba keeps audiences laughing with his comical antics and clever dialogue.

Except for a few crude, suggestive remarks and a beach dream scene with Barb in a seductive bikini, SNOW DOGS could come close to earning a G rating. However, some adult dialogue is present in a scene where a local white man explains to Ted that he is his father, and that Ted was born out of wedlock. Although he and Ted's mother were in love, they decided to give Ted up for adoption. And in a rare, comical film occurrence, Ted is shown in bed after a date with Barb, but Barb is not there. Instead, one of the mischievous sled dogs has spent the night in Ted's bed. Refreshingly, the dialogue is virtually free of foul language, although one moderate and one mild crude word are heard. Comical slapstick violence runs throughout the film as the dogs, as well as a bear, chase Ted. He is constantly falling, being dragged through the snow, sliding down hills, and suffering mild injuries. None of these events are excessive or frightening, even for children. However, with a few crude remarks, some adult dialogue and a suggestive image, SNOW DOGS is not appropriate for young children. Otherwise, the film seems reasonably acceptable for children age 10 and up.

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: Walt Disney (Buena Vista Pictures), 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521