Nothing new. Nothing original. A predictable story with the expected ending. Therefore nothing special. Yet, I did enjoy this and there's some well worked out scenes within the unexceptional framework and the characters are both believable and likeable. A lot better than a vast majority of bigger productions. Watch with someone or with a group for a nice evening.
9 Reviews
Entertaining Scottish road movie
euroGary26 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Its saccharine-sweet ending aside, 'Moon Dogs' is a very enjoyable low-budget comedy-drama road movie set in Scotland.
Highly-strung Michael (the pleasingly chunky Jack Parry Jones) and modern folk musician Thor (Christy O'Donnell, who has nice skin but should stop with the facial hair until he can grow it convincingly) are step-brothers living on the Shetland Islands. Michael would have gone to Glasgow University had his chances in his exams not been scuppered by an attempt to rescue Thor, whom he mistakenly thought was committing suicide. But his girlfriend *did* go to Glasgow, and, convinced she is having an affair, Michael asks Thor to accompany him to the city (Thor, it turns out, has his own reasons for going). But the pair are skint, so it's going to be a long, hard journey - and on the way they meet Caitlin (Tara Lee), a sexy wannabe singer whom they are soon following like attentive poodles.
Parry Jones has a nice line in confused frustration and handles most of the film's out-and-out comedy moments. Lee does very well as the femme fatale using her sexuality to twist the boys around her little finger. O'Donnell is less noticeable, but that is because although he is a constant presence in the film, he mostly stays in the background while Parry Jones and Lee hog the screen. But the big emoting scene near to the end is his and he plays it well. There's also a nice turn from Tanya Franks as a grumpy bride.
As I said, the mawkishness at the end is not welcome, but on the whole this is a very enjoyable film set in the bleakly gorgeous Scottish countryside and well worth seeing - although, devoid as it is of big stars (excepting Denis Lawson in a cameo), I wonder if it will manage to break out of the festival circuit (I saw it at 2016's Edinburgh International Film Festival).
Highly-strung Michael (the pleasingly chunky Jack Parry Jones) and modern folk musician Thor (Christy O'Donnell, who has nice skin but should stop with the facial hair until he can grow it convincingly) are step-brothers living on the Shetland Islands. Michael would have gone to Glasgow University had his chances in his exams not been scuppered by an attempt to rescue Thor, whom he mistakenly thought was committing suicide. But his girlfriend *did* go to Glasgow, and, convinced she is having an affair, Michael asks Thor to accompany him to the city (Thor, it turns out, has his own reasons for going). But the pair are skint, so it's going to be a long, hard journey - and on the way they meet Caitlin (Tara Lee), a sexy wannabe singer whom they are soon following like attentive poodles.
Parry Jones has a nice line in confused frustration and handles most of the film's out-and-out comedy moments. Lee does very well as the femme fatale using her sexuality to twist the boys around her little finger. O'Donnell is less noticeable, but that is because although he is a constant presence in the film, he mostly stays in the background while Parry Jones and Lee hog the screen. But the big emoting scene near to the end is his and he plays it well. There's also a nice turn from Tanya Franks as a grumpy bride.
As I said, the mawkishness at the end is not welcome, but on the whole this is a very enjoyable film set in the bleakly gorgeous Scottish countryside and well worth seeing - although, devoid as it is of big stars (excepting Denis Lawson in a cameo), I wonder if it will manage to break out of the festival circuit (I saw it at 2016's Edinburgh International Film Festival).
Would have been so much better without manic pixie dream girl
andrewjmarr7 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I love a coming of age road movie but this one was let down by too many clichés. The locations were lovely and the premise had potential, even if it did feel slightly contrived having a Scottish, Welsh and Irish character to keep the film boards from those three countries who put up the money happy. The real problems started with the arrival of manic pixie dream girl, an admittedly lazy trope, who was of course, smart, cool, gorgeous, sexy and sexually experienced, brave, resourceful, deep and meaningful, enigmatic and of course very keen on sleeping with nerdy, socially awkward and sexually inexperienced teenage boys. If the film had had a better written female character it would have been so much better. Even some back story for her would have helped. In fact no one's back story was really satisfactorily fleshed out. The whole film felt like some brainstormed ideas that didn't really gel but with better writing could have done. The actors did their best with what they were given but it was not enough.
Wonderful journey of discovery
panchita_jones4 May 2017
I was fortunate enough to catch this film at the 2017 Newport Beach Film Festival, and it lingered with me for days. It's no surprise it took home the Jury award for best film.
There was something ethereal about the Scottish landscapes that gave this movie a sort of quietness. The performances were so strong, with Tara Lee, Christy O'Donnell and Jack Parry-Jones (NBFF Best Actor winner) dominating throughout. Even the supporting actors, in the roles of the parents, had a powerful presence.
It would be trite to call this a coming-of-age film, but in many respects it is. The situations in which the characters find themselves create a transformation and maturing of each. Well worth the watch.
There was something ethereal about the Scottish landscapes that gave this movie a sort of quietness. The performances were so strong, with Tara Lee, Christy O'Donnell and Jack Parry-Jones (NBFF Best Actor winner) dominating throughout. Even the supporting actors, in the roles of the parents, had a powerful presence.
It would be trite to call this a coming-of-age film, but in many respects it is. The situations in which the characters find themselves create a transformation and maturing of each. Well worth the watch.
The truck lady
GameAndWatch19 September 2019
The basic premise of the film is that a boy living on one of the Scottish Isles is separated from his girlfriend who goes to college in Glasgow, and he suspects she is cheating on him, so decides to confront her. He pulls his step brother along for the ride, and they meet a young temptress on route.
The film is sold partly as a road trip, but to be honest as the film is so short, there is not much of a journey. Other storylines are written in to justify the other characters accomanyment.. These are thinly painted. I can only assume we lost most of the story to an edit.
Some of the initial shots of the isles and the highlands are lovely. The plot was left at the wayside, but the film did give me the odd chuckle. I would have liked to have seen the threesome explored more, the whole movie could have been centred around that and fleshed out some. It just ended up flat and lifeless, save for a few good gags.
Certainly not terrible, but only vaguely amusing.
The film is sold partly as a road trip, but to be honest as the film is so short, there is not much of a journey. Other storylines are written in to justify the other characters accomanyment.. These are thinly painted. I can only assume we lost most of the story to an edit.
Some of the initial shots of the isles and the highlands are lovely. The plot was left at the wayside, but the film did give me the odd chuckle. I would have liked to have seen the threesome explored more, the whole movie could have been centred around that and fleshed out some. It just ended up flat and lifeless, save for a few good gags.
Certainly not terrible, but only vaguely amusing.
One nimble road trip
TheLittleSongbird7 September 2017
After his work in television, Phillip John makes his feature film debut as director, and not only does he do a solid job with how he keeps things running smoothly and making the story engaging but also the film itself is a road trap well worth being on board for.
'Moon Dogs' is not completely faultless but does a vast majority of things right. It's a very good film that's almost great, it comes that close to being that. The ending agreed is a little too mawkish and in terms of back-story there isn't much. 'Moon Dogs' is also not necessarily a film to be seen for plot logic, but not in a way that's distracting that it gets implausible. There's nothing else to criticise about 'Moon Dogs' otherwise.
For low-budget, 'Moon Dogs' is very pleasing, with slick photography and stunning and evocative landscapes. Anton Newcombe's music score is infectiously memorable and matches the locations and story's tone very well.
The script is acerbically funny, at times suitably dour and at times affecting. The comic set pieces are every bit as enjoyable and deliciously eccentric, particularly with body-piercings, hallucinatory puppets and a toy keyboard.
In terms of the story, it's episodic but never dull and with its fair share of humour and pathos, admittedly succeeding better in the former.
Good performances also helps, and the two leads Jack Parry-Jones and Christy O'Donnell carry the film excellently. Strong support also from particularly a spirited Tara Lee.
Overall, very good and nimbly done. 8/10 Bethany Cox
'Moon Dogs' is not completely faultless but does a vast majority of things right. It's a very good film that's almost great, it comes that close to being that. The ending agreed is a little too mawkish and in terms of back-story there isn't much. 'Moon Dogs' is also not necessarily a film to be seen for plot logic, but not in a way that's distracting that it gets implausible. There's nothing else to criticise about 'Moon Dogs' otherwise.
For low-budget, 'Moon Dogs' is very pleasing, with slick photography and stunning and evocative landscapes. Anton Newcombe's music score is infectiously memorable and matches the locations and story's tone very well.
The script is acerbically funny, at times suitably dour and at times affecting. The comic set pieces are every bit as enjoyable and deliciously eccentric, particularly with body-piercings, hallucinatory puppets and a toy keyboard.
In terms of the story, it's episodic but never dull and with its fair share of humour and pathos, admittedly succeeding better in the former.
Good performances also helps, and the two leads Jack Parry-Jones and Christy O'Donnell carry the film excellently. Strong support also from particularly a spirited Tara Lee.
Overall, very good and nimbly done. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Manic pixie dream-girl much?
stegasaurob7 November 2021
This is very nicely shot and has some great Scottish scenery, but it has a fatal flaw: none of the main characters is even vaguely believable as an awkward 18 year-old. Casting extremely attractive uber-confident twenty-somethings as shy withdrawn teenagers can sometimes work (e.g. Derry Girls) but more often than not it's just ridiculous.
The acting from the leads is pretty ropey (though some of the supporting cast aren't quite so bad) and the script is terrible. Almost no plot, nobody acts in even a vaguely believable way, pacing is all over the place, lots of montages. It seems very much like they shot someone's first draft; there's the beginnings of a story here, and with some serious rewriting maybe the script could have been knocked into some sort of shape.
Would give this about a minus ten if I could.
The acting from the leads is pretty ropey (though some of the supporting cast aren't quite so bad) and the script is terrible. Almost no plot, nobody acts in even a vaguely believable way, pacing is all over the place, lots of montages. It seems very much like they shot someone's first draft; there's the beginnings of a story here, and with some serious rewriting maybe the script could have been knocked into some sort of shape.
Would give this about a minus ten if I could.
Grim.
W011y4m530 June 2022
Watched this as I'm an admirer of the director Philip John (he's responsible for many episodes of Downton Abbey & Being Human, the latter of which I absolutely loved) so I went in to "Moon Dogs" with an open mind & an expectation that I'd enjoy the movie... So I'm really disappointed to see the low-budget indie project (the filmmaker's first feature debut) contains such a weirdly perverse, voyeuristic depiction of women throughout... And I'm not going to even try & defend such creepy portrayals because they're totally indefensible.
For a film made in 2016, it's shockingly dated & lensed entirely through the perspective of the male gaze; women exist within the narrative solely to further the development of their male counterparts & are devoid of any personality / motivations... Other than to gratify those of the opposite sex. It's a reductive, gross experience, seeing women being objectified & dehumanised... And worse still, none of those at the helm think to question the inappropriate-ness of the two brother's actions? Sure, they're meant to be young boys & juvenile (etc.) but why must that excuse their extremely concerning behaviours? Didn't the writers consider addressing the (& this is putting it mildly) moral ambiguity? I can't say I'm impressed in the slightest. It's careless & sloppy & far below the standard I expected of him.
EDIT: in an interview, the director revealed he clashed with the producers, wasn't paid for this & didn't have control over the final cut. Consequently, an additional 30 minutes of footage (material which he described as "darker") was removed without his consent - so that might explain the tonal inconsistencies / lack of emotional development, if he intended to take the narrative in a direction which was ultimately omitted.
For a film made in 2016, it's shockingly dated & lensed entirely through the perspective of the male gaze; women exist within the narrative solely to further the development of their male counterparts & are devoid of any personality / motivations... Other than to gratify those of the opposite sex. It's a reductive, gross experience, seeing women being objectified & dehumanised... And worse still, none of those at the helm think to question the inappropriate-ness of the two brother's actions? Sure, they're meant to be young boys & juvenile (etc.) but why must that excuse their extremely concerning behaviours? Didn't the writers consider addressing the (& this is putting it mildly) moral ambiguity? I can't say I'm impressed in the slightest. It's careless & sloppy & far below the standard I expected of him.
EDIT: in an interview, the director revealed he clashed with the producers, wasn't paid for this & didn't have control over the final cut. Consequently, an additional 30 minutes of footage (material which he described as "darker") was removed without his consent - so that might explain the tonal inconsistencies / lack of emotional development, if he intended to take the narrative in a direction which was ultimately omitted.
Something missing
katametopo17 July 2022
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