All Dogs Go to Heaven

Having the misfortune of appearing in theaters the same day as Disney's The Little Mermaid, Don Bluth productions' All Dogs Go to Heaven found minor popularity but probably not what the director had hoped for. The music is not as engaging as many of the Disney soundtracks but is not just a throw-away either. The great composer Charles Strouse (Annie) has concocted some engaging dog tunes with Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and the massive talent of Ken Page (as a beastly alligator who is fascinated -- and rightly so -- by his own voice). "Let Me Be Surprised," a duet that takes place in the great city in the sky (or Dog Heaven) with Reynolds and Melba Moore, is richly textured and fun. "What's Mine Is Yours" is not just positive values but melodic and memorable. What is really revealed here is the potential for non-Disney companies to come up with their own respective musical material and find success, it happened before with An American Tail. It would be an entire decade later when it occurred again, with another Bluth feature, Anastasia. ~ Peter Fawthrop