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A stranger walks into a bar and sees five men holding down a dog, pointing a gun at its head.
And so begins the story of "Red Dog," the story of a dog who knows no master but mastered an entire town.
When we meet Red Dog, he seems to be at the end of his journey, having accidentally eaten strychnine, and the men holding him down are about to put him out of his misery.
But they can't bring themselves to do it and, waiting for the vet to arrive, talk to the stranger about the legendary pup who brought light to the lives of a group of Aussie barflies.
Of course, he does find a master, John (Josh Lucas), an American who drives a bus and is initially the one person who doesn't fall for Red Dog's charms. He eventually melts, though, and forges a bond with the dog that lasts through life, joy and tragedy.
The supporting cast is strong and interesting. Rachael Taylor ("Transformers") plays a young waitress who refuses to budge for Red Dog, while Noah Taylor, Arthur Angel, Rohan Nichol and John Batchelor play miners, and Oscar nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider") makes an appearance as well.
I also want to take a few moments to wonder aloud why Lucas ("Sweet Home Alabama'; "The Lincoln Lawyer") isn't a larger star. He is movie-star handsome, has icy blue eyes, a charming smile and is a pretty solid actor. He completely grounds this film despite a relatively short amount of time on screen. Let's get him in more movies, shall we?
Director Kriv Stenders creates an inspired mood full of charm and wit, balancing the story's realism (it is based on a true story) with its legend. Specifically, when Red Dog encounters a feline that's come to be known as Red Cat, the two clash in an almost Looney Tunes-type scrape that lightens the tone considerably, and to great effect.
"Red Dog" is also family-friendly but, with the gruff exterior of the miners, doesn't necessarily come off as a children's film. There are a few adult situations, but they're handled with class and grace, and I didn't find any of it inappropriate for my children, who watched with me.
"Red Dog" is one of the more earnestly charming films I've seen this year if not a terribly ambitious one, but it knows what it wants to do, does it spectacularly well, and charmed the pants right off of this reviewer. I recommend it wholeheartedly as one of the better animal flicks I've seen in recent years.