All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I have not read the original novel this movie is based on, so I can't say if this movie is better or worse than its source material. But I can judge the movie on its own merits. The movie does have a number of strengths. It looks pretty nice, filmed on location in the Netherlands and Belgium with some good photography. The acting is also pretty good, with a child protagonist that (thank goodness) is not annoying, and the adult actors also doing well. The movie also has some positive messages, ranging from kindness to animals to encouraging people to stick to their dreams and never giving up.So what goes wrong with the movie to make it not worth a recommendation? Well, to put it bluntly, the movie is quite dull. It's very slow-moving; you have to wait until more than halfway through before some serious problems come up for the characters. And even from that point on, the movie's energy level still remains quite low. I'm certainly not asking for blazing action and suspense that's found in today's hyper-kinetic family films, but I think the story could have been made to be more engaging. Too bad - there are some nice things about this movie, but in the end it's a miss.

Pre-teen Nello (David Ladd) lives with his grandfather (Donald Crisp) in Antwerp. The young boy's parents are dead and the two remaining family members are extremely poor. Renting a small house, the two eek out a meager living delivering milk for the local dairymen. But, alas, grandpa has a bad leg and other health issues, too. One day, Nello finds a badly beaten dog on the side of the road, having been left there to die by his horrible peddler owner, who used the dog to pull a small wagon. Despite their poverty, Grandpa consents to taking the canine home and trying to save his life. They succeed. Now, there are three mouths to feed. Nello spends his spare time drawing, having talks with a neighboring girl, and going to the local cathedral to view a painting by Rubens. Now, the dog helps Nello make deliveries of milk while grandfather rests his leg, leading to the peddler trying to "steal" his dog back when he sees the boy. Also, Nello makes friends with a local artist, who encourages the lad to enter a drawing contest. The prize money would help him greatly. But, with Grandpa's health declining and the local milk merchants turning to others for the deliveries, what will be that fate of three good-hearted and hard-working souls? This is a lovely, lovely film that, once again, I have missed over the years. For one thing, the film may have been shot in black and white but the colorized version I watched was vibrantly appealing. What's not to love about the country of Holland, with its windmills and tulips everywhere? The cast is very fine, too, with Ladd and Crisp giving extremely touching turns, backed up nicely by the supporting cast members. The lovable four-legged star is a pleasure as well. Also complimenting the film are a nice score, a sweet script and a varied direction, where twists and turns result in tears and smiles alike. Families, everywhere, do your clan a huge favor and get this classic 1959 film. Every viewer, young and old, will benefit from AND enjoy a showing.

Back when I was 14 I saw A Dog of Flanders and viewing it today showed it is a fresh and appealing as I remember it.Young David Ladd is Nello Daas the aspiring young artist who lives with his elderly infirm grandfather, Donald Crisp. The two of them take in a cruelly treated dog and name it Patrasche after the dog that famed artist Peter Paul Rubens had. Life's pretty hard for the Daases, becomes doubly so after Crisp dies and young Nello can no longer care for Patrasche. Life also has a funny way of resolving things as well.Besides Ladd and Crisp the only other English speaking player in the film is Theodore Bikel. The continental locations in Belgium and the Netherlands which were one country back at the time this story takes place are well photographed. Ladd, Crisp, Bikel as the artist who recognizes the talent in Ladd give wonderful performances.There was another version of A Dog of Flanders done by RKO studios in the Thirties. It might be nice to see for comparison, but I doubt it matches this one.For this A Dog of Flanders is a timeless family classic.

Early effort of producer Robert Radnitz (SOUNDER, WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS) is distinguished by colorful location photography (in the Netherlands), fine acting and an uncondescending script.David Ladd (son of Alan) gives a believable, unmannered performance as the orphan boy with artistic longings, and veteran Donald Crisp shines, as always, as his loving grandfather. Character actor Theodore Bikel is also an asset, playing the prickly artist who somewhat reluctantly takes the boy under his wing. Dog-lovers should note that the title canine's role in this story is important yet not central, serving mainly to set the plot in motion. But it's a lovable pooch nonetheless, and goes through its paces with perfect doggish realism, a tribute to its skilled handlers and a refreshing change of pace from such modern CGI manipulations as SNOW DOGS.This film is unflinching in its portrayal of what can be a harsh and uncaring world, and younger and/or sensitive children may find it tough going before the ultimately happy ending. My daughter saw this when she was 8; two-thirds of the way into it she was weeping openly and was only somewhat mollified by the heart-warming conclusion. Recommended for 10 and up.