‘Sgt. Stubby’ tells the tale of a canine’s journey in World War I
‘Sgt. Stubby’ tells the tale of a canine’s journey in World War I
The tale of friendly stray mutt-turned-war hero is the kind of true story built for cinematic adaptation. Director Richard Lanni, who has worked on documentary films and series about World War II, co-wrote the animated film “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero” with veteran and Hollywood military advisor Mike Stokey.
It depicts the inspiring and unlikely story of Stubby, a mutt who made his way from a training base in Connecticut to the trenches of France during World War I. For his heroic actions, Stubby became the most decorated dog in U.S. Army history, and a beloved figure at home stateside.
The short, squat, funny-looking little mutt that was Stubby isn’t exactly a war horse. Nevertheless, his exploits and heroics are memorable, stowing away on a ship to France, catching German spies, surviving chemical gas attacks and leading medics to wounded American soldiers.
Stubby’s story is so strange and inspiring that it cries out for the epic live-action biopic treatment, but that’s not what’s on offer here. Producer/ distributor Fun Academy Motion Pictures has a mission statement to create films that “entertain, innovate, and inspire,” which explains the style of “Sgt. Stubby” — as gentle as it gets for a movie about trench warfare. There’s a certain amount of cognitive dissonance when it comes to the material and the approach that the filmmakers take, and much that doesn’t get covered in this short, 80-minute primer.
The choice to make this an animated film positions this as an