A Dog of Flanders has the dated feel of one of the live-action films of Disney's down period, a dull message film with little of the wonder required to hold a child's attention. No doubt its setting and time period were a factor in this, but it was shot in depressing muddy browns, with only a handful of scenery shots relieving the drudgery. The dog itself is quite a sight -- a huge furry creature that looks like it might have bounded off the set of Sesame Street, but it and all the other characters have little more than average personality and are instantly forgettable. It was admirable of director Kevin Brodie to revisit a classic children's fable and try to bring to life a morality tale with minimum flash or fanfare, but the result is that it hardly registers a blip on the crowded continuum of modern children's fare. Brodie got game cooperation from known actors like Jon Voight and Jack Warden, but good intentions and sincere efforts don't always make good films.