Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero 2018

     World War I has been in progress and the French soldiers have been beaten down by the relentless onslaught from the German soldiers.  American troops from the 102^nd Infantry Regiment are training on the grounds of Yale University.  They will be shipped out to the front lines to assist the French.  During formation, suddenly a dog is sitting next to one of the men?  Conroy is sure he’s going to get a chewing out!!  Instead, the dog is named Stubby and he goes to the trenches of France. 

     This film is based on a true story.  The United States World War I Centennial Commission officially endorses it.  Stubby goes along with the Regiment amid harsh conditions and he performs incredible acts of courage.  He warns the people of a village that a fatal gas attack is coming from the Germans.  He finds Americans buried in trenches and he barks to let rescuers locate them.  Stubby is wounded and he spends time in a hospital to recover.  After the end of the war, Stubby is recognized as the first canine ever promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the U.S. Army History.  4* (I really liked this movie)

84 min, Animation directed by Richard Lanni with the voices of Logan Lerman, Helena Bonham Carter, Gerard Depardieu, Jordan Beck, Jim Pharr, Jason Ezzell, Guillaume Sentou, Christophe Lemoine, Nicholas Rulong, Brian Cook, Audrey Sable, Coline Haas, David Blin.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10, 87% critic 94% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Leslie Felperin, Metacritic 57 out of 100 with 13 critics 5 positive 8 mixed no negative, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 168 reviews.

Special Note:  Sgt. Stubby died peacefully at home in 1926.  He was honored with an obituary in the New York Times and received a posthumous Purple Heart for his combat injuries.   This medal wasn’t introduced until 1932.  The Smithsonian Institution preserved the real Sgt. Stubby along with his uniform coat and medals.  They are on display in the National Museum of American History, Washington, DC.  This is the first major computer-animated film based on a true story after Pocahontas 1995 and Balto 1995.