Product Review

Lassie (DVD)

The story of an intelligent, heroic collie and his young owner, previous ly featured in numerous films and a successful 1950s televis ion series, was updated for the 1990s in this family feature. This time, Lassie is determined to help a cynical city boy named Matt (Thomas Guiry), who tur ns even more resentful when his family relocates to a small town in rura l Virginia. Soon after this move, a b right collie enters the family's l ife and winds up with the name Lassie because of the television show, wh ich Matt's younger sister (Brittany Boyd) watches passionately. Lassie s ets out to cheer Matt up and introduce him to the wonders of nature, whi le also helpin g the family stand its ground against rich, unpleasant ne ighbors. There are also run-ins with vicious wild animals and a daring r esc ue over river rapids, but the main focus remains on the emotional re lationship between Matt and the dog, a story that will seem old- fashion ed and charming to some viewers while familiar and sentimental to others .