MovieChat Forums > Rogue (2007) Discussion > Why the hell do people care so much abou...

Why the hell do people care so much about the dog?!?! [spoiler]

posted 13 years ago by Nick_edmo
26 replies | jump to latest

I saw this recently on DVD and thought it was surprisingly entertaining. Well paced, tense and kept you guessing.
I come on the message boards to see what people think and there are so many people talking about the dog! Even saying they wouldn't watch the film knowing that [spoiler alert] the little fella gets munched.
I just don't get it. Yes he's a cute dog. I love dogs. But this is a horror-thriller with people (actual people) being eaten alive. Surely if you're going to find any of this disturbing it should be that?

[–] Eden_Monroe 13 years ago

I don't get it either. I don't understand how people can watch horror movies or any movie involving death, and be ok with people being killed but when an animal is killed people get upset.... I've always wondered why many get so upset over this, but are completely fine watching humans being killed brutally... There is something wrong with that in my opinion.

[–] Colemanation 13 years ago

I think it has something to do with an animal not knowing why its dying. I don't agree with the sentiment, but I think there's some sense in humanity that a person knowing he or she is being killed gives some semblance of closure to that person prior to death. You add on religion and the whole conversation's a mess. Me, personally, I would have shoved that hook into that lady that couldn't cross the rope (even though she was halfway over) and chunked her into the water.

Still the first in space.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] A_Probably_Postman 13 years ago

In my opinion, it's because most horror movie characters that die come across as painfully annoying, so much so that the audience ends up cheering for them to get eaten. "Wow, that guy's a jerk. I hope Jason cuts his head off." "Wow, what a bitch. I hope Jaws eats her." and so on. Dogs, on the other hand, don't talk, and are adorable.

You're right though. Good movie. Glad I gave McClean a second chance after Wolf Creek.

Sek-wit-oar sounds like some kind of Greek monster, like a Minotaur with the head of a platypus.

[–] Jigsaw737 13 years ago

Pet dogs are truly innocent creatures that trust their masters blindly, almost like a kid trusts its parents. People, however, usually are a-holes in one way or another, especially when they are characters in a horror movie. That's why the death of a dog/kid usually is more touching than that of an idiotic adult human. The intent to abuse that innocent trust by using the dog as bait is even more outrageous. It's downright disgusting.

--------------------------------------------------------
~No matter where you go, there you are~

[–] jamerk 13 years ago

@Jigsaw737, I agree with you 100% and would like to add; ALL animals are innocent because they do not have a moral code that they willfully break.

[–] jayanxiety 13 years ago

It's human nature. We're used to seeing people get killed in movies, though it's usually the characters you want killed because they're either evil or annoying. When the characters you truly do care about die, you will get emotional. Animals are usually portrayed as good or innocent. Their cuteness and single-mindedness stirs up our natural emotion and pulls at one's heart strings. Fortunately, the actual "kill" was done off-camera.

[–] Strazdamonas 13 years ago

ALL animals have moral code. it is in their genetic makeup. what we teach them is another thing. there are birds that will feed others of the pack that didnt catch anything that day. there are cats that risk thier lives for other cats. there are dogs that protect their kin. dont underrated the animals. thier innocence is a different subject, but moral code they have, just like every human does.

--------------------------------------------------
If you want horror - tune in the news channel.

[–] kascha-klaussen 10 years ago

LOL. Morals are a conscious decision requiring reasoning and decision making that can run counter to what makes sense or what comes naturally.

End of story. Animals run on instinct. The instinct to kill, protect, flee, procreate, return to the same place at the same time over and over, etc. The process of domestication is to manipulate instinct by way of punishment/reward. You really think your mutt keeps coming at your call because he likes you or simply decides to? No - he does it because doing so has been shown to result in the placation of some instinct - feeding, seeking shelter, whatever.

That animals give a damn about the people who keep them by choice is a delusion people need to sell themselves on to justify keeping the animal. Nothing more, and sorry if that sucks.

[–] Strazdamonas 10 years ago

Thats the thing though. Animals run on instinct, but not always. They make moral choices, even self sacrifices. Hence, proving they have morals.

We all do everything for a reason, including your choice to post this reply. its all just brain chemistry, so you could also say humans run on instincts, after all, you seeked to express your opinion.

If animal actions does not fit the definition you give, then neither does humans.

---------------------------------------------
Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] Nicols 9 years ago

Yes, always. Animals run on instinct, always. There is no such thing as animal morality.

[–] MadRotaryOne_DDCgod 9 years ago

Maybe the Dog in this movie craps all over the house, and bites children, we don't know.
Maybe it deserved to die.

[–] Westeggerswagger 13 years ago

In real life most people would rather see the people live, unless the person being killed was like Dick Cheney or Kim Kardashian or something.
However, in horror movies, the characters can be kind of annoying. Dogs usually are just dogs and are usually never annoying.
Team Great Gatsby

[–] heilmanlynn 12 years ago

i could care less about a dog in a movie like this. my problem is that it would be continuously barking when the croc is near and im not sure in a real situation like this if the dog would stand so close to the edge of the water or if survival instincts would kick in and it would bark from a reasonable distance.

[–] Rammstein1980 12 years ago

It's a pretty typical moviemaking ploy to use the doggy-in-distress motif.

For example: The doggy in Independance Day or the pooch in Volcano.

To kill a dog in a movie is to almost commit commercial suicide.

[–] PiaPuffytail 12 years ago

For me it's partially what Jigsaw said: "Pet dogs are truly innocent creatures that trust their masters blindly, almost like a kid trusts its parents. People, however, usually are a-holes in one way or another, especially when they are characters in a horror movie. That's why the death of a dog/kid usually is more touching than that of an idiotic adult human.

* * The intent to abuse that innocent trust by using the dog as bait is even more outrageous. It's downright disgusting. * *

That's a big part of it. My innate need to protect an animal that depends on me. The other part, for me, is that the humans in these movies have some sort of chance at changing their fate. They have the ability to think through a situation and can sometimes get themselves out of a situation where they'll be killed. They can defend themselves or run away, etc. Whereas a dog will obey commands and follow you into the bad situation without being able to grasp the danger or reason a way out. It's not their fault that they're there, they're usually dragged along by the human in question, and loyal to them. So it's that innocence, and a certain lack of free will that makes them more sympathetic victims to me.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (6571724) 11 years ago

It wasn't the dog that froze on the rope and doomed everyone.
It wasn't the dog that jumped on the rope and broke it, ruining the escape plan.
Why would I want to see stupid, selfish people like that survive, but not a dog that did nothing wrong?

Are you going to HONESTLY tell me there wasn't a single person in this movie you wanted to see be eaten? BULL**** you hypocrite.

[–] CardinalsBaseball 10 years ago

There used to be an unwritten rule that you couldn't kill a child or a small animal in these sorts of movies because the audience would hate it. It doesn't logically make sense but that is a common human reaction. t suppose it's because people see children and animals as innocents.