Chips, the War Dog (1990 TV Movie) User Reviews

True War Dog Hero--Disney Style

[remobec · 8/10 · 9 July 2002]

This movie is a great Disney classic. Chips was indeed a real war hero. In the movie, Chips is a purebred German Shepherd Dog, but the real Chips was a mixed breed. The dogs are good actors and well trained, accurately portraying the dogs through several stages of training all the way to becoming war dogs.

Both Danny and Chips have been created as believable and enjoyable characters and it is fun to watch as their friendship develops. It is great that Disney made a tribute to these oft-forgotten war heroes. A family film well worth seeing.

An enjoyable story

[rebeljenn · 6/10 · 6 November 2005]

War and dogs. This suggests that it is a film for boys who have a pet dog or who long to have a pet dog. But, girls can enjoy it too. I saw this film on television when I was younger, and it was a film that I watched several times from a VHS. The story is about a family dog who is not disciplined and who is forced to leave his family and join the army where he has a difficult-at-first new owner. In the end, it all works out between the undisciplined dog and his new master, the soldier. It's a very realistic film with enough action to keep the heart-warming story of friendship interesting. I would recommend this film to children from about 8-years-old. Good!

Great for Dog Lovers and Patriots Alike

[trixie-k-88 · 8/10 · 1 March 2012]

Loosely based on the real canine war hero Chips, Chips the War Dog is a great movie everyone can enjoy. It is another Disney Channel movie made when they still cared about quality.

The movie begins in the early 1940s, where we meet Chips, a misfit German Shepherd who loves to chase chickens. His little habit has gotten him into a lot of hot water, and he will be removed by the police if he doesn't stop breaking into the neighbor's coop. Motivated by both patriotism and hope to give Chips a new life, the two children who own him send him to the war dog program. But while at basic training, Chips falls into a deep depression and doesn't respond to the training or any of the trainers. That is until he meets Danny Stauffer, a clumsy, nervous private with a crippling fear of dogs. The two quickly bond over mutual rejection and become a fantastic team. Once they prove themselves to be good soldiers to their army base, Chips and Danny are sent into battle. Once in Europe the movie depicts the heroics of the real Chips, and the aftermath of his actions.

Chips the War Dog is a great movie for parents, kids, dog lovers, and even history buffs or patriots. While a majority of the story is fictional, it still contains most of the emotion and atmosphere surrounding the real war dog program in WW2. The biggest downfalls of this movie are that the grain and quality of the film is pretty bad, and it's almost impossible to find. However, if you are able to find an old VHS copy or download it off the internet it's a great watch.

A must see, have the kleenex handy

[CaH · 10/10 · 11 April 2002]

This movie is very under-rated. A fictional film based on historical events, it shines as a comedy, drama, and tear-jerker. It focuses on one dog during W.W. 2, but speaks volumes of how all the dogs were treated after their service in the war. The dogs were striped of the medals they so richly earned! It doesn't just use German Shepherds either, it uses a variety of breeds, each suited to a unique talent, just like they did in real life.

I would recommend this film to anyone, even those who think they wouldn't like it -- its great and should have been recognized by one of the award groups but it was not (kind of fitting in a way).

Cute movie

[michael-301 · 26 January 2002]

This was one of the early Disney films that was made and premiered on the Disney Channel. I remember first seeing it in 1990 and not seeing it again until 5 or 6 years later.(Of course now I own the video.) It's a cute movie for kids and stars William Devane, Brandon Douglas, and the absolutely gorgeous Ellie Cornell who steals every scene she's in. Overall this is a cute movie which kids should enjoy, if you can take your eye off Ellie Cornell.