Movie review: Alpha and Omega ***

Alpha and Omega  ***

Stars: Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, Dennis Hopper
Director: Anthony Bell, Ben Gluck
Rated: PG
Showing: Liberty Theatre week of Friday, September 17 - Friday 6:30; Saturday and Sunday 1:30/4pm; Monday to Thursday 6:30pm
Runtime: 88 minutes
Animation/adventure

A well animated tale of love and adventure about two wolves from opposite sides of the tracks who are forced to work together when separated from their pack.

The pack is divided into alphas — the leaders and hunters — and the omegas, goofy hangers-on, and the two groups are segregated.

One of the mutts, Humphrey (Justin Long), has a crush on alpha Kate, who ignores him and who is destined to mate with the son of a rival pack leader to bring peace to the valley.

But when the duo are captured by a hunter and shipped from their home in Canada’s Jasper Park to Idaho, they must work together to get home and stop an impending war between the packs.

Will puppy love blossom across the class divide?

Sadly, their odyssey has too few incidents to elevate it above mediocre — although the golfing geese are great.

The 3D is vibrant and the animation good but the characters are not fleshed out enough and nor is there enough heart or jokes, particularly for adults.