Trooper and the Legend of the Golden Key (DVD Review)

17 Oct, 2012 By: Ashley Ratcliff

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eOne
Family
$14.98 DVD
Not rated.

There’s just something about the promise of a talking dog and a good old-fashioned caper that draws me in to a movie. Thankfully, Trooper and the Legend of the Golden Key has both.

As the family film opens, 10-year-old Tommy (Joey Roberts) is in the dumps because he and his folks (Eric Sweeney and Sandy Howell) are relocating to the sleepy town of Willow Glen. When they arrive, Tommy is less than enthused, but when his father mentions the legend of hidden treasure at Old Man Conway’s house, the boy sees his new city as a place brimming with adventure.

Things keep getting better for Tommy when he meets Sheriff John (Matt Clendenin), who is giving away Trooper, the town’s four-legged mascot, due to city budget cuts. After a little convincing, Tommy’s parents let him take in the adorable bloodhound (voiced by Guich Koock) and stray Chihuahua, Dash (voiced by Xander Jeanneret).

At the same time, the town mayor (Harry Cason) and city manager (Marisa Persson), have concocted a scheme to shut down all of the local businesses to bring in a lucrative oil drilling operation. In the melee, they demand Marion (Ellie Rose Boswell), owner of beloved bookstore Picklebees, raise a million dollars or else face closure.

Tommy’s digging around for clues to the fabled golden key alongside natural sleuth Trooper and the energetic Dash may be more productive than anticipated, as the fate of Picklebees falls upon the boy and his dogs finding the treasure, which is right under their noses.

Trooper’s small-town hokeyness provides just the right blend of adventure and Americana that make the film enjoyable — though there are peculiar inconsistencies between what the box art portrays and what really happens in the film (i.e., a completely different dog, a random mansion, etc.).

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