Full Disclosure: Since I have a collie I am obviously biased…

At this point there must be hundreds of movies and television episodes featuring the lovable super-intelligent collie. Some of them (let’s face it) have been pretty bad (including a hilariously awful Canadian television series aired in the late 1990’s).

However the latest movie is a class act, with good writing, a great cast, and beautiful locations filmed in Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

This movie goes back to the original source material: the 1938 novel Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight, which spawned an entire genre of stories about faithful pets traveling incredible distances and braving impossible odds to be reunited with their owners. This book has already been made into several movies, one of which managed to turn Lassie into a horse.

This version sticks much closer to the original material and is all the better for it. Any animal lover will probably find it irresistible.

The movie is easily suitable for ages 7 and up. Some younger children may be able to enjoy it but might find some of the scenes upsetting.