Dog Man brings the beloved books to life in a fun, fast-paced story that kids will love. Thanks to the hilarious cast, parents will have a good time too.
From the mind of Dav Pilkey, who also writes the Captain Underpants books, comes Dog Man. During a horrible accident a police officer loses the use of his head and his trusty dog loses the use of his body – so together they become Dog Man, a crime-fighting super cop that cannot talk because, well, he has the head of a dog.
Yes, this is a bizarre origin story but it is not as traumatic as it sounds. Made humorous for the kiddos, it sets up a really fun story. Especially whenever the canine instincts bleed through for Dog Man.
This movie follows Dog Man as he goes up against the meanest cat in the city – Petey. Petey is brilliantly voiced by Pete Davidson, who knows exactly how to bring the comedic timing (and a dash of heart) to make this movie work. Since the main character doesn’t talk, but rather only whimpers and barks, a lot falls on Davidson to keep things moving, but he succeeds with ease.
The other main character is Dog Man’s boss, the Chief. Lil Rel Howery voices Chief and, much like Davidson, has the added pressure of helping to carry the film. To no one’s surprise, he also hits all his comedic beats perfectly.
Dog Man might be made for the children who love the books, but at least parents will be somewhat entertained. This movie is not going to change lives, but it does have some important messages weaved in about working together for the greater good when necessary. The ending is sweet and, thankfully, the film hits the ground running right out of the gate and almost never slows down keeping the attention of little ones.
Li’l Petey is adorable and easily my favorite part of this movie. His interactions with both Petey and Dog Man bring humor, but also a lot of heart to the story.
All you need to do is take one look at the animation style and it becomes clear that this story is connected to the Captain Underpants universe. I learned from my daughter that the lore is that these stories are written by Harold and George – and, fun fact, Lil Petey writes the Cat Kid Comix, which are sure to make their way to the screen eventually.
Overall Dog Man is cute. It is a lot of fun with some great action sequences and sharp-witted humor. There are themes about being there for your family and how some people are shaped by their past.
Ahead of the movie, fans will see a new The Bad Guys short which really helps to set the mood for humor and fun. As someone who loves these movies, it was nice to get to see these characters again. I found the short to be more entertaining than the movie, but it is made for an older audience, so surely that is why.
NEXT: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Review
About Dog Man
Part dog, part man, all hero.
From DreamWorks Animation—creators of the beloved blockbuster franchises Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and The Boss Baby—comes the canine-crime-fighting film adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon: Dog Man.
When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over.
As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief (Lil Rel Howery, Get Out, Free Guy), he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson; Saturday Night Live, The King of Staten Island). Petey’s latest plan is to clone himself, creating the kitten Lil Petey, to double his ability to do crime stuff.
Things get complicated, though, when Lil Petey forges an unexpected bond with Dog Man. When Lil Petey falls into the clutches of a common enemy, Dog Man and Petey reluctantly join forces in an action-packed race against time to rescue the young kitten. In the process, they discover the power of family (and kittens!) to bring even the most hostile foes together.