The creative team behind the “Dog Man” series knew they’d stare down an angry pre-teen mob if they tinkered with their furry hero. Dav Pilkey’s creation helped many kiddos fall in love with reading. That means then “Dog Man” movie channels the books’ look, feel and temperament as well as any film might. The adaptation … The post Colorful ‘Dog Man’ Movie Guaranteed to Woo Fans appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.
The creative team behind the “Dog Man” series knew they’d stare down an angry pre-teen mob if they tinkered with their furry hero.
Dav Pilkey’s creation helped many kiddos fall in love with reading.
That means then “Dog Man” movie channels the books’ look, feel and temperament as well as any film might. The adaptation skimps heavily on plot, a point likely lost on youngsters. Their parents and guardians will laugh far more than they expect.
And, if you have to ask, “why,” you haven’t cracked a “Dog Man” adventure yourself.
“Dog Man” starts with a brief origin story. A cop and his best canine friend suffer severe injuries in an explosion. Doctors must salvage what they can from their damaged bodies.
Voila, Dog Man is born!
Yes, it’s a bit gross, but let’s not dwell on the “RoboCop” comparisons.
We soon learn that Dog Man’s police work is the talk of the town, and that draws the ire of the city’s chief villain, Petey the Cat. He’s voiced in underwhelming fashion by Pete Davidson (does he have any other mode?).
What a missed opportunity for a lip-smacking turn from a fellow A-lister.
Petey is Lex Luthor to Dog Man’s Superman, and we’ve just shared most, if not all of the plot. Dog Man spends his screen trying to corral Petey, whose ability to break out of prison is crucial to the barely-there story.
Add Petey’s clone, an adorable cat named Li’l Petey (Lucas Hopkins) who steals every scene with his cute voice and soulful demeanor. Awwww.
We’re also introduced to Flippy (Ricky Gervais), a fish-like creature who factors into the film’s frantic third act.
“Dog Man” boasts a palette and style that brings the books’ to glorious life. The effect is impressive and never distracting, at times akin to a Claymation affair. That style meshes with the film’s unabashed anarchy. It’s smart and silly, sometimes doubling or tripling down on the latter.
Nothing is meant to be taken seriously, but writer/director Peter Hastings serves up a surprising number of laugh-out-loud moments for young and old.
It’s family friendly, too, despite an edge that suggests it might veer into PG:13 territory. Nothing doing.
We do get one quick fart-like gag and a vehicle dubbed the “butt sniffer,” but that’s as far as the outrage goes. The rest is clean and easily digested.
Too bad that third act lacks anything resembling focus. It’s a battle royale that doesn’t know when to quit. This is “Dog Man,” people, not the next “Avengers” saga.
FAST FACT: Dav Pilkey was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as a child. Undetterred, he grew up to become a best-selling author. His “Dog Man” series has more than 40 million copies in print.
Lil Rel Howery delivers the best performance as Chief, Dog Man’s exasperated boss. Chief’s flirtation with the local news reporter (Isla Fisher) is so delicately teased it could have been left behind entirely. Lean in, and maybe we’d have a subplot to break up the comic chaos.
Gervias is fine as Flippy but given his comic genius you hoped he’d make the role his own in the Robin Williams mold. Then again, what could anyone do with a semi-mechanical fish with supernatural powers? It’s a tough sell, no matter how you slice it.
Not so with “Dog Man,” a romp through Pilkey’s imaginative hero that should please loyal readers and their patient parents.
HiT or Miss: “Dog Man” faithfully brings the silly superhero of sorts to the big screen, along with its crude character design and lite ambitions.
The post Colorful ‘Dog Man’ Movie Guaranteed to Woo Fans appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.
