Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Kids May Enjoy “Dog Man,” But It’s Too Nonsensical For Adults

Dog Man, half dog and half man is sworn to protect and serve as he doggedly pursues the feline supervillain Petey the Cat.

When a cop and his dog are involved in an accident, they are fused together and become Dog Man (Peter Hastings). They aim to stop Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson) from executing his evil plans.

“Dog Man” is based on a popular kids’ graphic novel series by the same author of the “Captain Underpants” graphic novels. The animation in the film is well done, and it uses the same 3D animation as in the “Captain Underpants” movie, so the filmmakers are trying to keep things consistent in these franchises.

Disney and Pixar usually try to make their animated movies enjoyable for kids and adults. However, “Dog Man” is aimed just for kids. The plot of this movie is pretty silly and nonsensical. I also think it tries to cover too much. Even Dreamworks, the studio behind this film, released “The Wild Robot” last year, which powerfully resonated with adults.

Firstly, there is the storyline of the creation of Dog Man and its consequences. His life is irrevocably changed. Next, we cover his archnemesis, Petey (Pete Davidson). He is a schemer and inventor who wants to stop Dog Man. Petey is almost like a Batman villain as he quickly escapes prison various times and goes back to causing mayhem. Then, he clones himself, except the cloning goes wrong. His clone comes out as a toddler cat named Lil Petey. Finally, there is a C plot involving reviving a dead, evil fish who wants to destroy all do-gooders.

I found Pete Davidson’s performance as Petey to be a film highlight. I was surprised by how much backstory we get of Petey, which explains his grumpy, cynical attitude. Despite the title of this film, Dog Man does not get much development as a character. He ends up being a basic hero. Lil Petey is also pretty cute, with a surprisingly strong moral character from someone Petey raises.

The humor in this film is also very juvenile. Again, kids will enjoy the fart jokes, but they just made me groan. I also don’t understand why the cats and fish can talk in this film, but Dog Man cannot.

Overall, “Dog Man” is too nonsensical and ridiculous for my taste, but I know I’m not this film’s target audience. The movie is also very convoluted, with different storylines. However, the kids in my screening seemed to enjoy it, so it may be worth checking out if you need to entertain them for a few hours.

In Theaters Friday, January 31st

 

 

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2 Comments

  1. Can you publish this review on Rotten Tomatoes as well. Nice review and I agree with your take on 1.5/5! Just subscribed!

    1. We’re not on Rotten Tomatoes yet so unfortunately, we can’t add this to their site.

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Isabelle Anguiano

Isabelle is a film critic who was born and raised in Dallas. She graduated with a BA in Media Arts with a minor in Spanish at the University of North Texas. To Isabelle, nothing can beat going to the movie theater, it's her home away from home. And as a lover of all things TV and movies, she runs her own review blog at IsabelleReviewsMovies.com as well as contributes to IrishFilmCritic.com and ShuffleOnline.net.