Rating 6/10
There’s a special joy when animation, action, and humor come together to create a fun and inventive cartoon. Dog Man originated as a comic within Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants book series before spawning a full-fledged graphic novel in 2016. The concept of a half-canine, half-human police officer captivated readers, turning the spin-off into a bestseller and catching Hollywood’s eye. Now, DreamWorks Animation is bringing Pilkey’s imaginative world to the big screen.
Officer Knight and his loyal police hound, Greg, attempt to stop a corrupt genius of a cat named Petey (Pete Davidson). A high-speed chase through Ohkay City tragically ends when one of Petey’s bombs explodes. Knight suffers a critical head injury, but his body is still intact. Meanwhile, Greg’s body is failing, yet his head remains unharmed. At the hospital, doctors make a crazy decision to save them both. They surgically attach Greg’s head to Knight’s body, creating a brand-new hero. This man-dog “supa cop” soon becomes the city’s most beloved crime-fighter. Director (and writer) Peter Hastings provides the titular hero’s vocals, opting for expressive sounds and barks rather than dialogue.
Imaginative visuals significantly add to the appeal. The account embraces captivating 2D-inspired drawings that set it apart from most CGI movies. It’s computer-animated, but the puffy aesthetic of the doodles suggests a hand-drawn look. That sketchbook style brings the childlike designs of Pilkey’s books to life with vibrant colors.
The chronicle is pretty zany but develops beyond that to offer some genuine heart. Petey attempts to clone himself into an evil offspring, but he forms an unexpected attachment to his own creation. The tiny kitten named Li’l Petey (Lucas Hopkins Calderon) isn’t wicked at all. Dog Man becomes an unlikely guardian to the kitten, so Petey builds a towering robot, the 80HD, to reclaim him.
Like I said, this tale is bonkers. Petey still believes he needs a powerful ally to help him defeat Dog Man. He steals Flippy the Fish (Ricky Gervais), a supervillain from a high-tech research facility where scientists were studying Flippy’s telekinetic abilities. Petey then reprograms him to eliminate all do-gooders. The screenplay even throws in little nods to adult viewers—during a climactic battle, Li’l Petey shouts, “Flippy ki-yay, flippy floppers!” The Die Hard fan in me laughed hard at that quip.
While Dog Man is aimed squarely at kids, its creative storytelling, unconventional animation, and heartfelt moments make it enjoyable for adults too. It’s a picture that understands the power of silly but also reminds us why stories like these connect. Family, kindness, and heroism are ideals that everyone can get behind, no matter what age you are.
02-06-25