by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
We have been spoiled in the world of animation of late. The last decade has brought us some some all-time classics, like Into and Across the Spider-Verse, Inside Out, and The Boy and the Heron. Shoot, the last six months alone gave us The Wild Robot and Flow. Animated movies have often told beautiful stories about family and destiny. Did I think that I would be adding Dreamwork’s Dog Man to this list when I saw it this weekend? No. Am I adding it to that list? Also no, but it came closer than you’d think.
So apparently Dog Man is based on a series of books of the same name. A dog and a policeman are good partners on the force chasing the evil cat genius Petey (Pete Davidson). A terrible accident forces doctors to combine their bodies to save their lives. Now living life as Dog Man, our heroic police-pooch goes around stopping Petey’s various crimes.
Let’s get right to the meat here: This movie is far more emotionally moving than I anticipated. It’s well thought out for a kid’s movie about what both Dog Man and Petey are going through. When you’re half man and half dog, it is hard to connect with other people. When you’re an evil and brilliant feline, it is hard to see eye-to-eye with a lot of people. Both the antagonist and protagonist find themselves alone a lot. So when they do find someone to connect with, it means more to them. Writing like that makes the audience root for them, and it keeps older viewers more interested as well.
I’m struck by how expressive Davidson is in this. I’ve seen his work on SNL, and in some other movies, so I should not be surprised. But he’s terrific here. He can be conniving and vulnerable, and that’s some good range. While his voice is easily recognizable, that isn’t a detriment in this case. Kids don’t know it, and he fits the part well. The rest of the cast is well filled out, with Lil’ Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, Maggie Wheeler, and Billy Boyd.
For the most part, I did also appreciate the style of animation; it’s the same style as the Captain Underpants movie from a few years ago. In that case, the style seemed a little gross. Plus, it gave me flashbacks to the weird library smell where I could check out those books. But in Dog Man, it’s better crafted. The fur on Petey and our titular hero is very well designed. Plus, it’s manageable for the various action sequences going on.
Again, Dog Man is not going to the heights of other DreamWorks productions, such as Shrek or How to Train Your Dragon, but it is much better than you would expect for a January release. The theme of loneliness eventually leading to found family is surprisingly moving.
Rating: Liked It
Dog Man is currently playing in theaters
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