NEW YORK (OSV News) – Comic chaos is the order of the day in “Dog Man” (Universal), the animated adaptation of a series of graphic novels by Dav Pilkey. Yet touching sentiments are also successfully incorporated into writer-director Peter Hastings’ film. The combination proves a winning formula, and the result is appropriate for a broad audience.
The breezily absurd plot kicks off with Officer Knight (voiced by Hastings), a fit but less-than-brainy police officer, and his best friend and partner, a smart dog called Greg, in hot pursuit of recidivist wrongdoer and jailbreaker Petey the Cat (voice of Pete Davidson). In one of his innumerable schemes, Petey plants a bomb that seriously wounds both buddies.
Deciding that Officer Greg’s head is too badly injured to save — and that the same goes for Greg’s body — the staff of the hospital to which they’ve been taken strike on the idea of a mash-up. Thus is created the unspeaking amalgam of the title.
Now both clever and sturdy, Dog Man can resume his rivalry with Petey. But their long-standing conflict becomes complicated when Petey, anxious to double his potential for wickedness, attempts to clone himself and instead produces a gentle, innocent kitten, Little Petey (voice of Lucas Hopkins Calderon).
Little Petey immediately treats his creator as a beloved father and eventually befriends Dog Man as well. As a result, he becomes the conduit for lessons about the nature of love, the healing power of forgiveness, the importance of family ties and the need for cooperation and teamwork. All this is handled in a skillful manner and with a light touch.
With its frenetic chases — as well as the third-act introduction of some outsized monsters — “Dog Man” is too scary for tykes. But this warm-hearted, fast-paced production will likely score with all other members of the family, a few silly toilet gags notwithstanding.
“Dog Man” is preceded by the short film “The Bad Guys: Little Lies and Alibis,” which is also acceptable for the feature’s appropriate audience.
The film contains cartoon violence, characters in peril and some mild scatological humor. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
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