Dog Man
Dog Man
Starring Peter Hastings, Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher
Directed by Peter Hastings
In the town of Ohkay City, Petey (Pete Davidson) is an orange cat who's bent on destruction and especially taking down Officer Knight (Peter Hastings) and his dog partner Greg. When he plants a bomb, Officer Knight is unable to diffuse it, resulting in him losing the use of his head, and Greg the ability to use its body - so two nurses decide to stitch Greg's head to Officer Knight's body, and Dog Man is born. He becomes a sensation to the annoyance of the police chief (Lil Rel Howery) but is constantly recorded by reporter Sarah (Isla Fisher) and her cameraman Seamus (Billy Boyd). Dog Man keeps thwarting Petey's plans and sending him to cat jail, but he keeps escaping, and the Mayor (Cheri Oteri) wants Dog Man off the case because Petey keeps escaping. Meanwhile, Petey plans to clone himself, but the clone turns out to be a child version of himself (Lucas Hopkins Calderon) who isn't evil and who sees the bright side of life. Throw in an evil telekinetic fish named Flippy (Ricky Gervais) and Dog Man has his work cut out for him.
"Dog Man" is based on a series of kids' books by Dav Pilkey, who utilized his ADHD and dyslexia to create his own works of art at an early age (he said during school he would "get kicked out of class and drew comics instead") and eventually Dog Man was born. The book series is hailed and praised, and children all around the world enjoy reading the adventures of the lovable Dog Man, and the big screen does it justice in every aspect. The animation is fresh, unique, and captivating; the comedy is slapstick and intelligent with a hint of silliness; there's emotional beats about how we see the world and being a parent; and it does everything at a breakneck pace - there's never a dull moment, not a single second wasted, and there's so much going on in such a tight space you'd expect it to explode out the edges, but it's kept within its bounds.
The movie showcases the bright side of ADHD, something that's seen as a disability but can be used for glorious purpose. This movie is chock full of different events that typically could take place over a span of different movies, but throwing it all together could've spelled disaster if you didn't understand the way the mind works. Each story has its own heart and passion to it, and nothing is wasted - even when Lil Petey brings Petey's neglectful father into the mix has its own merit and payout you wouldn't expect. It's wonderful and entertaining, delivered with beautiful animation that's grounded in Pilkey's animation style, incorporating 3D animation style with a 2 1/2D approach, preserving the simplicity and flatness of the characters while bringing them to life, and also using techniques reminiscent of graphic novels such as a lower frame rate and bold color palette.
The voice talent is also impeccable, with Peter Hastings voicing Dog Man himself with howls and barks, but also voicing Officer Knight at the beginning. Isla Fisher's Sarah is smart and witty, but also silly and fun. Lil Rel Howery uses his quick-witted voice wonderfully as the irritable but supportive Chief, but the standout is Pete Davidson who's having the time of his life voicing Petey with delicious sarcasm and villainy. Lucas Hopkins Calderon is the heart as Lil Petey, and Ricky Gervais plays a perfect diabolical villain.
The comedy had me laughing out loud numerous times, which again was something I wasn't expecting. I thought it'd be more kid friendly with cheap humor, but the comedy is highly intelligent (and also kid-like, which I appreciated the blending of), and I was really surprised with the usage of other movies (such as quotes from "Aliens" and "Die Hard" that I'd never expect to hear in a kid's movie) to full effect. Equally, the movie has some emotional moments, especially from Lil Petey who doesn't understand Petey's pessimistic look at the world and is quizzical and filled with wonder. It touches on what it means to be a parent, along with generalized themes of loneliness, teamwork, redemption, and the impact of upbringing. None of these themes go to waste, and you'll feel all the feels by the end of it.
The Score: A-
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