Dog Man, a spinoff from the world of Captain Underpants, is a goofy, gag-a-second, very cartoony, animated comedy that is a ton of fun for, as they say, the young and the young at heart. It seems like there is something silly in every frame and every line of dialogue. There are puns, bathroom humor, slapstick, farce and so much more. They are in the animation and the plot.
Sometimes that approach can be exhausting, especially when considering that Dog Man is only 81 minutes long (not including the end credits). Not the case here. This is silly, good-natured fun, that always has something ridiculous right around the corner. It is a wonderful combination of tone and style, making for a delightful trip to the theater for the whole family.
Officer Knight and his beloved dog, Greg, make a great crime-fighting team. When a scheme by the evil cat Petey results in severe injuries for both heroes, Greg’s head is sown onto Knight’s body, pairing the canine’s smarts with the human’s kung-fu skills. The newly rechristened Dog Man sets out to arrest the villainous feline.
All of that plot is gone through in the first few minutes. The story is unimportant, yet works just fine as a clothesline to hang a non-stop collection of jokes on. I guess there’s a positive message about family and doing the right thing in there if you squint hard enough. The source material by Dav Pilkey and the screenplay by Peter Hastings are far more interested in quick gag payoffs than they are in things like character development.
It’s fast-paced, without being chaotic, playing off the efficient setup effectively and not overstaying its welcome. Some of this is very funny, but, even when something doesn’t quite land, it is still enjoyable to watch. For example, there are probably a few too many “dog licks a person’s face” jokes for my liking. They are more than made up for by clever wordplay and all sorts of other stuff.
Though Dog Man himself has no dialogue (just barks used to good comedic effect), the rest of the voice cast is used well. Pete Davidson is funny as Petey, leaning into over-the-top cartoon villainy. He doesn’t overact his line readings, allowing the matter-of-fact absurdity of the character to get laughs. Lil Rel Howery does a good job as the police chief, who is both jealous of Dog Man’s instant fame and in awe of his many talents. You can almost see Howery’s facial expressions when the Chief gets exasperated. My favorite is by first-time performer Lucas Hopkins Calderon as Petey’s clone, Li’l Petey. His earnestness is so different from anything else in the movie that it generates some of the funniest moments.
It is difficult to say a lot about Dog Man without risking giving stuff away. This is a comedy focused on the jokes. It is a little sloppy, a little rushed in spots and doesn’t pay off all its story beats. However, it is so charming and silly that those things can easily be forgiven. This is satisfying light entertainment.
3½ out of 5
Voice Cast:
Pete Davidson as Petey
Lil Rel Howery as Chief
Isla Fisher as Sarah Hatoff
Lucas Hopkins Calderon as Li’l Petey
Written/Directed by Peter Hastings
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