A Review of Dog Man by Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical
MPAA Rating, PG
OSV Rating, A-II
Reel Rating, Three Reels
Dog Man is a legendary figure in my household, being the favorite literary character of one of my older sons. It’s safe to say that this film was the most anticipated movie among the Olszyks since The Super Mario Brothers Movie back in 2023; it did not disappoint. Faithful to the spirit of the books while not being too trying for parents, it is yet another hit in a string of recent successes for Dreamworks animation. Though it might come off as a bit strange for the uninitiated, it is “supa fun” for anyone under ten.
Officer Knight (Peter Hastings) and Greg the Dog are a police pair, each with his own strength and weakness. Knight “has a great kung-fu body but got no brains,” while Greg “got smarts but not a great body.” Petey (Pete Davidson), a maniacal cat villain, tries to take them out with a bomb but only succeeds in killing off half of each. The hospital’s Frankenstein solution is to put Greg’s head on Kight’s body creating the unstopped cop hero Dog Man. This new crime fighting machine continues to foil Petey’s various evil schemes whether a giant vacuum cleaner or tennis ball tank. He then tries to make a clone of himself – Lil Petey – who shares his DNA but not his age or negative intentions. Lastly, Petey attempts to revive an evil, dead fish with psychic powers, but this might be his worst idea yet. If this sounds a bit much, that’s because the filmmakers tried to stuff three books worth of characters into a ninety-minute movie.
Some might look at Dog Man’s crooked city skyline splashed with a Crayola palette and characterize the animation as crude. As someone who has gone through the series at least four-fold for bedtime, I found it gorgeous. From the angry eye V’s on anthropomorphic buildings to the squiggly line of Chief’s mustache, it looks exactly like a comic drawn by an eight-year-old. The filmmakers also love playing with diegetic elements like the source material. When Dog Man is lonely one night, he starts to howl, creating a series of red O’s that float into the air. These O’s travel all the way across the city and bang on Petey’s window, annoying him. It’s the best mise-en-scène I’ve seen for a film since Dune, Part II.
As a children’s production, Dog Man is not terribly sophisticated in its story or values, but there are plenty of good moral lessons. When Lil Petey gets abandoned, Dog Man – despite the kitten’s connection to his mortal enemy – lets him stay at his house and provides for his needs. The film is filled with characters who are brave, work as a team, and sacrifice their own desires to do what’s right. Even the villains – at least a few – come to regret their actions and seek redemption. The “everyone gets a second chance” trope can be a bit frustrating for parents who want a more realistic version of good vs. evil. Yet, it is important to show that the bad guys can repent if contrition is sincere and is balanced with punishment for sins. One of the most important lessons a young child can learn is that they can stop when they are angry and choose to do the right.
While Disney continues to struggle to regain its relationship with families, Dreamworks has been subtly putting out some of its best work in decades. Last year, two animated films from this company made it into my top 10 of the year. Dog Man doesn’t go quite that far but demonstrates this winning streak isn’t a fluke. Will there be a sequel or a Cat Kid Comic Club spinoff? Almost certainly. Will my whole family see it? No need to even ask.
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