RATING: 3.5 out of 5
“Dog Man,” the book series by Dav Pilkey, became popular among school-aged children in 2016, with over 60 million copies sold worldwide. With foolish humor and action-packed stories, the book series was a child’s dream book collection. With “Dog Man: The Movie,” released in theaters on Jan. 31, people who grew up reading his books can finally see their favorite half-man, half-dog cop in action. Bright colors and constant amusement come through in Pilkey’s simplicity. It will excite kids, but isn’t deep enough to attract older adults.
The story develops around a silly but heroic police officer who faces villains and works towards rescuing his city from trouble. In the books, he is not necessarily a smart hero, but his heart is always focused on his job. Dog Man is mainly known for his humor which made him really famous. One of Dog Man’s criminals is Petey the Cat, who adds mischief to the plot. He’s known for getting in trouble, but when it comes to his kid, Lil Petey, he is a softie. With Petey and his son, the movie has a father-son plot added to this action.
Visually, the movie brings the books’ high energy and style to life perfectly. Bright, quick and full of funny and goofy little scenes remind one of the comic book. The movie’s humor is a part of its draw. Rapid-fire jokes fly, with a lot of silly humor and childish occurrences that kids enjoy.
The movie’s animation was basic, but it works well for a kids movie. The movie also succeeds in bringing Dog Man to life for the kids who grew up reading about him. All about it is from humor and its action down to its repetition of the story is exactly like the actual book series. The movie is a lot of fun and nostalgic.
Unlike other movies from Pixar and DreamWorks, “Dog Man” is full of childish humor, making it less interesting for adults and older kids, and the plot is quite simple. The movie progresses quickly. Many important things that happen in the book are not shown clearly in the movie, so for someone who read the book series, the movie might not be detailed perfectly.
For example, in the book series Petey and his son spend a lot of time together understanding each other. In the movie, the time Petey and his son spend together is minimized, making emotional scenes less meaningful. Other parts of the plot do not have enough room to develop well; this is a big obstacle for the audience to feel connected to the characters, who are more developed in the books.
“Dog Man: The Movie” is a perfect opportunity to watch Pilkey’s universe in a whole new perspective. It’s a great watch for children, and some teenagers who grew up reading the books may enjoy it for nostalgia.