Underdog (2007)

An adult who finds himself watching a flick intended for kids has to remember you are not in the group this movie is geared. Applying mature sensibilities to such a film will prevent you from getting the most out of the experience. This is just something to keep in mind when watching the Disney movie ‘Underdog’. It is silly and doesn’t make a lot of sense. There are plot wholes the size of a MAC truck and the premise is ridiculous. The point is who cares, the kids certainly don’t so why should we. There are films that are intended to be great works of cinema; this is not one of them. The point of this movie is for the kids to have an enjoyable eighty minutes or so. Some of the adults out there may have been kids themselves back in the mid sixties when the cartoon television series was popular. There is without a doubt a bit of nostalgia for the grown ups that will help when watching this with your kids. The creative people over at Disney has decades of experience entertaining the family. While some of their films fail short of greatness they are almost always fun to watch. This is such a film. It is not great but you will forget the pressures of the adult work-a-day world for a little while and let your inner child come out and play.

The idea of a super powered pouch is not a new one. Superboy got Krypto the Superdog way back in 1955. It seems only natural since our canine friends innately have all the qualities you need in a hero; steadfast, loyal, brave and resourceful. The animated series was so popular that it garnered one of the greatest honors possible for a cartoon character; its own balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Since most popular cartoons and TV shows are winding up on the big screen it was only a matter of time for this one to appear. While the cartoon Underdog was an indeterminate breed they needed a real dog for the movie. They made a good choice with using a beagle. They are small enough to work well with the human actors, have a great temperament and look great. You just can’t not love those domed heads that fit your hand perfectly. The film would have been a lot different if they chose a large terrier like an Airedale. Of course you realize that this is a lip synching animal flick. They have come a long way since stagehands smeared peanut butter in a horse’s mouth to make Mr. Ed talk. Now with computer animation being so state of the art the dog actually does seem to be speaking. The use of computer graphics also makes his paws move in a way not natural to his species. As silly as this film is you have to give credit to the special effects crew.

The film starts with a few scenes and the opening theme song from the cartoon series. I have to admit that this was a nice touch and gives the proper homage to the source material so to speak. The live action gets started with the mayor of Central City (John Slattery) is holding a press conference about his solution to the growing crime problem. The voice over is from Shoeshine (voiced by Jason Lee) who tells the audience that he was raised from a pup to fight crime. When he raises a false alarm over a box with a ham in it he is dismissed from the police dog program. Out of the street he is captured and placed in a cage ultimately for use in medical experimentation. The evil mastermind behind the lab is Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage) who is assisted by his physically huge but mentally miniscule security guard Cad (Patrick Warburton). As the pup tries to escape he pulls a shelf full of experimental chemicals over himself. He runs back out to the streets fleeing the mad scientist breaking through a door in the process. On the run he comes across a canine bully named Rif Raff (voiced by Brad Garrett) who has marked this whole territory. Shoeshine runs away only to be hit by a car. Miraculously he is not hurt and winds up taken in by another of Barsinister’s guards, Dan (James Belushi). He realizes that while the dog is okay there is a large dent on the front of his car. He brings Shoeshine home where he meets Dan’s teenaged son, Jack (Alex Neuberger) and the two slowly begin to become friends. Left alone in the house Shoeshine begins to discover and explore his new powers. Jack finally realizes that the dog is not only super powerful but can talk. In the park both boy and dog find love. For Jack she is in the form of Molly (Taylor Momsen) whose beautiful spaniel Polly Purebred (voiced by Amy Adams) catches Shoeshine’s eye. Shoeshine and Jack begin to use his powers to fight crime all over the city and soon come up with a secret identity and costume of ‘Underdog’. Meanwhile Dr. Barsinister, now injured and scared from the lab explosion, has Cad out looking for the dog that got away. This sets things up for the evil doctor’s plans and how he became the arch nemesis of Underdog.

For a film targeted for younger kids it is paced exceptional well. There is plenty of time given to developing the relationship between Jack and the dog. This is something that the kids can relate to. This exposition is not boring; it is filled with little action sequences that will keep the youngsters amused for the first half of the flick. After that Underdog is in full swing and the kids will have a really great time. Adults will find the casting something very special. Jason Lee is one of the most popular TV actors today and has been a steady and regularly exception actor for years. His voice work here is fun to listen to and matches the dog very well. The juxtaposition of Peter Dinklage and Patrick Warburton was inspired. They look like the cartoon evil duo and sell their roles.

When it comes to a kids film DVD release few studios can do better than Disney. Of course the technical specifications of the film are exceptional. The Dolby 5.1 audio fills the room and will pull young and old into the action. In a nice touch the disc offers a selection between full and wide screen versions. Parents, be responsible and teach your children from a young age that widescreen is the only way to see a film. The extras are something that everyone can enjoy. There is a full blooper reel that is funnier than most such offerings. A few deleted scenes are offered and to be honest it is easy to see why they were not included in the final cut. Something that is becoming a Disney film trademark is a family friendly music video by Kyle Massey. Next is a featurette ‘Sit, Stay , Act: The Diary of a Dog Actor’ that takes you through the work the real beagle and his trainers had to go through. The last extra was a truly pleasant surprise. The very first Underdog cartoon, Safe Well, is included in full. This is fun for the kids and not bad at all for adults so do yourself a favor and get it and more importantly watch it with your kids.

Posted 12/12/07