DreamWorks Animation just had a major celebration for its 30-year anniversary, dropping one of its biggest Oscar-nominated films from last year, The Wild Robot. That animated film was a film adaptation of a 9-12 year old kids novel. Peter Hastings is now stepping into a major role by adapting a beloved children’s graphic novel from the Dog Man series. The film pays tribute to Dav Pilkey’s global bestselling graphic novel series, celebrating both Dog Man and Captain Underpants. Altogether, the animation and acting in this film holds nothing back.
Dog Man’s storyline and origin are both straightforward and brief, yet they reveal deeper, more complex themes upon closer inspection. When police officer Knight and his dog Greg get injured, a life-saving surgery leads to the creation of Dog Man. Dog Man must protect and serve while pursuing the evil Petey the Cat, but the arrival of Li’l Petey alters their relationship.
The animation was very rough, convincing audiences that it was hand-drawn and made with real models. It is computer-generated but mimics traditional drawings with visible brushstrokes and a textured look. I had never seen such a frenetic and expressive animation style pushing the boundaries of stimulation. It felt like the director and animators wanted to shove a bunch of things on-screen, but this was not a bad thing.
“Dog Man’s storyline and origin are both straightforward and brief, yet they reveal deeper, more complex themes upon closer inspection.”
It might be tough to catch every detail if you’re over sixteen, but get ready to be entertained by this film. This film was paced for those whose attention spans were low. And even if you missed the details, this is what makes Dog Man a good rewatch—to go back and find more easter eggs from the graphic novels. The transitions and using the comic book style of showing certain scenes as panels were cool additions too. It added to the visual storytelling and chaos.
This was one of the best roles I have seen Pete Davidson in. Ironically, he is playing the character Petey so maybe it was meant to be. Davidson perfectly embodied the villainous energy in Petey while also bringing a wholesome vibe when interacting with Lil Petey. Lil Rel Howery’s portrayal of Chief was spot on, blending fast-talking annoyance with endearing moments towards Officer Knight and Gregg, who later became Dog Man. Even as Dog Man, the Chief still cared for them, and Howery’s voice perfectly matched his animated character’s short temper.
I struggled to pinpoint the actress portraying the fast-talking reporter Sarah Hatoff from “Live Breaking News Live.” Not sure if her name is related to Battlestar Galactica star Katie Sackhoff or not too. But knowing it was Isla Fisher voicing Sarah was a wild fact to hear her in this role; it was perfect for her. Everyone in this film brought the heat, spitting out jokes fast in a film with a tight one hour and 29-minute runtime.
Hats off to director Peter Hastings who also did the voice of Officer Knight and all of the sounds for Dog Man. His voice acting was so good at adding to Dog Man’s cuteness of not being able to talk. Having a real person voice this character’s barking is an impressive feat, something on the level of Vin Diesel as Groot.
The story was great, and I was surprised by how much content from different books the film incorporated. I read some graphic novels as I grew up with Captain Underpants, and my younger cousin liked Dog Man. So, I was curious to see how Pilkey’s storytelling carried into his newer series. The graphic novels and this film solidified how wild Pilkey’s storytelling has continued to entertain audiences.
Fans will appreciate all the references and characters they love in this film. The film also brings the likes of Flippy the Fish, Butler, Seamus, 80-HD, Evil Mayor and more. Hastings and his team at DreamWorks continue to honour the source material so well for a book series that is episodic and has a lot of source material to sift through. It effectively set the stage for a sequel and introduced the spin-off series Cat-Kid.
“Dog Man continues to show that DreamWorks and other animated features of late keep upping the quality of animation.”
While the emotional moments were not particularly original with Petey, Lil Petey and Dog Man, Hastings did an amazing job blending the humour with the heart. The emotional moments slow down the film’s pace in the middle, but they also add depth to the story, showing it’s more than a simple kids’ adaptation.
The ability to make relatable adult jokes is stellar as well. Let us just say there is a ‘leaving to go get milk joke’ in Dog Man, and I am pretty sure you will know the rest. If you have seen Disney’s Jump In memes, you know what is up. Numerous animated films have been taking these bolder leaps, appealing to parents and children who go to see these films. Although it lacks the emotional depth of films like The Wild Robot or How To Train Your Dragon, it still offers good substance.
Dog Man continues to show that DreamWorks and other animated features of late keep upping the quality of animation. This film breaks new ground by successfully adapting one of the biggest children’s graphic novel series of our time. The adult jokes can be a little risky, but really appeals to parents/adults as well. For those who enjoy the comics/graphic novels, this was the perfect film for fans and newcomers alike.