UNDERDOG

2007, Disney

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 84 mins.

THE STORY:

A beagle (Jason Lee) experimented on by a mad scientist (Peter Dinklage) and his henchman (Patrick Warburton) is transformed into a dog with superhero qualities and the ability to speak. He escapes from the lab and is taken in by a retired police officer (Jim Belushi) who hopes the dog, whom he calls Shoeshine, will help him bond with his teenage son, Alex. 

Alex soon discovers Shoeshine's special qualities and together they give him a superhero identity: Underdog. He rescues those in danger, finally confronting the evil scientist who originally gave him his powers. 

In the end, righteousness triumphs, love blossoms, and father and son bond. 

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Imbecile
• Stupid
• Idiot

VIOLENCE:

• Some threatening scenes, but nothing significant
• The scientist spends most of the movie looking decidedly creepy after an accident  

TEACHING POINTS:

•  You have to tell people how you feel if you want them to know how you feel

THE UPSHOT:

Monotonous and about 50 minutes too long. I've seen worse, but I've also seen far far better. 

The film makers are resorting to the tried and tested goofy-remake-of-old-cartoon formula to appeal to parents as much as kids, but they have failed completely. Underdog lacks the profile of, say, the Muppets or Yogi Bear to start with. Then they take away the essential character traits that made him interesting in the original-- they included a vintage Underdog cartoon in the extras presumably to allow everyone to come to the same conclusion-- and just make him bland. Even the 5 year-old in the room didn't buy him as a superhero... and she buys a lot.

The acting is phoned-in, the dialogue is cliched, the story is that rare mix of predictable and unconvincing.

2/5