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 Reel Life with Jane!Get the latest scoop on family-friendly movies at the theatre and on DVD! UNDERDOG
MPAA Rating: PG for rude humor, mild language and action. Should you bring the kids? Because of the bathroom humor, this movie is best for kids 7 and older. But it's a pretty lame movie, so I'd wait for the DVD. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids" below. THE STORY: As a big fan of the Underdog cartoon series ("There's no need to fear! Underdog is here!"), I was so hoping this would be a good movie. But don't get your hopes up, because it's not. The story centers, of course, around a little Beagle. At the beginning of the movie, he gets booted out of the canine department of the police force because his sniffing skills are seriously lacking. The dangerous bomb in a cardboard box turns out to be a ham.
But the dog escapes and ends up in the care of a teenager named Jack (Alex Neuberger) and his dad, Dan (Jim Belushi), an ex-cop with some self-confidence issues. Jack names the dog Underdog (because he's, well, an underdog) and soon discovers the dog can talk, fly, and lift heavy objects. This comes in handy when a little female dog named Polly Purebred (voiced by Amy Adams) and her owner, Molly (Taylor Momsen) find themselves in a precarious situation with street thugs.
BRINGING THE KIDS: PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): With a PG rating for rude humor, mild language, and action, this movie isn't really appropriate for preschoolers. A better option is "Doogal," a gentle, G-rated movie about a little dog and his pals, and their quest to foil an evil sorcerer named Zeebad before he puts the Earth into a deep freeze. GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): Aside from the usual bodily-function humor in these kinds of movies, this movie is ok for grade-schoolers. But it's just not that good. You can see the plotline coming a mile away, there's nothing new in the characters, and the special effects are unremarkable. It's mildly entertaining to see real dogs move their mouths and talk, and Jason Lee adds an edge to the character of Underdog. Still, you can't help but think it's Earl talking instead of Underdog. I recommend the original Underdog cartoon series over this movie any day. TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): Ditto. JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM : One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it. Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender. Three Reels: Pleasant. Something to talk about. Four Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of. Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net
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by Jane Louise Boursaw
On the street, the little dog ends up in the clutches of a mad scientist, Dr. Barsinister (Peter Dinklage), who operates a large lab filled with experiments gone awry (dogs with leopard spots, dogs with weird hair, etc.). He and his sidekick thug, Cad (Patrick Warburton), accidentally give the little Beagle superpowers.
The rest of the movie follows the adventures of Underdog (voiced by Jason Lee of "My Name is Earl") as he cleans up the town, takes care of Barsinister, and helps Jack and Dan recover some of the confidence they've lost. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Jack lost his mom (before the movie started) and has been suffering at school and home because of it. It's pretty much the same old story you find in most Disney movies. Tired.