Divalicious Review! Dog Man is the Zany Superhero All-Ages Delight
By Caroline Cao | January 31, 2025 | Celebrity & Culture
Dog Man is thrillingly looney for all ages. DreamWorks Animation director Peter Hastings (who worked on The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants) gives its all in producing a zany adventure out of the Dav Pilkey pages.
It’s an offputting superhero concept that George and Harold of Pilkey’s Captain Underpants probably cooked it up. An evil anthropomorphic cat, Petey (Pete Davidson of SNL), is this city’s resident supervillain of wild inventions. His archnemesis is Officer Knight and his trusty canine (Hastings providing the voice). A botched bomb defusing leaves both officer and canine so injured that the former cannot use his head. It’s a cartoony scenario: the doctors resolve to sew the dog’s head onto the human’s body to create Dog Man.
Although the movie plays roulette with convoluted plot points, it doesn’t lose sight of its eventual heart. Just when Dog Man seems geared to be a frivolous adventure (and I wouldn’t mind this film), an unexpected factor comes between Dog Man and Petey. You see, Petey decides to clone himself, only to find himself as the father of the Li’l Petey kitten (an adorable Lucas Hopkins).
Not willing to be a surrogate father to the kitten, Petey disposes of him, and the kitten ends up in Dog Man’s care. Then Petey–whose tragic comic book backstory unravels–grows a conscience to want his clone child back. Also, there’s an evil, telekinesis mutant fish (Ricky Gervais) involved for some reason so the plot can have a greater scope villain.
It also boasts great side characters. Lil Rel Howery is a hoot as the police Chief who grouses and yells but doesn’t hide his soft spot for Dog Man. He also shouts aloud, “I’m definitely not in love with you!” at the fourth-wall-breaking reporter, Sarah (Isla Fisher).
The tale is stuffed to the brim like a confectionary with Pilkey-style freneticism.
