From DreamWorks Animation—creators of the beloved blockbuster franchises Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and The Boss Baby—comes the canine-crime-fighting film adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon: Dog Man. Dog Man has always been a favorite in our home. We have read the books, we have seen the musical at our local children’s theater and now we have seen the movie. DOG MAN hits theaters January 31, but is this the movie you and your family should see?

About DOG MAN

When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over.

As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief (Lil Rel Howery, Get Out, Free Guy), he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson; Saturday Night Live, The King of Staten Island). Petey’s latest plan is to clone himself, creating the kitten Lil Petey, to double his ability to do crime stuff. Things get complicated, though, when Lil Petey forges an unexpected bond with Dog Man.

When Lil Petey falls into the clutches of a common enemy, Dog Man and Petey reluctantly join forces in an action-packed race against time to rescue the young kitten. In the process, they discover the power of family (and kittens!) to bring even the most hostile foes together.

My Thoughts

I have always admired the backstory of Dog Man – a comic book story created by two fourth grade friends, George and Harold. What makes this movie so incredibly special is the attention to detail. As the story is “written and illustrated” by two young boys, what you see on the screen appears to be illustrated by young children. During one of the street scenes where Officer Knight is driving, you can see the street signs have scribbled writing instead of words, as a young child might do.

Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man(and MANY other children’s series and books), is beyond creative. A simple story with matching illustrations keeps children interested in reading. He is not afraid to include mild potty humor and punny jokes. Pilkey is a mastermind on what keeps 8 year olds interested in reading. Bringing Dog Man to the big screen only solidifies that and opens the door for even more children to want to pick up a book to read more.

There is plenty of action in this movie, but not too much to be overly chaotic. Despite a few moments of sadness(see below), DOG MAN is a movie your family should see. For those that love a take-away from a movie, there is a beautiful message in DOG MAN – “the world can’t be rotten, because you’re in it.

Is DOG MAN safe for the whole family?

DOG MAN has a runtime of 94 minutes and is rated PG for some action and rude humor. There are a few instances in the story that could be triggering. While Dog Man and Officer Knight clearly do not “die” at first, they are “fused” as one, leaving the inevitable death of Officer Knight to be inferred.  Even though he is now a “Supa Cop,” Dog Man struggles with the fact he is no longer just a dog. There are a few sad moments where he comes to terms with the loss of Officer Knight and his previous life.  And just when things are looking up for Dog Man, Lil Petey is kidnapped from his bed.

Overall, the movie mirrors the book. There are many laughs for both kids and adults(80 HD is my favorite). I would suggest reading the books before seeing the movie so children that may have trouble with these scenes are already familiar with the story.

Overall

DOG MAN is in theaters January 31, 2025. Tickets are available now. Read the book – go see the movie. Talk to your kids about it. You will not regret it.

DOG MAN – IN THEATERS JANUARY 31, 2025
Official Site | Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | #DogManMovie

What do you think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.