When a criminal runs rampant in Ohkay City, nobody expects the perfect strategy to arise in the form of a ticking time bomb. Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson) is a notoriously impossible foe; with the reflexes of a feline and the brain of a mad scientist, even the bravest duo in town falls for his schemes. As Officer Knight (Peter Hastings) isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and Greg the Police Dog (Peter Hastings) has a brain without the brawn, becoming irreversibly disfigured by an explosion might’ve been the big break they’ve been searching for.
“Dog Man” is exactly how it sounds—half dog, half man. In a classic crime-fighting tale, this extraordinary cop was born from pure coincidence—going from under-dog to wonder-cop in less than a day. Following in the footsteps of DreamWorks’ previous 2017 adaptation, “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,” Dog Man is the second comic book superhero to hit the big screen. Like a Pandora’s Box of wacky tropes and gimmicks, this three-part series was squashed into a singular movie—for better or worse.
The original series came from none other than Dav Pilkey—the best-selling author of countless children’s books. Like sand in a desert, you could find Pilkey’s iconic comics in the hands of elementary children everywhere. From “Captain Underpants” and “Dumb Bunnies”, to “Dragon” and “Cat Kid”, the early 2000’s was littered with Pilkey’s cartoons. Similarly, my classroom library was no stranger to this nation-wide epidemic, as I also became enamored with Pilkey’s iconic stories. While most of my memories come from his most popular series, Captain Underpants, I was devastated to discover that my library didn’t have Dog Man, the spin-off series. Nevertheless, I could never imagine I’d be able to ease my disappointment several years later in the form of a vibrantly animated film.
Dog Man is the type of movie where if you blink, you’ll miss it. Like a comic book, it whizzes from scene to scene with a cartoonish momentum that doesn’t tire out. Despite that, it perfects the art of comedic timing and pacing of character development. But with tone shifts left and right, subplots sprinkled here and there, it’s hard to stay focused on the main plotline. Dog Man’s story consists of the first three books with references to the rest of the series, making the hour and a half of screen time overloaded with content. At the same time, this makes the film feel almost sequential, although the silliness of the entire story makes this easy to forgive.
However, the movie’s charm comes from its unique interpretation of comic-book nonsense. As Pilkey’s stories often shift through scenes without much elaboration, the movie perfectly fills the blanks with new content. Since the original panels are typically boxed-in—leaving little room for scenery or characters—the movie is able to expand the frame and immerse the viewers in lively scenes that compliment the story to new heights.
In addition, DreamWorks explores the boundaries of inventive visuals as Dog Man blurs the lines between 2D and 3D. While the environment and characters are 3D models that feature realistic lighting, every single texture appears to be hand-drawn with childishly rich detail. For one, the film was able to combine the comic’s signature style with modern graphics without harming Pilkey’s originality. Especially with Dog Man’s head always facing the side, I was impressed with the studio’s dedication to respecting the original design while still innovating with dramatic and creative angles. Furthermore, the film is designed to imitate the artistic abilities of a fourth grader—scribbling, painting, and stippling with art supplies like colored pencils or markers. To emphasize this, many of the buildings and objects are lopsided or inconsistent. From the billboards to windowsills, down to the checkered office floor, the stylization of Dog Man feels like an authentic elementary comic brought to life.
The Dog Man series deserves to bask in the limelight and more. After nearly a decade of inspiring children with stories that never grow old, it’s safe to say that DreamWorks did these comics justice. And while the overflowing storyline may disorient viewers with non-stop action and emotions, the animation does more than make up for the film’s shortcomings. Dog Man is the long-awaited remedy to my incomplete Dav Pilkey escapade. No matter if you’re a lifelong fan or a complete stranger, Dog Man is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
