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"Who Let This Dog
Out?" |
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Directed by Brian
Robbins - Written by
Cormac & Marianne
Wibberley
Starring Tim Allen,
Kristin Davis, Robert
Downey Jr., Jane Curtin,
Zena Grey
Distributed by Buena
Vista - 2006 - Xmins -
Rated PG |
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Richard Propes'
Review
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C |
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Raise the Woof. |
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It was too much to
expect.
I had hope. I wouldn't exactly say high hope, but I had hope that "The
Shaggy Dog," the remake of the 1959 Disney film starring Fred
MacMurray, would be cute, endearing and a perfectly fine family film.
Tim Allen takes over the MacMurray role in this mildly updated remake,
as an Assistant D.A. prosecuting a case involving the use of
laboratory animals and an arson allegedly set by an environmental
activist/high school teacher.
Of course, all of this serves to set up the typical Disney "family"
scenario: 1)Father is obsessed with work and representing something
his family opposes. In this case, the teacher in question is his
daughter's (Zena Grey) teacher and the daughter is an active animal
rights activist, 2)Said father neglects family and is out of touch
with the long-suffering wife (Kristin Davis), non-athletic son
(Spencer Breslin) and the rebellious daughter, and 3) Father
experiences some dramatic event (in this case, being bitten by a
300-year old dog who is the subject of the previously noted lab
experiments by an obviously mad scientist (Robert Downey, Jr.).
In the first five minutes, even without prior knowledge of the
original film, you will have no doubt about the events to transpire
and how the film will ultimately end.
Of course, this is a kid's film. Kid's films should not be complex.
So, a certain amount of the predictability and easygoing nature of the
film is expected and acceptable.
"The Shaggy Dog" is not really a bad film. It is a reasonably cute,
occasionally funny film that allows Allen to capitalize on his
self-deprecating humor and modest gifts for physical comedy in a way
that is inoffensive, occasionally original and certainly fits with the
Disney vision of family-friendly and positive films.
The problem with "The Shaggy Dog" lies in the film's lack of energy,
stilted dialogue and, ultimately, a cast that seems to realize this is
nothing more than a paycheck film. As directed by Brian Robbins ("Good
Burger," "The Perfect Score" and "Ready to Rumble"), "The Shaggy Dog
is a disconnected film that takes an absurd premise and never commits
to it. The result is a largely wasted supporting cast including the
aforementioned Downey, Jr. along with Jane Curtin, Phillip Baker Hall
and Danny Glover.
Only Downey comes out of this mess largely unscathed, but even he is
clearly restrained here and his scenes so disconnected that their
comic potential is never fully explored as he becomes more and more
"mad" over the course of the film. Joel David Moore, who was so horrid
in the recent "Grandma's Boy," redeems himself nicely as a pound
employee and Jeanette Brox entertains in only a few minutes onscreen.
The film also features needless cameos from Laura Kightlinger and
Craig Kilborn.
The script, by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, is disjointed and
underwritten. The dialogue is almost cringe-inducing and, most
definitely, the sort of "kid-friendly" dialogue one would find on an
episode of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." In case you are wondering,
this is NOT a compliment.
"The Shaggy Dog" ends up being the worst kind of film...mediocre. In
the screening I attended, parents were struggling to maintain control
of their children as they began playing games, running aisles and
fidgeting uncontrollably. One can argue, of course, this is irritating
and distracting for those of us watching the film...yet, it's actually
a marvelous gift to a discerning critic.
When the kids ain't watching then your family film ain't working.
Despite an above average cast, "The Shaggy Dog" is nothing more than a
mangy mutt. It's mildly adorable, but ultimately nothing you will ever
take home and, in this case, YOU are the one who will be put to sleep.
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© Written by Richard Propes -
Email Me! |
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How We Rated This Film
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TC Candler -
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| Richard Propes
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C |
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Jacob Hall
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TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Jacob Hall's
Comment
n/a
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