Dog Man Parent Guide

Officer Knight and his dog Greg (both voiced by Peter Hastings) are an unstoppable crime-fighting duo, protecting Ohkay City from Petey the Cat’s (Pete Davidson) evil plots. Then a tragic accident turns them into the half-human, half-canine Dog Man, a hybrid that retains both personalities’ crime-fighting dedication. With Petey constantly escaping cat jail, Dog Man has his hands full capturing and recapturing the super villain. But when Petey accidentally creates a kitten clone of himself (Lucas Hopkins Calderon), both Petey and Dog Man find their lives turned upside down.

I grew up on Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants series but was a little too old for Dog Man when it appeared on the scene. Now as a librarian and a mom to an eight-year-old boy, I’ve been surrounded by the series for a while. I personally find Dav Pilkey’s sense of humor to be endlessly creative and clever, if a bit overly reliant on potty humor, but I understand that his style isn’t for everyone. Whether or not you like Dav Pilkey’s other works will be the main determining factor in your response to the film version of Dog Man, which manages to capture his unique sensibilities, both visually and creatively.

Going into the theater, I was expecting nothing more than a silly romp. What I did not expect was a surprisingly emotional reflection on love, loneliness, and our ability to change. Yes, this movie is funny; I laughed out loud in the theater more than I ever have before, both at the verbal jokes and the sight gags, and I fully expect a few of the quotes will become staples in our household. But that humor doesn’t come at the expense of the more emotional moments and overall message; rather the comedy serves as the vehicle that makes those messages impactful. I will also say there was less potty humor than I expected, so either someone reined in Pilkey’s writing, or he’s mellowing with age.

I was also pleasantly surprised at how clean this film is. The only notable content concern is the cartoon violence, but the stylized animation and silly tone stop any violence from getting too scary or serious. Though obviously made for young audiences, there are more than enough jokes to keep adults entertained. By embracing the tone and creativity of the source material, Dog Man delivers a well-made movie that people of all ages can enjoy.