THE
SHAGGY DOG (2006)
by Jane Louise
Boursaw
Rated PG for mild and rude humor.
Ok for kids 7+. Released in theaters March 10, 2006. 3 out of 4 Reels.
Should you
bring the kids? This movie is perfect for grade-schoolers, who will
love watching Tim Allen be a dog. Preschoolers are better off with
animated flicks like "Lady and the Tramp". For more details on age
groups, see "Bringing the Kids" below.
THE STORY:
Can't you just picture Tim Allen down on all fours, chasing cats and
doing his best dog imitation? That's just what he does in this remake of
the 1959 flick starring Fred MacMurray, Tommy Kirk, and Annette
Funicello.
In this
incarnation, Allen plays Dave Douglas, an attorney whose workaholic
habits have made him king of the courtroom, but a real dud when it comes
to parenting. Buried in his
work, he has no clue what goes on in his household and even less of a
clue how to connect with his two kids, Carly and Joe (Zena Gray and
Spencer Breslin).
But
when he takes on a case involving an animal laboratory, he mysteriously
begins morphing into a shaggy sheepdog, which causes more than a little
chaos in his legal career. But something unexpected happens. He learns
how his two kids really
feel about him, and he's not too happy about it. He wants to make his
life better be a better dad to his kids and a better husband to his
wife (Kristin Davis). Along the way, he has to stop the evil forces
behind a top-secret serum that extends human life.
Maybe it's
true that there are no new ideas in Hollywood, and that's why all the
remakes lately. Nothing can compare to the original 1959 movie, but this
is a fresh spin on the classic with a great supporting cast of Jane
Curtin as a judge, Craig Kilborn as a neighbor, Danny Glover as Dave's
boss, and Robert Downey, Jr., as a yuppie villain who's creating some
very interesting cross-breeds in his genetic mutation lab. This movie
won't win any Oscars, but any time a movie makes you laugh, it's a good
thing.
PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): The shaggy dog is cute as the dickens, and
little ones will laugh at seeing a grown man acting like a dog, but
they'll likely be bored during the other parts of this movie. They're
better off with animated dogs who actually talk, like "Oliver and
Company" or "Lady and the Tramp," recently released on DVD.
GRADE-SCHOOLERS
(ages 6 - 10): Similar to "Freaky Friday," the dad in this family
gets to take a look at life from the kids' perspective, and that's a
good thing. With lots of physical comedy and who better to do it than
Tim Allen? this movie is perfect for grade-schoolers. He gets to chase
cats, talk to other animals, growl in the courtroom, and eat his cereal
face-down in his bowl. Both boys and girls will love it, and maybe learn
a lesson or two about the give-and-take of family life.
TWEEN /
TEEN (ages 11+):
This is one of those family movies where no matter how you fit into the
scheme of your own family husband, dad, wife, mom, kid you'll find
someone to identify with. Teens might see themselves as Carly, whose
love life is seriously impeded by her dad/dog. Tweens might identify
with Joe, who thinks his dad is only interested in him becoming a
football star. This is a good date movie, because there are no awkward
scenes related to sexuality. Tweens and teens will also like the songs,
"Big Dog" by Akon and "Man's Best Friend" by Click Five.
SCORE:
3 out of 4 Reels.
Jane's Reel Rating
System:
One Reel Pathetic.
Even The Force cant save it.
Two Reels
Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.
Three Reels
Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.
Four Reels Wow! The
stuff dreams are made of.
E-chat with me
at
jane@reellifewithjane.com - I
LOVE to talk about movies!
Read my other reviews
here.
