When a heroic police officer and his loyal K-9 partner are injured in the line of duty, an experimental surgery gives rise to an extraordinary new hero: Dog Man. With the loyalty and instincts of a dog combined with the intellect and bravery of a human, Dog Man takes on the mission of protecting his city. As he works to master his new identity, Dog Man finds himself caught between his duty to uphold the law and his hilariously dog-like habits that sometimes get in the way. His antics may raise eyebrows, but Dog Man’s heart is always in the right place, especially when faced with crafty criminals and unexpected allies.

At the same time, a mischievous feline supervillain, Petey the Cat, hatches a series of outrageous plots to outsmart Dog Man and cement his criminal legacy. However, when Petey’s latest scheme goes awry, creating a surprising connection that changes the game, Dog Man faces challenges that push him to grow in ways he never expected. With humor, action, and heart, this story delves into the themes of loyalty, redemption, and the bonds that bring even the most unlikely characters together. Will Dog Man be able to rise above his challenges and prove that even the quirkiest heroes can make the biggest difference?

The character of Dog Man comes from the bestselling kids book Dog Man series. Created by fourth graders George Beard and Harold Hutchins, who were in fact created by Dav Pilkey in his Captain Underpants series. So, it’s a comic book, within a comic book. Talk about Meta!

Dog Man stars Lil Rel Howery as Chief—Dog Man’s boss, friend, and wrangler. Howrey plays the character extremely exaggerated and over the top. Chief is silly and trying to maintain some law and order.

Pete Davidson plays the evil Petey the Cat. Davidson is a natural in this role. Most of the time with this great evil vibe, but as the story progresses you can hear in his voice that the wall he put up around himself starts to crack.

The cast of Dog Man also includes Isla Fisher as TV reporter Sarah Hatoff; Poppy Liu as Petey’s assistant, Butler; Emmy nominee Stephen Root as Grampa; Billy Boyd as Sarah’s cameraman, Seamus; and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ricky Gervais as Flippy the fish. With Dog Man director, Peter Hastings voices the titular hero. 

The script is fun, and full of energy, while at the same time, it’s pulling on your heartstrings. It was adapted from various books in the Dog Man series.

The animation, for the most part, looks like something that leapt out of the screen. Very much computer-genderized. It almost gives it a look akin to Claymation or stop-motion.

Peter Hasting does a great job putting everything together. Hasting has been writing animation stories since about 1991.

This film is very much directed to a younger or family audience. I was able to appreciate a lot of the film, mainly because my own son is a fan of the Dog Man series. The movie is fun and silly, but I didn’t feel there was a lot for an older crowd. Other animated films seem to have little things for adults.

But overall, the kids, are truly going to enjoy Dog Man. The run time is only 80 minutes, which is perfect for their short attention.

There is also a short starting The Bad Guys. Extremely entertaining. Loved it.

Dog Man opens nationwide on Friday, January 31st.

By Brian Isaacs - Executive Editor / Publisher

An avid comic collector/reader for over 50 years and self-proclaimed professor of comicology, Brian originally started up the site Pendragon's Post to share his voice. Well, that voice has been shared and evolved into The Fanboy Factor. Brian is an advocate for remembering comic roots, and that we don't forget what was created in the past, and encourage everyone to read it as well. When not swimming in geek culture, he can be seen corrupting..introducing his young son to comics, much to his wife's chagrin.