Written by John Edward Betancourt  Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s DOG MAN directed by Peter Hastings. (Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures.) There was a time in the world of cinema, where adaptations of popular children’s stories were subpar in nature. Simply because it was obvious that some of them were straight up cash grabs, since they focused on style over substance and in some cases, they were just hard to adapt. Courtesy of stories that were so unique that replicating them visually was darn near impossible, and required some reimagining to make them happen. Which in turn hurt the story and took the audience out of the overall experience. But thankfully… technology and a shift in expectation from creatives, has changed all of that. For now, people who grew up watching those so-so adaptations are now eager to create stories that do the source material justice so that all are treated to an amazing cinematic adaptation of their favorite stories. Not to mention, technology has reached a point where the impossible is now possible. Which has given rise to iconic adaptations that make audiences happy and leave the kids in awe. If anything, the wonder of what’s available to audiences in this day and age is top of mind today, simply because there’s a brand-new film out that truly captures the zeitgeist and majesty of a highly beloved children’s story, in Dog Man. Which is indeed the big-screen adaptation of the beloved comic series by Dav Pikey, and well, it does offer a plot that should feel familiar to the fans. For this story introduces us to the magnificent, OK City cop duo, Knight and Greg, a human and dog respectively, who are desperate to arrest the nastiest villain to ever terrorize the town, Petey the Cat. Who, one fine day, manages to surprise our heroes with a bomb so powerful that both are badly wounded. To the point where the only way they will ever survive is by being joined together surgically. Which brings forth the birth of Dog Man. A puppy-human hybrid that is smart and cunning (and cute), and it will be his mission to bring down Petey at last, a task… that won’t be as easy as one might think. Since Petey has set in motion, some dastardly plans that will shake the core of OK City for all time.  All of which gives rise, to a flawless adaptation of this classic story. In large part because it is as faithful to the plot as Greg is to Officer Knight. Since those are all the big notes from the base story, and the wonder of this adaptation doesn’t end with a story that makes fans proud. For the use of advanced animation here allows for the style of the comic to stay alive, right down to unique spellings that will be familiar to fans, and it also allows, for amazing visuals to come forth. The kind that enhances, what came before and gives it that big screen flare. Which is truly evident during the third act of the film, wherein the story takes some epic turns that are visually stunning and incredibly engaging, and of course… there is still more for audiences to enjoy this in feature.
Because it also, offers up an important element that the best children’s entertainment stories harbor. In that, it has some beautiful life lessons for kids to take away. The kind that are of course, embedded in a subtle manner, but they are there, and they are wonderful. Since this story speaks to the importance of just accepting people for who they are and celebrating them for their talents. Plus, you’ll even find some fascinating thoughts on the power of family in this tale, and how we don’t have to let our past traumas and pains define us. All of which enriches the story further and provides parents with an opportunity to further explore those concepts through discussions at home. But while it is nice to find that kind of depth here, there is one more aspect of this film that makes it such an incredible adaptation. In that, it’s just plain fun, and it’s downright funny. Because above all, that’s really what kids want. To have a good time with a film that respects what came before and that fun is present here in spades. Courtesy of wacky sight gags, and great jokes that genuinely work and amazing performances to boot. For the voice acting and casting, is simply sublime here and further plunges one into this enriching and unique world. All of which makes this, a must-see film for the family. Simply because you cannot go wrong with a film that harbors humor, and adventure that all ages can enjoy, along with a meaningful story that does the original comic proud. For this really is an incredible adaptation of this beloved story, one that should be celebrated often so that this level of quality remains the standard.
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