“The Shaggy Dog” (Walt Disney Pictures)
The Animals Are Adorable, the Movie Isn’t
Tim Allen stars in the most recent “Shaggy Dog” movie from the Disney Studio. There have been two previous efforts, one of which starred Fred McMurray and another starred Dean Jones. Allen is in good company as he plays a lawyer who keeps turning into a sheep dog. Still you have to wonder why anyone felt a need for one more “Shaggy Dog” movie..
Dave Douglas (Allen) is a man who has it all. He has a great career as an attorney as well as a loving wife (Kristin Davis) and two children, Carly (Zena Grey) and Josh (Spencer Breslin). The only problem in his life is that his career takes so much time that he is neglectful of his family. He intends to spend more time with them but never is able to …well, find the time.
One day his children bring home a loveable shaggy dog. Dave doesn’t much care for dogs and when he attempts to take the animal outside it bites him. Unknown to Dave, this is a unique sheepdog form the Himalayas and it possesses certain dynamic DNA. The bite causes Dave to develop certain dog-like traits and under stress to turn into a sheepdog.
This is certainly awkward for him especially when he is in the middle of his trial. The judge (Jane Curtin) rebukes him for growling, and his boss (Danny Glover) is appalled when he begins to sniff and scratch.
All of this is played for basic silliness, except when evil scientist Dr. Kozak (Robert Downey, Jr) injects his boss with a paralyzing drug. That is a pretty serious scene. Later Downey gets infected with the dog “disease” and gets to act silly too.
Allen is okay in the lead role but he and Kristin Davis have zero chemistry together. He also shows little compassion in the scenes with his kids. He is best when doing the actual physical comedy of being doglike.
Craig Kilborn has a cameo as Allen’s neighbor but he does little with the role. Shawn Pyfrom, who is Bree’s evil spawn on “Desperate Housewives”, makes an appearance as Carly’s boyfriend Trey. He is able to project evil even when he is acting nice.
The movie is slow at the start and the middle tends to bog down, but it all picks back up at the end when a lot more animals get into the act. These animals from the lab are the best part of the film and give it an energy it otherwise wouldn’t have.
The movie is rated PG for mild, rude humor and some comic violence.
After three movies of the same story it is time to retire this franchise. “The Shaggy Dog” is wearing pretty thin. Young audiences will have some fun with it but those twelve and above might wish for a quick ending.
I scored “The Shaggy Dog” a hairy 5 out of 10.
