Run Time: 1 hr. 24 min.
Rating: PG - rude humor, mild
language and action
Cast: Jason Lee, James Belushi,
Peter Dinklage, Patrick Warburton, Alex Neuberger
Director: Frederick Du Chau
Genre: Adventure Comedy,
Comic-Book Superhero Film, Comedy, Children's/Family
Well, you gotta give Hollywood an
A for effort. Rather than come up with new material, they continue to mine
“Nerdapolis” for movies. Where is Nerdapolis? In 30 to 40 something-year-old’s hearts. It’s a place in
our past that warms our very souls - where we existed as children and every time
we turned on the tube something magical would find a place in our memories.
After school, it was Ultra Man or Space Giants. And yes Underdog. The memories always
remain fuzzy and warm. Until Hollywood decides to make a movie of it…
And fuck it up.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Underdog.
Now has anyone really taken a hard
look at the old Underdog cartoon? I have. And believe me I loooooooooooved
Underdog when I was a kid. However, look at it today and it’s a different
story. Almost painful to watch.
So of course it naturally must be
made into a movie. Good lord.
Underdog tells the story of an
orphaned police beagle (they let them on the squad?) who is taken in by former
cop James Belushi (I think he owes AT&T $ for phoning this one in) and his
teen son played by Alex Neuberger. He licks Belushi’s shoe, so of course he
names him Shoe Shine Boy.
Shoe Shine Boy has a lot of
baggage to carry. His last case as a police dog was a royal failure when he
thought he smelled a bomb…but it turned out to be a ham. Of course a ham. With
the German Shepherds laughing at him, Shoe Shine runs away – only to be
captured by the evil, sinister Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter “I used to Sprint
to phone mine in) and his stoolie (Patrick Warburton). Just when Shoe Shine is
about to be subjected to sinister experiments, he escapes, but not before
having his DNA altered.
So of course let the checklist
begin: Taken in by dad and son? Check. Son doesn’t like Shoe Shine at first?
Check? Big set piece where Shoe Shine discovers his powers? Check. Yawn, big
fight at end? Check. Although I must say the big finale showdown was lame.
Frederick Du Chau (director of the much cuter Racing Stripes) turns in a
mercifully short 84-minute movie that is just boooooooring. Jason Lee, voicing
Underdog, sounds bored as do the rest of the cast. There is no chemistry
between Jack and the beagle. Instead of taking the kids to see this, take them
outside with a real dog.
For every Transformers, there is Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, my beloved Lost in Space, Bewitched. The list goes on. Underdog should’ve been either made as an animated feature, with a smart satirical look at life or just left alone…to exist in that warm town, fondly known as “Nerdapolis.”
As for the DVD extras, there are three more painful scenes to watch...introduced by Frederick Du Chau. And a music video by Cory in The House.
Movie: One woof. I mean One and one half ballpoint pens.
DVD Extras: Two Ball Point Pens.