Movie: Dog Man (2025)
Directed By: Peter Hastings
Written By: Peter Hastings, Dav Pilkey
Starring: Pete Davison, Poppy Liu, Lil Rey Howery, Isla Fisher
SPOILER FREE Review By: Kirk Dulin
MOVIE THEATRE VIEWING EXPERIENCE
Yes, I did just say theatRE. Hard “RE”.
Despite what condition the movie theatre experience is in, one branch of film will ALWAYS attract crowds: kids movies. As I quickly became acquainted with my seat for my early viewing of DOG MAN at 10AM on a Saturday, my lovely wife whispered to me: “You are literally eating Popcorn for Breakfast.”
Next to her sat our 11 year old son, whose love for the DOG MAN book series is eternal. Next to him sat our daughter, 7, who is rapidly becoming the next biggest fan of the Dav Pilkey-penned series. STAY TUNED: Kids Review later in this article!
I, myself, have dabbled in the source material author’s work as a bedtime treat to the kids. We read a book every night, and it’s easy to convince them to let me read ANY of the installments in the now 13 book series as I try my hand at the silliest, but thoughtful, voices for each character.
At the announcement that DOG MAN would be immortalized on the silver screen, I knew this would be a layup for whoever took it on. I was also a little disappointed they didn’t try and reach me to voice any of the characters. Rude. Oh, well.
Maybe in DOG MAN 2?
WHAT TO EXPECT (SPOILER FREE):
Adapting a book to the screen will always have its challenges in character development, casting, and even wardrobe selection (see the continuing drama in IT ENDS WITH US (2024)). For DOG MAN, though, this book series is (essentially) a graphic novel series, storyboarding everything a film director would need to leap from page to screen.
The movie plays like a superhero origin story: We discover how Dog Man came to be, we follow his struggles adjusting to his new found abilities, we suffer through both his human losses and his dog losses. There’s something special about this film adding a layer of drama into the story, which is an element the books lack (though they don’t need it). I was happily surprised to discover how much HEART was injected into this storyline.
Pete Davidson – love him or hate him – especially hits a home run with his portrayal of Petey, the maniacal evil Cat, kneading for power. The rest of the cast slips effortlessly into their characters’ voice roles, with not a single one of them out of place.
GOOD DOG/BAD DOG:
DOG MAN wins big when it plays the hits: if your kids have a favorite bit, gimmick, or joke, it is perfectly woven into this franchise opener. My son and daughter were literally finishing Dog Man’s sentences half of the movie because of their love for the elevated humor. My personal favorite moments were when the writers Dav Pilkey (original author) and Peter Hastings (doubling as director) dive head first into the complete absurd comedy of it all. As a 35-year-old dad, I was sometimes BELLOWING over the children’s laughter with the same giddiness Ron Swanson has for Little Sebastian.
What else are you in for? Every color in every scene was vibrant and eye-catching. There’s so many unique visuals to consume, that I’ve already booked tickets for a second viewing. There are HILARIOUS moments of random pop music to jar you from passively viewing the movie. It DEMANDS your attention. In theory, this should give all of the eye rolls, but it somehow works in the wonderful world of OhKay City, the newly named city where we find Dog Man fighting crime (which remains unnamed in the book series).
Though the humor was pitch perfect from its adaptation from the books, the movie’s story was not impervious to pacing issues and the deathly multiple endings faux pas. As an audience member, you can lose me FAST if the momentum feels like the story should end…and then it keeps going. Pete Hastings and Dav Pilkey, unfortunately, stumble between the last 3 sequences of the film, and thus, we also get 3-4 places where the movie could’ve ended before the credits finally roll. Perhaps my critical film eye is my own Kryptonite, but when a linear story doesn’t end in proper progression, it’s as disruptive as a song that doesn’t know when to end. It makes the difference of watchability and recommend-ability. In today’s box office condition, movies need a firm stamp of approval to avoid the embarrassment of an early streaming baton pass.
GO FETCH!
The question remains: is DOG MAN worth the trip to the movie theatre? This movie critic gives that answer two opposable thumbs way up! It’s worth noting that:
This isn’t just a movie “that kids will like because it’s a kids movie.”
They will like AND love it because it gives kids a voice to be kids; to enjoy silly characters saying silly things in a silly world that parodies our own.
Today’s adult comedies for the general adult audience could truly study this series and movie as a blueprint to restructure the direction of comedy movies in the 2020s. Dog Man may not be the hero the industry wants, or expects right now, but it’s certainly what the audience deserves.
Kirk’s Score: 6.9/10 kernels
PRO TIP: Moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts & uncles:
There is NO Post Credit scene. Feel free to refill that popcorn and get home so the kids can reenact the entire movie with their plushies.
KIDS REVIEW BELOW! WHAT DO THEY THINK?!
KIDS REVIEW:
I promised you’d get to hear from the REAL experts on this one, DIDN’T I?
11 year old, Boy:
“It was absolutely incredible. As a big fan of the books, I really liked seeing them come to life on the big screen, and I was laughing for the whole movie.”
10/10 kernels
7 year old, Girl:
“It was VERY VERY VERY VERY awesome! And it’s my favorite movie.”10/10 kernels
Talk to you soon!
Thanks for reading the SPOILER FREE review of Dog Man! For more reading, audio, and visual content like this, please: Like, Subscribe, and comment on any of our reviews here on the website, Youtube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
-Kirk Dulin
POPCORN FOR BREAKFAST 
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