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The Shaggy Dog
Can't you just picture Tim Allen down on all fours, chasing cats and doing his best dog impersonation? That’s just what he does in this remake of the 1959 flick that starred Fred MacMurray, Tommy Kirk, and Annette Funicello.In this incarnation, Allen plays Dave Douglas, an attorney whose workaholic habits have made him king of the courtroom, but a real dud when it comes to parenting. Buried in his work, he has no clue what goes on in his household and even less of a clue how to connect with his two kids, Carly and Joe (Zena Gray and Spencer Breslin). But when he takes on a case involving an animal laboratory, he starts mysteriously morphing into a shaggy sheepdog, which causes more than a little chaos in his legal career. But something unexpected happens. He learns how his two kids really feel about him, and he’s not too happy about it. He wants to make his life better -- be a better dad to his kids and a better husband to wife Kristin Davis. But before he can do that, he has to stop the evil forces behind a top-secret, genetic-mutation serum. Nothing can compare to the original 1959 movie, but this is a fresh spin on the classic, made even better with a supporting cast of Jane Curtin as a judge, Craig Kilborn as a neighbor, Danny Glover as Dave’s boss, and Robert Downey, Jr. as a yuppie villain who’s using dogs to develop a miracle drug that extends human life. Sure, Tim Allen has had some box office duds in recent years, but when he shines, it’s pure magic. Fans have a connection to the former Tool Time guy, and it’s not hard to visualize him as our own dad or husband. Throw a cuddly dog into the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for success. PRE-SCHOOLER (ages 2-5): The shaggy dog is cute as the dickens, and little ones will laugh at seeing a grown man acting like a dog, but they’ll likely be bored during the other parts of this movie. They’re better off with animated dogs who actually talk, like "Oliver and Company" or the recently released "Lady and the Tramp" DVD. GRADE-SCHOOLER (ages 6-10): Similar to "Freaky Friday," the dad in this family gets to take a look at life from the kids’ perspective, and that’s always a good thing. With lots of physical comedy -- and who better to do it than Tim Allen? -- this movie is perfect for grade-schoolers. He gets to chase cats, talk to other animals, growl in the courtroom, and eat his cereal face-down in his bowl. Both boys and girls will love it, and maybe learn a lesson or two about the give-and-take of family life. TWEEN/TEEN (ages 11+): This is one of those family movies where no matter how you fit into the scheme of your own family -- husband, dad, wife, mom, kid -- you’ll find someone to identify with in this movie. Teens might see themselves as Carly, whose love life is being seriously impeded by her dad/dog. And tweens might identify with Joe, who thinks his dad is only interested in seeing him become a big football star. This is a good date movie, because there are no awkward sex scenes. Tweens and teens will also like the songs, "Big Dog" by Akon and "Man’s Best Friend" by Click Five. For the real deal, check out the original movies: "The Shaggy Dog" (1959) and its sequel, "The Shaggy D.A." (1976), both available on DVD March 7, 2006. Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance writer specializing in the television and movie industry. Her syndicated column, "Reel Life With Jane," is published in papers throughout the country. Email her at jboursaw@charter.net. |
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