Dog Man (2025) is quick, goofy, and genuinely entertaining—a rare kids movie that doesn’t insult its audience’s intelligence. For viewers expecting a hollow, IP-driven cash grab, this ends up being a pleasant surprise. It’s a mid-tier animated film that punches a little above its weight, and for families looking for something fast, funny, and a little off-kilter, it more than delivers.
‘Dog Man’ Movie Review
Dog Man might look like another throwaway animated kids movie at first glance, but there’s a surprising amount of charm, wit, and emotional sincerity packed into its 89-minute runtime. Based on Dav Pilkey’s bestselling graphic novel series—already beloved by the same crowd that made Captain Underpants a hit—the film adaptation avoids the pitfall of being just a loud, hyperactive franchise starter. Instead, it delivers something that’s legitimately fun, occasionally heartfelt, and cleverly made for audiences of all ages.
Directed by Peter Hastings, Dog Man borrows the same manic, quick-cut, fourth-wall-breaking energy seen in films like The Lego Movie and The Mitchells vs. The Machines. It’s not on the same level as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or Across the Spider-Verse in terms of innovation or artistry, but it shares their understanding of how to keep momentum high while planting seeds of more grown-up jokes that younger viewers might only fully appreciate years later. That layered humor, combined with the film’s stylized visual approach, keeps Dog Man from feeling like another bland studio product.
The premise is gleefully absurd: after a bomb explosion injures both a cop and his loyal canine, doctors save what’s left of them by fusing the man’s body with the dog’s head. The result? Dog Man—a literal man-dog hybrid who becomes a uniquely capable crimefighter. His main nemesis is Petey the Cat, voiced with unhinged glee by Pete Davidson, who steals just about every scene he’s in with a perfect mix of sarcasm and exasperation. Their Tom-and-Jerry-style back-and-forth gives the movie its spine, and Davidson’s voice performance brings a welcome layer of chaotic energy.
Dog Man also sidesteps some of the usual pitfalls of modern animated films. Yes, there are plenty of low-brow jokes and ridiculous gags that feel aimed squarely at grade schoolers, but the pacing and tone keep things feeling tight rather than grating. The humor doesn’t lean on pop culture references as a crutch, and it doesn’t try to shoehorn in hollow emotional beats. When the film goes for sincerity, especially in Dog Man’s moments of reflection or in his makeshift family dynamic, it earns those feelings without overplaying them.
And while this probably will kick off a franchise—Pilkey’s books practically demand it—there’s no sense here that the filmmakers are cynically laying track for sequels. Dog Man works on its own terms, with a fast-moving, inventive rhythm that manages to feel fresh even if it borrows heavily from the visual and tonal styles of its recent animated predecessors.
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This isn’t a game-changing movie, but it doesn’t need to be. Dog Man is quick, goofy, and genuinely entertaining—a rare kids movie that doesn’t insult its audience’s intelligence. For viewers expecting a hollow, IP-driven cash grab, this ends up being a pleasant surprise. It’s a mid-tier animated film that punches a little above its weight, and for families looking for something fast, funny, and a little off-kilter, it more than delivers.
Score: 6/10
Dog Man (2025)
- Cast: Peter Hastings, Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, Lucas Hopkins Calderon, Ricky Gervais, Poppy Liu, Stephen Root
- Director: Peter Hastings
- Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family
- Runtime: 89 minutes
- Rated: PG
- Release Date: January 31, 2025
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