Man becomes mutt in this inoffensive, uneven comedy that fails to make the most of its comic potential or familiar cast.
The Shaggy Dog (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:102
Fresh:28
Rotten:74
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: This Disney retread has neither inspiration nor originality, but may please moviegoers under the age of ten.
Theatrical Release:31-03-2006
Synopsis: Directed by Brian Robbins (VARSITY BLUES, THE PERFECT SCORE), this updated spin on THE SHAGGY DOG and THE SHAGGY D.A. features Tim Allen as Dave Douglas, a Deputy District Attorney who spends way... Directed by Brian Robbins (VARSITY BLUES, THE PERFECT SCORE), this updated spin on THE SHAGGY DOG and THE SHAGGY D.A. features Tim Allen as Dave Douglas, a Deputy District Attorney who spends way too much time at the office and way too little time with his family. His son, Joe (Spencer Breslin), feels completely misunderstood, and his wife, Rachel (Kristin Davis), feels like a single parent. To make matters worse, his teenage daughter, Carly (Zena Gray), considers Douglas the enemy because he is representing a pharmaceutical company, Grant and Strickland, in their case against her social studies teacher, who is accused of burning down their lab to protest animal testing. Douglas' life changes in an instant when animal-loving Carly brings home a friendly shaggy dog that bites the dog-disliking D.A. What Douglas doesn't know is that the dog has a secret. This Tibetan wonder dog is 300 years old, as smart as a human, and as playful as a pup. Soon, Douglas is exhibiting canine tendencies himself - a heightened sense of smell, a tendency to growl at opposing counsel in court, and an overwhelming urge to defend his front yard. His full transformation to a dog allows him rare insight into what his family really thinks and feels, and gives Douglas the opportunity to decide what is truly important. To further complicate matters, Grant and Strickland – the very company Douglas is representing – are certain that the dog that bit him holds the secret to the Fountain of Youth, and are determined to learn what it is. Robert Downey, Jr. stars as Dr. Kozak, Grant and Strickland's evil mastermind, and Philip Baker Hall plays head honcho Strickland. Jane Curtin and Danny Glover are also featured. [More]
Starring: Tim Allen, Kristin Davis, Zena Grey, Danny Glover
Starring: Tim Allen, Kristin Davis, Zena Grey, Danny Glover, Robert Downey, Spencer Breslin, Shawn Pyfrom, Joshua Leonard, Jarred Paul, Bess Wohl, Annabelle Gurwitch, Jane Curtin, Philip Baker Hall, Craig Kilborn, Laura Kightlinger, Coal
Director: Brian Robbins
Director: Brian Robbins
Composer: Alan Menken
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
Reviews for The Shaggy Dog
The plot may sound stupid, but it's tightly written and it pushes all the right emotional buttons.
A flea-bitten farrago which bears only a fleeting resemblance to the 1959 film that inspired it.
The movie is just this side of terrible. It misses all the charm and fun of the original.
Young ones will squeal for Allen's ear-scratching antics, but their parents with fond memories of the original will itch from beginning to end.
Shaggy Dog is a subpar remake of a subpar movie that can only spawn subpar remakes.
Just when you thought Doogal set the lowest bar possible for a dog comedy, here comes The Shaggy Dog, a pointless remake of the 1959 Disney classic.
Coal, the Bearded Collie playing Shaggy, upstages everyone in this amusing update of a Disney classic.
This Shaggy Dog merely slops on computer trickery and heartwarming message 101 plotting in the absence of creative screenwriting and inspired direction.
A good-natured, sometimes silly family fun that will play especially well with the under-13 set.
The witless, cliché-ridden script -- the effort of a total of five writers -- doesn't do [Allen] any favors.
Like Curious George and a half-dozen other recent movies aimed at children, The Shaggy Dog sandwiches in themes that speak to adults, resulting in a weird, unsatisfying combination of slapstick and Chicken Soup for a Parent's Soul.
The film drags in the homestretch, as the filmmakers needlessly shuffle characters around the city.
The Shaggy Dog may not make you howl, but it does offer a few bona fide belly laughs, which is more than the last few Tim Allen movies could boast.
If the improv exercise was merely "Pretend you're a dog," Allen's got it down, but he never does anything unexpected.
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