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Anyone
who forked out their hard earned bucks for Rocky & Bullwinkle,
Inspector Gadget or Looney Tunes Back In Action will know exactly what
I mean. Films that should have just been straight forward transfers,
but were instead ridiculously over-complicated messes.
So it was
with great hesitance that I approached Underdog, a cartoon which wasn't
part of my childhood (I missed that boat - and its repeats - by at
least 10 years) and I can't help but think there would be to many kids
(let alone parents) that are too familiar with the source material
either. But I knew enough about the history and the culture behind
Underdog to know whether or not if Disney had muffed up yet another
potential franchise.
Thankfully Underdog, from director Frederik
Du Chau (Racing Stripes), isn't in the same league as Do Right, Josie
& The Pussycats or Fat Albert.
It has all of the classic
characters in toe (Polly Purebred, Dr. Barsinister, Riff Raff and Cad),
as well as the obligatory kid-centric storyline. The real strength here
is the fact that the flick stick to a well cemented (if not slightly
cliche) plotline, without ever resorting to over the top antics, over
complicated storylines (remember how confusing the "Real World/Cartoon
World" plots were in R&B and Fat Albert were?) or off the cuff
skits.
Underdog follows a down and out beagle named Shoeshine
who finds himself with extraordinary super powers (flight, strength and
the ability to speak) after a run in with an evil scientist. Armed with
a cleverly put together costume (the dress up sequence is actually one
of the films funniest), this unlikely caped crusader vows to protect
the citizens of Capitol City - that is, of course, until Barsinister
takes Underdog's powers from him.
There is a lot to like about
this adaption. Much like Garfield, it's far from perfect. However, the
team behind this latest cartoon-cum-silver screen epic have put
together a decidedly likable and watchable (if not overally
forgettable) little kids flick. The CGI effects are superb, the animals
are cute - and theres more than enough gags to get the toddlers
laughing (even if the uptight "Art Nut" critics in the screening I was
in don't).
Jason Lee adds some coolness to the traditionally
dorky Underdog character (Lee, interestingly enough, is also set to
star in another cartoon adaption - Alvin & The Chipmunks), while
Jim Belushi gives a passable performance as a misunderstood father.
The
films main weakness is the flow of dialouge. You could forgive it,
considering that most of the editing must be done around the animals
speaking, but there have been far to many 'animal talkies' that have
done just fine with flow (Babe, Charlotte's Web, Racing Stripes). It
really impedes the pacing, which is essential in a kids movie.
Some
of the performances don't quite work either, most obviously, the films
main youngster Alex Neuberger. While it can't be easy for an unknown to
act with a blue screen dog, it's surely an essential skill to possess
for a flick like this - on this scale. It sadly takes what should be a
3.5 Star flick and degrades it to what amounts to an expensive Disney
TV Movie.
By no means a world beater, but more than a worthy
school holidays flicks for the toddlers - and an encouraging sign that
the upcoming Astroboy, Chipmunks, Drangonball Z and Smurfs movies won't
be the disasters that they potentially could have been.
Never fear, Underdog is here.
EXTRAS
Does anyone else think that Disney is kicking itself having missed out on the huge bank that Chipmunks made (which also starred Jason Lee).
Oh
well. Included on the DVD release there are a range of extras including
bloopers, deleted scenes, a featurette, a music video and “Safe Waif,”
the very first cartoon episode featuring the caped canine. Conclusion:
Movie 60% Extras: 60%
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