| Overall Grade: |
B |
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| Story: |
B- |
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| Acting: |
B |
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| Direction: |
B- |
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| Visuals: |
B+ |
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Good family-friendly film
by Dan (movies profile)
Apr 22, 2008
24
of
28 people found this review helpful
I was able to get to a "sneak preview" of Underdog last night. I have a sneaking suspicion that this "sneak" preview wasn't too exclusive, given the number of attendees.
At any rate, our family (two adults, a 6 and 9 year old) enjoyed this "made for matinée" film.
While a few characters were based on those from the cartoon, they didn't seem intended to be completely true to the originals.
For starters, the cartoon did not have Underdog actually owned by a human. He was a mild-mannered shoeshine boy who just happened to be a crime fighter.
The film version Simon Bar-Sinister matched the pathos of the cartoon version, but was a little too dark.
As far as the story itself: creative, but lacking in many aspects. We could have used more crime-fighting scenes, which were late in the second reel. There was a little too much build-up of the story of how Underdog came to be, and the relationship he and his human owners shared.
The setup of his powers could have been done in a montage in less than 5 minutes. The film took a bit longer.
And about the humans...too much development. We were hoping for more of an action film starring Underdog and not a "father-son" encounter session.
All in all, however, this was a clean, family film that entertained our children. There were just a few intense scenes, but not too intense. I would recommend this film for children aged 5 to about 10. Those older may be too "sophisticated" and will crave more action, blood, and gore.
One last thought...the film ended with a rap version of the Underdog theme song, which disappointed me. Why must most children-oriented films today urbanize their soundtracks? Exceptions are films created by Pixar, which use original music throughout the film that is appropriately themed and connected. A film's music is integral to the experience, and in this aspect, Underdog fell short.
Dan |
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