Introduction
To start on the right paw, I know I’m not the target demographic for Charlie the Wonderdog. Frankly, I thought it was an existing IP. I may even have been thinking of Underdog (2007). I don’t have children. And aside from being a manchild myself, there is no reason for having watched this film. That said, the film is a fun, mushy mess. It sits at an even fifty percent approval rating from this writer. The film does just as well as it does poorly, but its heart is in the right place.
Synopsis
Our story begins in space. An adorable alien pet chases a ball around a ship and inadvertently jettisons itself in an escape pod, crashing into the desert. There, it’s discovered by a woman before the film makes an undeclared leap in time.
We next find young Danny on his birthday receiving the gift of a puppy named Charlie. They grow up together, inseparable friends emboldened by Danny’s imagination as adventurers and heroes. As Danny reaches his early teens, however, Charlie begins to slow down considerably. His fur loses its luster as his shoulders threaten to swallow his frame.
Unexpectedly, Charlie and the neighbor’s cat, Puddy, are beamed aboard an alien ship where they are appraised by the most annoying alien child in cinema history. The aliens all have the power to manipulate life at will. They can also change the dimensions and characteristics of pets they’d gathered from across the galaxy at the whim of this cursed child.
After he fails to select a pet, all of the creatures are returned to their home worlds, irrevocably changed. Charlie can now speak and sounds like Owen Wilson. He can fly, exhibits super-strength, hearing, and smell.
He’s also noticeably younger and resilient, much to Danny’s relief. However, Danny knows that he must keep Charlie’s new abilities a secret, as humans would fear what they do not understand. Charlie, however, is a natural hero and cannot allow those who need help to go without. Soon, his identity as Charlie the Wonderdog is revealed and celebrated.
Charlie isn’t the only pet with augments, however, as Puddy has also achieved the power to speak, along with telekinesis. In the classic kids’ “movie logic” of dogs equals good, and cats equals bad, Puddy uses his new abilities to plot to overthrow the pet/owner dynamic.
Another villainous character emerges in the form of the President of the United States. She seems more intent on money-making schemes than running the country or ensuring the safety of its citizens. If you’re keeping count, that’s already three thoroughly unlikable characters, and I haven’t even mentioned Puddy’s owner or Danny’s largely absent father (Seriously, he shows up at the end, and I never knew he existed).
Discussion
Charlie the Wonderdog seems to come from a good place, but is trying to serve too many masters. The beginning is too slow and confusing for kids, but the visual gags, vibrant coloring, and big action set pieces should regain their attention once the film gets into its rhythm. Unfortunately, many of the visual gags involve equivocations of weight with evil, but the enduring messaging, that helping feels good and believing in oneself and encouraging others to believe in themselves is a superpower of its own, is inspiring.
For the adults, we have the messaging that absolute power corrupts absolutely, as evidenced by Puddy, the President, and even the space brat. That alone, however, is not enough for us to sit through the fat jokes, cliched storytelling, or lack of star power. Owen Wilson is the only recognizable name attached to this film, except…
That’s not entirely true. There’s also Bryan Adams, because kids love Bryan Adams. The Canadian powerhouse has contributed three songs to this film, most notably “Anything is Possible,” which sounds exactly like how your uncle would hum “Everything is Awesome” after hearing that song from The Lego Movie (2014) once. “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” it is not.
Conclusion
The brawn vs brains dynamic of Charlie and Puddy reminds one of Hal Jordan and Hector Hammond in Green Lantern (2011), and yes, that should concern you. Every magic effect is green, even. The action is fun and even occasionally menacing, but it doesn’t detract from the feeling that we’ve seen this movie before, and we didn’t care for it the first time.
Charlie the Wonderdog is a better movie than most of the nameless, quiet features that come out for young audiences every year. But it’s not enough to soar aloft with Disney or Illumination in terms of quality, star power, or multigenerational appeal. What it does have going for it, however, is the core relationship between Danny and Charlie. That dynamic, along with serviceable voicework from the largely unknown cast, keeps the film from dipping into unwatchable territory.
