In 1959, Disney released a fantasy comedy movie, “The Shaggy Dog.” It centers on a boy who turns into a dog via mystical ring. The movie was a commercial success. Followed by a sequel released in 1976 known as, “The Shaggy D.A.” Three Decades Later, Tim Allen starred in a very loose remake. Released in 2006, (same year Casino Royale came out) it was a critical flop and a modest box office success.
I have two reasons why I wanna review this stinker.
- Tim Allen will reprise his role as Buzz Lightyear in “Toy Story 5.” It’ll be released in June 19, 2026. I got no plans to see it in theaters. I don’t wanna sit with a bunch of kids. I’ll stream it on Disney Plus.
- Oscar winner, Robert Downey Jr. will portray Doctor Doom in the highly anticipated “Avengers: Doomsday.” Coming in December 18, 2026. A week before Christmas. This’ll be an early present for me.
It doesn’t matter if SPOILERS are listed. This movie doesn’t deserve to exist.
Good & Bad Elements
Good: Tim Allen did a good job for his performance.
Other Cast Members such as Robert Downey Jr., Kristin Davis, Danny Glover, Spencer Breslin, Zena Grey, Jane Curtain and the late Phillip Baker Hall all did a solid job for their respective performances.
Fun Fact: Rhea Seehorn (Kim Wexler from Better Call Saul) has a small role as Dave’s assistant. Ms. Sheehorn’s now a Golden Globe winner thanks to her performance in “Pluribus.”
Random Thought: I haven’t seen the OG Shaggy Dog movie and sequel Shaggy D.A.
Joel David Moore (Owen Dittman from Dodgeball: – True Underdog Story) makes a brief appearance as a dog pound employee.
Bad: Brian Robbins did a terrible job directing.
The Wibberleys, Geoff Rodkey, Jack Amiel & Michael Begler co-wrote a half-baked script. Five people wrote this piece of crud.
I didn’t laugh at every single joke. Not one little bit.
Tim’s character, Dave Douglas is a workaholic. One of the worst tropes in family movies. Here’s a list of main characters who are also workaholics.
- Peter Banning – Hook
- Howard Langdon – Jingle All the Way
- Michael Keaton as Jack Frost
- Jim Davis – The Haunted Mansion (2003)
- Evan Baxter – Evan Almighty
- Claire Dearing – Jurassic World
Visual Effects are cheesy. For example, Doug’s tongue is poorly rendered C.G.I. Pretty jarring Davy Jones looked 100% in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” Two more things a bulldog/frog hybrid and the lab dog surfing look fake like Kylie Jenner’s lips.
How did Dave become a dog in the first place? The lab dog bites him in the hand at home. Peter Parker didn’t get bit by a radioactive spider in his bedroom. The spider was located in a lab for crying out loud.
Dave pees in the urinal like a dog. Eddie Murphy with dog traits in “The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” did a better pee joke acting like a dog in a restroom. Speaking of Klumps, the Fountain of Youth serves as a plot point. Disney’s stealing from Universal.
Dave chases a cat while Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out” plays in the background. “Rugrats in Paris” did it better when Spike chases a female dog.
I never cared about Dave’s family with his wife and kids. You know what’s entertaining? Alyson Stoner’s dance skills.
RDJ played an evil businessman long before Doctor Doom. The Shaggy Dog had a “Simpsons Did It” moment.
At one point Dave glides in the air shouting “To infinity and beyond!” Really? I know it’s an in-joke, but that feels like a slap in the face to pure “Toy Story” fans. Buzz Lightyear’s cameo as a toy car in “Cars” was ten times funnier than this and every single unfunny gag.
The final scene with Dave catching a frisbee with his mouth. He didn’t get cured. Plans for a sequel were scrapped. It’s one of them failed movies that didn’t get a sequel like these clunkers.
- The Super Mario Bros. (1993)
- Spawn (1997)
- Godzilla (1998)
- Battlefield Earth
- Eragon
- Dragon Ball Evolution
- The Last Airbender
- Green Lantern (2011)
- Jupiter Ascending
- Jem and the Holograms
- Ghostbusters (2016)
- Power Rangers (2017)
- Hellboy (2019)
The Final Verdict: F, FOR FAKER!
2006 wasn’t a good year for Tim Allen. First, The Shaggy Dog, “Zoom” & “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.” Do not waste your spare time on The Shaggy Dog, watch a better Disney remake like “The Parent Trap” or “Freaky Friday.”
Nickthemoviecritic.com 