Underdog (2007)

Fair kid flick
This light, delightful flick is a take-off of a take-off. The original Underdog cartoon had already turned the superhero/secret-identity genre on its head, and this live-action movie does the same for that cartoon.

Oh, the pieces are all there. We have the evil Simon Bar Sinister, as short in this live action as he was in the cartoon, with his coiffed but cloddish henchman. We have Sweet Polly Purebred. We even have the humble but lovable Shoeshine - somehow, the writers made all that work in translating it to a recognizable world, where Underdog is a regular household pet.

A few "Mad Scientist" scenes might be a bit much for the littlest, most skittish viewers. It's good fun for other kids, though, and an amusing recreation for people who remember the original series at all fondly. All others should probably give it a pass.

-- wiredweird

CG Underdog looks worse then Scooby Doo....
I guess Disney saw how Warners butchered Scooby Doo with the two dumb live action films, so they gave it a similar treatment in this very stupid take on the 1960's cartoon. It has no plot and is neither funny or cute. It is just plain stupid. Disney and Warner Brothers should form a partnership and make stupid movies all the time, they sure make an awful team.

There IS a need to fear
Almost everything you fear this is going to be, it is -- cheesy, dull, loud, overproduced, under-inspired and a waste of talent. The film's only saving grace is it isn't offensive. You can let your kids watch it without worry.

Stay away from it, though, if you're a fan of the beloved original series. After the title sequence, this movie has no respect for the old television show and never approaches its waggish sense of humor. You'll be better served by the new DVD collections of the TV series -- [[ASIN:B000P6R9IA The Ultimate Underdog Collection Volume 1]], [[ASIN:B000P6R9IK The Ultimate Underdog Collection Volume 2]] and [[ASIN:B000P6R9IU The Ultimate Underdog Collection Volume 3]]. They're badly edited, but they're better than this.