Dog Man, an animated family film that follows the adventures of a police officer who is half-man and half-dog, feels as though it was tailored by kids for kids – and I mean that in the most complimentary way.

From the creation of the titular cop (voiced by director/writer Peter Hastings) to the geography of the city he protects to his clumsy feline rival Petey (voiced by Netflix’s Marmaduke and The King of Staten Island, Pete Davidson), everything in this wonderful flick leaps off the screen. Dog Man, adapted from Dav Pilkey’s popular children’s series, offers young viewers lots of fun that alternates between wall-to-wall action and zany comedy. While that may sound like a recipe for overstimulation to parents, the chaperones will be relieved to hear that the film’s pace is measured fairly well; with the exception of an unexpected albeit clever tangent about bizarre relationships between fathers and their kids. The film will also make adults double-over from laughter due to some quick-witted sight gags and snappy vocal performances.

Dog Man’s brand of cut-and-dry logic that is carried throughout the movie, as spun by an imaginative toddler, creates silly situations with unpredictable dynamics. But no matter how large and wild the story becomes, the movie always works because of the matter-of-fact foundation each scene is growing off of. Aside from some sly winks-and-nods towards the audience, the production is committed to entertaining audiences with boundless excitement and imagination; and Dog Man does so without a single pant of exhaustion.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie