CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 08/11/06

Who Let This Dog Out?

by danny munso

The Wibberleys and Geoff Rodkey
and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler

Walt Disney Studios recently made an announcement that they will scale back their Touchstone and Miramax output to favor more films baring the famous Disney trademark and logo, which signifies a certain quality and class. But if a film like The Shaggy Dog is any indication of what the studio deems acceptable, then Disney is further gone than anyone could have imagined. The remake of the 1959 classic follows workaholic Dave Douglas (Tim Allen) as he's bitten by a magic dog from the Far East (seriously) and discovers that he transforms into a mutt without warning. As Dave struggles to regain his human form, he uncovers a sinister plot at a local Fortune 500 company and learns that he's not the father or husband he thought he was. The original film was harmless, but in an attempt to modernize it, the large gang of writers seem to have thrown away all the charm it had to offer. Some of the jokes here not only fall flat but seem tasteless, particularly by Disney standards -- when Dave, as a dog, sniffs his wife and wonders if she's in heat, the film hits a new low for family comedies, and never gets any better. The bonus features are spare, at best. The audio commentary does not feature the writers, and the few deleted scenes offered should not have been shot at all. If only Disney felt the same away about the film in general.

The Shaggy Dog (2006)
Walt Disney Home Video
Rated PG; 99 min.

Buy it now

Danny Munso graduated from film school in 2004 and can currently be found on his computer working on one of his many half-written screenplays. Or, more likely, he's on the Internet checking the scores of his beloved Bay Area sports teams.

The Shaggy Dog (2006) courtesy Walt Disney Home Video

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