Review: Good Boy! (***)

GOOD BOY!
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2003 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): ***


Going into GOOD BOY!, I figured that it would be either silly fun or
insufferably stupid. The trailers had me worried that it would be the
latter. Instead, I was delightfully surprised to find it to be neither.
Something like a mix of E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL and CATS & DOGS, it is a
wonderfully sweet family film for all ages.



The story concerns an alien dog, Hubble (beautifully voiced by Matthew
Broderick), who has come to earth to investigate rumors that humans rather
than dogs are in control. Determining which group is in charge becomes the
movie's on-going joke. For me, the issue was definitively decided in the
film's funniest line, when one of the dogs declares to Owen Baker (Liam
Aiken), Hubble's nominal master, "It may look like people are in charge, but
you don't see us picking up their poop."



"Everyone thinks they have the smartest dog in the universe," Owen's Dad
(Kevin Nealon) tells his son, who, soon after he adopts Hubble from the
pound, begins to suspect that Hubble is no ordinary pooch. The story has
Owen, and only Owen, being able to communicate with Hubble and the rest of
the dogs. It seems that Hubble -- whose real name is Canid 3942 -- has been
sent to earth to grade the earth dogs and to investigate a report that
they've been letting humans rule the planet. The story lets us in on all
kinds of doggie gossip, including the fact that coyotes are just "homesick
crybabies" who howl, not at the moon, but at "the home star," a.k.a. Sirius,
the Dog Star.



All of the voice talent is put to excellent use by first-time director John
Robert Hoffman. In addition to Broderick's charming work, Brittany Murphy,
Carl Reiner, Donald Faison, Cheech Martin and Delta Burke voice their
talking dog roles perfectly. Even Vanessa Redgrave drops by to do a voice
cameo as the Greater Dane, the canine supreme leader. She is certainly no
mangy mutt, and neither is the movie. Don't miss this enchantingly sweet
picture, especially if you've got a family to take with you.



GOOD BOY! runs 1:28. The film is rated PG for "some mild crude humor" and
would be acceptable for all ages.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, October 10, 2003.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC and the Century
theaters.



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