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What if dogs are from outer space bound to invade the earth? Twelve year-old Owen Baker (Liam
Aiken) has spent his summer break walking the neighborhood dogs to prove to his parents (Molly Shannon and Kevin Nealon) that he is responsible enough to have a dog of his own.
The dog Owen eventually adopts, which he names Hubble, proves to be much smarter than the ordinary canine: he instantly knows how to sit, stay, roll over, and even play dead.
Based on his previous training experience, Owen finds this degree of intelligence extremely odd. In search of answers, late one night Owen follows Hubble into the woods near their
home; there he sees his new dog communicating with a bright light in the sky. Later, somehow Owen is now able to communicate with Hubble and all of the other dogs he walks,
as if they are all human. Hubble (voiced by Matthew Broderick) explains that thousands of years ago dogs descended to Earth from the planet Sirius to overtake mankind, and that he
has been sent on a mission commissioned by the "Greater Dane" to inspect their progress. Of course what Hubble finds is a society of dogs that have strayed from their original
mission to colonize; now it is up to Owen to help Hubble improve the manners of the neighbor dogs before the arrival of the Greater Dane. If they can't get their act
together, the Earth's dogs will be sent back to Sirius for some serious remedial training.
Combining skillful CGI effects with well-trained animals, the production gets much comic mileage
out of the dogs' banter, arguments and commentary on humankind. The story though is far way out there, for somehow it fails to capture its too grand premise and has quite
limiting perspective. While it's a little too far-fetched for adult viewing, young kids will find it a funny exploration watching the four-legged furry friends
communicate. The voice cast features the likes of Carl Reiner as a gas-passing shepard; Brittany Murphy as a fragile Italian greyhound; Delta Burke as a prim and proper
poodle and Donald Faison as a treat-loving boxer. As Owen (the only human in the movie worth paying attention to), Aiken takes command of the film with his bright
smile. Along with the talking canines, Aiken prevents the film from being complete dog meat.
Though marketed as a family film, the values in Good Boy! unfortunately taste quite like stale dog treats. Owen's parents seem more concerned with selling their house than with the welfare of their son as he wonders off into the woods after dark. Instead of scenes re-enforcing Owen's high degree of responsibility, we get a completely useless helping of some bullies who make fun of Owen for wearing his dog-walking uniform and talking with the dogs. Additionally, once we hit the central conflict, the film lingers far too long on the saddest moments before resolution is reached. Younger viewers may especially have some difficulty with these scenes. Though quite too much for the very young, still the movie gives a clear insight on dogs and humans' peaceful and meaningful co-existence. "Dogs are man's best friend". …
Good Boy! proves this expression to be true.
(Date Reviewed: December 11, 2003)
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