Underdog (3 Stars)

A beagle quits the police force after failing in his duties as a sniffer dog. He's captured by a scientist performing illegal animal experiments. He escapes from the lab, but in the process he's soaked with chemicals that give him superpowers. He can fly, he has super strength and he can speak English. His new owner gives him a cape, and he goes into action as Superdog! Oops, I meant Underdog.

This is a difficult film to rate. I wanted to give it 3 stars, then upped it to 4 stars, then finally dropped it back to 3. On the surface it's a children's film, but it's also a parody of Superman. When the beagle puts on his cape nobody recognises him any more. Fantastic! He changes in phone booths. There's a scene which mimics Superman flying over the skyscrapers with Lois Lane. And there's the pop culture line: "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Underdog".

Critics hate the film, but it was a huge box office success, so it must have been doing something right. Maybe I should put myself into the mind frame of a 10-year-old. The film is obviously aimed at a young audience. Did I enjoy it? Sort of. Will I watch it again? Probably not.

Click here to view the trailer.