There is an accident in the laboratory that gives someone exceptional powers, including the ability to speak. A canine uses his life, experiences and new gifts to defend the capital from the mad scientist Simon Bar-Sincester who can reflect many events.
The TV show was mildly subversive, with humor that children and adults could enjoy on different levels, but the movie strives for a blander, family-oriented middle ground.
The essential cartooniness of the plot and the gags works against the rather lame attempt to lather on a message about reconciliation between father and son.
The lackluster story connects the clichés but leaves the characters isolated. Underdog may have been originally created to sell cereal for General Mills, but this latest incarnation couldn't sell Frisbees at a dog park.
New York Daily News
August 06, 2007
Underdog is made for the Saturday morning TV crowd, and parents who lead their tykes to this adventure aren't likely to leave disappointed.
Underdog works best when spoofing superhero conventions, but the film goes to the dogs thanks to a drab story and frequent stabs at heartwarming bromides.
