The Phoenix Network:
The Phoenix
Boston
|
Portland
|
Providence
Stuff@Night
WFNX
Live Radio
|
On Demand
Adult
About
|
Advertise
Moonsigns
|
Band Guide
|
Blogs
|
In Pictures
Movies
Features
|
Reviews
-->
See all in Reviews
Do the write thing
Reviews
The Shaggy Dog
Tim Allen marks his cinematic territory
By
TOM MEEK
|
March 8, 2006
THE SHAGGY DOG
" alt="photo of 'THE SHAGGY DOG'">
2.5
Stars
Dave Douglas (Tim Allen, who as the
Santa Clause
series attests is adept at these family shape-shifting comedies) is an LA deputy DA prosecuting an animal-rights activist for setting fire to a biotech company’s lab. That’s the least of his problems: his teenage daughter (Zena Grey) supports the activist and his son (Spencer Breslin) is flunking out of school. Then life really gets complicated when he’s bitten by the “Shaggy Dog of Ageless Wonder” and transforms into a well groomed sheepdog himself. Disney combined its 1959 original starring Fred MacMurray and the 1976 hybrid
The Shaggy D.A.
for this entry, which could have been called
The Shaggy DNA
. Allen has a good time with the physical comedy, and the human moments are well placed (by director Brian Robbins) between the cat-chasing and ass-sniffing high jinks. Danny Glover and Robert Downey Jr. pop up as Douglas’s boss and the megalomaniac scientist behind the whole mess.
Related
:
Dave Douglas
Meaning and Mystery | Greenleaf
Culture war games
Karen Finley moves on, ‘It’s Alive’ goes after bio-tech, ‘Personal Computer’ gets Webby
Second Life P-town: Dick Dock, but no Lance Bass!
Permanent vacation
More
Dave Douglas
Meaning and Mystery | Greenleaf
Culture war games
Karen Finley moves on, ‘It’s Alive’ goes after bio-tech, ‘Personal Computer’ gets Webby
Second Life P-town: Dick Dock, but no Lance Bass!
Permanent vacation
Must warn others
"It's Alive!" at Montserrat, "2007 North American Print Biennial" at 808 Gallery
The rumor mill
A new home for house music
Gratis expectations
Free booze! Free books! Free movies! Free iPods! A guide to getting something for nothing
In all languages
Winter concert preview: looking ahead to jazz in 2006
Less
Topics
:
Reviews
,
Dave Douglas
,
Tim Allen
,
Santa Claus
,
More
,
Dave Douglas
,
Tim Allen
,
Santa Claus
,
Animal Rights
,
Science and Technology
,
Technology
,
Special Interest Groups
,
Biotechnology
,
Fires
,
Robert Downey Jr.
,
Less
Share
:
Rss
Email
Print
Comments
Add a Comment
Today's Event Picks
[MUSIC]
Aimee Mann
Plus 5 more >>
ARTICLES BY TOM MEEK
TRANSPORTER 3
| November 26, 2008
A poor man’s version of the latest James Bond outing
ROCKNROLLA
| November 06, 2008
Plot holes spackled over with slick visual wizardry
THE HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY
| November 05, 2008
A flimsy ghostly-possession puff piece
SAW V
| October 31, 2008
The previous entries have bled dry every variation on tormenting a victim
SEX DRIVE
| October 15, 2008
The usual preoccupation with nut sacks and virgins
See all articles by:
TOM MEEK
MOST POPULAR
Most Viewed
Most Emailed
GIRL'S GUIDE TO 10 HOTTEST VIDEOGAME STUDS
Bishonen and beefcakes
A GAY DAY OFF
Striking Out
SLIDESHOW: THE SLUTCRACKER
A burlesque take on the Nutcracker
THE BIG HURT: DR PEPPER SICKENS AXL
Plus Creed threaten to exist again; Camp Freddy awful
100 UNSEXIEST MEN OF THE YEAR FOLLOW-UP
Because There Was an Election
A GAY DAY OFF
Striking Out
VANISHING BOSTON
A field guide to Boston's 'lasting' treasures — to be enjoyed before they're razed in favor of chain stores
GRAFFITI WARS
Cops and taggers play a high-stakes game of cat and mouse
JEWS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN
And perhaps find love by turning Christmas Eve into the jolliest night of the year
THE HOLLY AND THE MISER
You're suddenly poor; suck it up and be cheap
HOT TOPICS
Daniel Day-Lewis
,
Jack Black
,
Michael Clayton
,
Michael Haneke
,
Osama bin Laden
,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
,
Michael Jackson
,
Paris Hilton
,
Paul Thomas Anderson
,
Tommy Lee Jones
More Topics
. . .
LATEST SLIDESHOWS
Slideshow: Letters To Cleo
Girl's guide to 10 hottest videogame studs
All Slideshows
Explore your Fantasies
Featured Articles in Ultimate Lists
:
The Best 2008
Masters of Muppets
Maneaters: A history
Political cartoons
Potter-schmotter!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
|
Sign In
|
Register
thePhoenix.com:
Home
Listings
Editor's Picks
News
Music
Film + TV
Food + Drink
Life
Arts
Rec Room
Video
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
Boston Phoenix
Portland Phoenix
Providence Phoenix
StuffAtNight
People2People
MassWeb Printing
G8Wave
About Us
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Work For Us
Sitemap
RSS
Mobile
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2008 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group