AGW Entertainment reporter Lynn B. saw a new family film

GOOD BOY!

MGM PICTURES

Young Liam Aiken loved working with all the dogs in Good Boy but he wasn't allowed to pet cutie lead dog Hubble. You see Hubble is supposed to be an outer space dog with attitude. Tail wagging and face licking, early in the film just wouldn't have fit the character!

12-year-old Owen (Liam Aiken) is tired of his friendless life. His mom and dad (Molly Shannon and Kevin Nealon) make a living by fixing up houses then selling them and moving so that Owen has no time to make friends, only get picked on by the local bullies. The 'rents have promised him a dog if he works hard as a dog walker all summer. Owen adopts Border Terrier Hubble from a shelter but gets much more than he bargained for. Hubble (voiced by Matthew Broderick) is a scout from the Dog Star Sirius. He's on a mission to see how Earth is coming along since dogs were sent to colonize it thousands of years ago.

Seems Earth dogs got lazy and turned into "pets" for humans. Now, the head Dog Star honcho the Greater Dane (voiced by Vanessa Redgrave) is coming to see if Earth dogs have accomplished their mission. Due to a mistake by Hubble, Owen can understand and speak with him. Owen must help his new best friend to train a group of neighborhood pet dogs to be in charge or all the dogs on Earth may be taken back to the home star!

Good Boy is a very sweet movie. The opening credits are funny as various sweet-faced dogs leap in slow motion to a cute tune. If you belong to a family that has moved a lot in your lifetime you can really identify with Owen as he struggles with loneliness and alienation. Matthew Broderick does a great job as the voice of Hubble who is, at first, cranky and later a loving pet. The best voice job by far is Brittany Murphy whose high-pitched, tiny, nervous voice is perfect for Nelly, a quivering mini-greyhound. Voice actors Delta Burke, Donald Faison, Cheech Marin and Carl Reiner are also great at representing the personalities of their various pooches. Connie (Brittany Moldowan) does a charming job as Owen's only real, non-doggie friend. Yes, this is a movie about talking dogs but it has much more heart than the dorky Cats and Dogs.

Special computer effects involving dogs' talking, is very well-executed. One level above the work on Babe for example. The cheesiest effects are the obviously painted plywood and Lucite spaceships which could certainly have been better designed and constructed but, hey this isn't really a "space" movie.

The bond between humans and their pets, in this case, dogs is explored and themes of loyalty, true friendship and support ring true. This is a film for the whole family that isn't stupid, fart-joke funny but, thanks to good acting by voice actors, well-trained pooches and true life performances by comic actors Molly Shannon and Kevin Nealon and young star Liam Aiken, it's truly touching and will make you want to run down to your local shelter and adopt a new best friend!

Rated: PG

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