Charlie the Wonderdog

by Mike McGranaghan

The titular pooch is not all that incredible at the start of Charlie the Wonderdog. In fact, he’s kind of old and shows signs of physical decline. Owner Danny (Dawson Littman) realizes that the days are numbered for the faithful friend he’s spent his childhood with. For a few minutes, it’s easy to wonder if this animated adventure is going to go down the tearjerking My Dog Skip road. Canine lovers will be relieved to know this is not the case…

…thanks to space aliens that kidnap Charlie, along with a few other neighborhood pets, including a frisky cat named Puddy (Ruairi MacDonald). Upon returning home, Charlie (voiced by Owen Wilson) is much spryer, and he boasts superpowers like talking, flying, and incredible strength. He begins using his newfound abilities to help/save people and fight crime. The jealous Puddy, meanwhile, concocts an evil scheme with the female President of the United States (Tabitha St. Germain), a self-absorbed, screamy figure who violates the emoluments law by using the office for personal profit.

Make of that last tidbit what you will.

Charlie the Wonderdog is aimed at younger kids, so there’s not much in the way of storytelling depth. It’s basically “superhero dog vs. evil cat.” That’s not entirely a new concept. The Cats & Dogs franchise mined it starting in 2001. Portraying dogs as superheroes isn’t novel, either. We’ve already had Underdog, Bolt, Dog Man, and DC League of Superpets.

Despite those seeming shortcomings, the movie is quite pleasant to watch. Aside from appealing animation, it benefits from Owen Wilson’s earnest vocal performance. The actor turns Charlie into a charmingly benevolent creature whose desire to make the world a better place will remind young viewers that they, too, have this ability. MacDonald is similarly appealing as Puddy, investing the character with a comically villainous personality. There’s some clever writing, too, with several jokes that are laugh-out-loud funny.

The best part of Charlie the Wonderdog is its message that kindness is itself a superpower – and not one that requires alien intervention to acquire. By zeroing in on Charlie’s relentless desire to do good, the film encourages kids to seek ways they can have an impact in their own cities and towns. That idea, combined with cute characters and an overall sense of fun, makes this a movie parents can confidently take their children to see.

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