'I've seen every kids' movie this year, and this one completely caught me off guard.'

Thanks to our brand partner, Universal Pictures

Every parent knows the drill.

School holidays arrive and suddenly the pressure is on to find kids' entertainment that won't have you wanting to plug your ears with popcorn.

As a mum of three girls under eight, I've unofficially become a connoisseur of children's cinema. Without any exaggeration — I've watched every kid's movie that's hit the screens this year. Some made me laugh, while others had me tearing up and questioning everything (deep, I know).

But then there was Dog Man.

Watch: The official Dog Man trailer. Post continues after video.

My seven-year-old, Grace, has been obsessed with the Dog Man book series for months and will often read them to her younger sisters. The colourful, action-packed graphic novels are written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey — the creative genius behind Captain Underpants.

Dog Man and the related series Cat Kid Comic Club, have been a staple of our bedtime story sessions for a while. So when Dog Man hit the big screen, I was excited to see how it would translate. After all, adapting a beloved book into a movie is no small feat.

Image: Supplied.

Well, spoiler alert: from the very first scene, I was hooked. Here's everything you need to know.

What's Dog Man about? 

For anyone who hasn't been cornered by an excited seven-year-old explaining the plot, Dog Man follows the adventures of a police officer who is part dog (the head) and part man (the body).

Created through an emergency surgical procedure after both a police officer and his canine partner are injured, Dog Man becomes an unlikely hero with the best qualities of both species. Don't worry, it's not gory or traumatic. He's cute. He's mute. And it works.

And while he quickly becomes a beloved figure in Ohkay City, he also faces problems with the villainous cat, Petey, who attempts a cloning experiment.

Why the kids will love it.

It looks FUN. The animation is different to anything I've ever seen — it's like the comic novel drawings jumped right off the page. They've even managed to recreate the "flip-o-rama" sequences, a signature feature of the books where you flip pages quickly to create an animation.

There are zero boring bits. Every frame is bursting with colour and energy, keeping kids glued to the screen from start to finish for the full 90 minutes.

Petey's (not-so) Secret Hideout is exactly the kind of humour kids love — making adults look silly. Just like in the book, a giant neon sign declares "Petey's Secret Laboratory," accompanied by hilariously obvious clues like "Look! It's here!" and "Shhh!" Yet, despite these glaring hints, not a single police officer or journalist in Ohkay City manages to find it. It's the kind of absurdity and grown-up-mocking humour that Grace is all about right now.

The slapstick canine-centric comedy is perfect for young audiences, especially if they're dog lovers. Think: Dog Man chasing his own tail in circles while trying to apprehend a villain, constantly getting distracted by squirrels, licking his boss and having a life-long, but completely irrational rivalry with cats.

The bathroom humour is present but perfectly pitched — just enough to make kids feel like they're watching something a bit naughty without crossing into territory that makes it feel silly.

Of course there are plenty of fart-based gags — it's a kids' film — but they're delivered with wit. In one scene, an animated building clumsily comes to life, struggling to stand up as a small puff of smoke escapes from a pipe on its back. It's unmistakably a fart joke, but the clever visual elevates it beyond simple gross-out humour.

There's also a "Butt Sniffer 2000" and a running gag about toilet paper that's handled with surprising restraint (a sentence I never thought I'd write).

The action sequences are genuinely exciting without ever being frightening. Even when Petey, the scheming cat, unleashes his wild inventions to take down Dog Man, the chase is thrilling but always wrapped up with humour.

For those new to the Dog Man or Captain Underpants universe, the film serves as the perfect introduction — one that just might turn reluctant readers into eager bookworms.

Why the adults will love it.

The voice cast is stellar. Ricky Gervais plays a sardonic and extremely evil fish named Flippy who is a frequent commentator on the total absurdity unfolding around him.

Isla Fisher brings warmth, wit and a familiar Aussie accent to Sarah Hatoff, a TV news reporter who covers Dog Man's heroic exploits. Pete Davidson (yes, Kim Kardashian's ex) is also surprisingly perfect as the villainous Petey the Cat.

The movie cleverly parodies action film tropes in ways that adults will appreciate, with the "Flippy-ki-yay flippy flipper" nod to Die Hard earning plenty of amused snorts in the room. Yet beyond the humour, Dog Man also delivers genuinely heartfelt moments.

Without spoiling too much, there's a pivotal scene where Dog Man must decide whether to arrest someone who broke the law for understandable reasons or show compassion instead.

The way the film handles this moment — with real emotional weight but without heavy-handedness — caught me completely off guard. I found myself tearing up watching an animated dog-headed policeman make a more nuanced moral choice than most action heroes get to make.

The themes of redemption and seeing the good in others also weave throughout the story in ways that never feel forced or preachy. When Petey begins questioning his villainous path, his journey feels authentic rather than like a simplistic lesson in morality.

The unexpected brilliance of Dog Man is how it manages to respect both its young audience and the adults in the room. It never talks down to children but also never forgets that grown-ups are watching too.

The verdict.

Dog Man is that rare unicorn (or maybe a dog-man hybrid analogy would be more appropriate?) of a kids' movie.

It's silly yet sweet, hilarious yet heartfelt, all while staying true to what kids love about the original books — plus there's enough depth to keep parents entertained too.

Just maybe bring a tissue or two. You know, for when you get some popcorn in your eye.

Grab your tickets to Dog Man, with advanced screenings available from this weekend (March 29, 2025).

Feature Image: Supplied.

Buy your tickets now to DOG MAN, only in cinemas from April 3.