‘Dog Man’ and ‘Captain Underpants’ creator Dav Pilkey calls the PNW home

If your kids are among the millions who devour the “Dog Man” graphic novels, then book it to the movies. Dog Man and his lovable friends (and foes) are making their big screen debut this year, and this feature film is a delight for kids and grownups alike.

I had the chance to attend an early screening of the movie and brought along my fun-sized film critic: a gummy bear and popcorn-fueled 3-year-old.

Since the reading series is geared for ages 6+ (and my son’s still in ABC mode), we entered the theater with little knowledge of the “Dog Man” universe. But you don’t need to read the books in order to enjoy this film (although, you’ll probably want to after)!

The visual style of DreamWorks Animation’s “Dog Man” has a nostalgic, hand-drawn feel that fans of the graphic novels will recognize and appreciate. As an uninitiated viewer, I found the animation to be a refreshing detour from the overly CGI’d look of other kid movies (looking at you, human teeth on Sonic). I’ll admit the “Dog Man” trailer wasn’t blowing my mind, but the film itself is endearing, action-packed and it was neat how closely the animation matches its source material.

I won’t spill any spoilers to the 89-minute ride, but to set the scene, Dog Man is part dog, surgically fused to his human officer, and “all hero.” Pete Davidson voices the film’s first ‘villain,’ Petey the World’s Most Evilest Cat. Davidson brings the right amount of chaos to the role; you’ll just need to forgive/forget that Petey and other non-people can talk and Dog Man can’t. Still, Dog Man (barked by director Peter Hastings himself) conveys plenty of emotion. Enough that my toddler looked up and told me, “Dog Man is sad,” during a glum time for our hero. But chin up, kiddo, there’s lots of happy ahead. Namely, in the adorable introduction of Li’l Petey. I audibly “awww’d” when Li’l Petey first came on-screen.

The voice cast includes Lil Rel Howery (Chief), Isla Fisher (reporter Sarah Hatoff), Ricky Gervais (Flippy), Stephen Root (Grampa) and Cheri Oteri (Mayor). As any good kid movie should have, there are plenty of moments to garner genuine grown-up laughs – mine came from Sarah Hatoff, Seamus and disgruntled assistant Butler – but this film stays in its lane as a feel-good graphic comic book come-to-life(ish).

Age 3 isn’t the target audience for “Dog Man,” but it held my squirrely toddler’s attention (along with the aforementioned popcorn and gummy bears). School-age kids will be wagging their tails to see it, while their guardians enjoy a colorful 89-minute break from the outside world.

“Dog Man” also has a special connection to our region.

Dav Pilkey is the author and illustrator of “Dog Man” and “Captain Underpants,” another wildly popular series that has been adapted into a feature film and Netflix series.

Clearly, Pilkey has great taste since he resides here in Washington state!

Pilkey’s bio explains that he “lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, but his writing is inspired by children and adults around the world. His stories explore universally positive themes that celebrate the triumph of the good-hearted.”

Pilkey shares that he was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as a child. Relegated to frequent school timeouts, the hallway became the birthplace of “Captain Underpants” and “Dog Man.” His childhood creativity flourished into a global sensation, and Pilkey takes special care to acknowledge how our differences make us extraordinary.

While sketching his “Dog Man” character 80-HD (a deliberate nod to ADHD), Pilkey narrates, “I created this character to show that thinking and learning differently can not only be an advantage, it might just be a superpower.”

After the movie, I got an official quote from my young critic. When I asked his favorite part, he said, “The Man Dog part.” Did he just sniff out a sequel? Your move, Dav Pilkey.

“Dog Man” is in theaters now!