Underdog

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details about Underdog's classification and consumer advice lines
• a review of Underdog completed by Young Media Australia (YMA) on 18 September 2007.

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the associated consumer advice lines.

YMA review

This review of the movie Underdog contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• themes
• use of violence
• material that may scare children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie's message

A synopsis of the story

Underdog follows the exciting exploits of a failed Beagle sniffer-dog who develops supernatural abilities after accidental exposure to a mad scientist’s experimental DNA formula.

Self-proclaimed ‘visionary’ Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage) and his assistant Cad (Patrick Warburton) capture Underdog (voice of Jason Lee) for use in their animal experimentation program that aims to develop an army of super-powered animals.  While trying to escape the mad doctor’s laboratory, Underdog is doused in the experimental serum, which gives him incredible powers of speed and strength in addition to the ability to fly and speak English.

Underdog is then adopted by security guard Dan Unger (James Belushi), who takes him home as a pet for his teenage son Jack (Alex Neuberger).  Jack initially resents the dog (whom they name ‘Shoeshine’), seeing him as a token gift from a father who is almost never home.  However, soon the two make friends and Jack discovers the Beagle’s amazing abilities which he decides to keep a secret.  Jack encourages the superdog to use his extraordinary gifts to help others and ‘Shoeshine’ becomes a super-hero who carries out a series of amazing rescues. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Barsinister plots to capture Underdog to retrieve the experimental DNA he needs to take over the country.  Eventually there is a final showdown between Underdog and the mad doctor, his assistant Cad and the doctor’s three trained German Shepherd dogs.

Themes

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Kidnapping of animals; Experimentation on animals; Bullying

Use of violence

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is violence in this movie including:

• repeated verbal harassment of Shoeshine/Underdog by a gang of three stray dogs
• verbal harassment of Dan Unger by the chief of police
• During a mugging, thieves scruff Molly (Jack’s girlfriend) by her shirt
• after a failed kidnapping attempt by Dr. Barsinister’s assistant, Underdog drags Cad over several city blocks, during which Cad smacks into a fire hydrant, a street sign and assorted city refuse
• Dr. Barsinister uses his three aggressive German Shepherd dogs to threaten the mayor, Dan Unger and Underdog
• Underdog knocks Dr. Barsinister over with a large marble dome
• Dr. Barsinister chases Underdog with a large sword
• Dr. Barsinister throws a large shield at Underdog
• Underdog knocks Cad down several steps
• the three aggressive German Shepherd dogs turn on their master, Dr. Barsinister and surround him menacingly

Material that may scare children

Under eight

Children under eight are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations, the death of a parent or child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of eight, including the following:

• Dr. Barsinister injects himself with the DNA formula and then becomes super-human
• several scenes show close-ups of the mad scientist’s sinister facial expressions
• several close-ups of aggressive, snarling German Shepherds
• references to animal experimentation in Dr. Barsinister’s laboratory
• Underdog is accidentally run-over by Jack’s father, Dan Unger
• Dan is kidnapped by Dr. Barsinister
• Underdog surrenders himself to Dr. Barsinister to prevent either Jack or his father being hurt by the mad scientist
• after saving the city from Dr. Barsinister’s bomb, Underdog is blasted into outer-space and for a while it seems as though he has died

Aged eight to thirteen

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

Younger children in this age group may also be disturbed by some of the above-mentioned scenes, particularly references to experiments on animals and the scene where it is thought that Underdog is dead.

Over the age of thirteen

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

Children in this age group are unlikely to be disturbed by anything in this film.

Product placement

None of concern

Sexual references

None of concern

Nudity and sexual activity

None

Use of substances

None of concern

Coarse language

None of concern

The movie's message

Underdog is a fast-paced family comedy drama pitched at children under 15 which will also be enjoyable to older audiences who will appreciate several clever references to the Superman film series. The main message from this movie is that we are all “born for greatness” and will uncover a wealth of wonderful things inside ourselves if we don’t give up.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

• Faithfulness
• Persistence
• Courage
• Empathy

Parents may also wish to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours shown, and their real-life consequences, such as

• The seriousness of bullying, verbal and physical harassment
• The inappropriateness of using violence to solve problems
• Our responsibility to care for animals