Run time: 89 mins

Goofy gags galore as Dave Pilkey’s half-dog, half-cop Captain Underpants spin-off makes his big screen debut.

Dog Man is a gloriously funny creation: a kung-fu master and crime-fighter with an obsession for squirrels. Much like Aardman’s Feathers McGraw, he speaks volumes without ever uttering a word. Here we get the full origin story treatment. After a life-saving surgery fuses a police dog and his officer, Dog Man is born: sworn to protect, serve, and fetch. Battling feline supervillain Petey, he forms an unexpected bond with Petey’s cloned kitten, Lil Petey. And when Lil Petey falls into the clutches of a common enemy, Dog Man and Petey reluctantly join forces in an action-packed race against time to rescue the young kitten.

This is the latest in a recent streak of top-tier animation from DreamWorks. With it’s stand-out, chew-toy-textured animation and fast-paced, madcap humour, Dog Man bursts with the energy of a classroom full of six-year-olds on the last day before summer break. It’s a stark contrast to last year’s visually rich and deeply heartfelt The Wild Robot, but still strikes that essential balance of entertaining both children and adults alike.