 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Good Boy!
- Review Date: May 3, 2004
- PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
Not particularly imaginative, but not the worst.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there are some mild naughty words in this movie ("screwed up"), a couple of mild double entendres, and some potty jokes. The dogs are exposed to laughing gas and get a little tipsy. Characters face a little mild peril and some tense situations, but everything turns out fine. One of the movie's strengths is its understated, even casual, portrayal of a diverse community, including a nice friendship between an African-American girl and a white boy.
What's the story?
In GOOD BOY, Owen (Liam Atkins) is the only child of loving but preoccupied parents (Molly Shannon and Kevin Nealon). He has been working hard walking dogs all summer long in order to earn the right to get a dog of his own. He picks a dog from the pound and names him Hubble. But Hubble turns out to be an inspector from the Dog Star who has been sent to earth to see how well the dogs are doing in establishing dominion over the planet. If not, all the dogs on the planet will have to go back to the Dog Star for retraining. The dogs try to persuade Hubble that they do control humans ("You don't see us picking up their poop!"). When that doesn't work, they try to figure out a way to fake it so that when the ruler of the Dog Star arrives, she will let them stay. Meanwhile, Owen needs to find a way to deal with some bullies and to make friends with a dog-loving girl named Connie (Brittany Moldowan).
Is it any good?
Good Boyis a not-so-good movie, but it is not so bad, either. It's a watered-down canine version of ET. It is not particularly imaginative and it goes on too long, dragging through the last half hour. But it has a cute kid and some even cuter dogs. The children at the screening I attended laughed and "awwwed" and applauded, and I found myself smiling a couple of times, too. That makes it a mild little entertainment suitable for a second-grader's birthday party outing.
Atkins has a nice screen presence and a terrific smile. Shannon and Nealon are wasted in under-written roles. The script saves its best moments for the dogs, and top-notch stars lend their distinctive voices to the dog characters. Highlights include Matthew Broderick as Hubble, Vanessa Redgrave as the ruler of the Dog Star, along with Cheech Marin, Carl Reiner, Delta Burke, and Donald Faison.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why it was hard for Owen to make friends and why Connie kept hanging out with the two bullies. What makes people act like bullies?
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AGE
Here-and-there funny movie is just OK
The plot is odd, and the film gets weirder and less funny as it goes along, what with alien-talking dogs and all. Honestly I don't recommend it, but I don't pan it.
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AGE
OK movie-it had some digusting jokes and some farting
This movie I think was meant to either scare you or gross you out because I went into this movie thinking that it would be good but when I walked out I thought that I might barf.This movie did have some funny things in it but did have the gross,sad, and scary moments in this movie.This movie was OK but did have its pros and cons if you see this movie.
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AGE
Would have been great if not for the "Laughing Gas"
I went to see Good Boy not because of what I heard, but because we have an Italian Greyhound and wanted to see one in a movie. My daughter enjoyed the dogs but I was APPALLED to see the dogs get "tipsy" and run blurry-eyed, giggling around after the aersol can in the garage get knocked over. I don't think the young viewer can associate the difference between "laughing gas" and regular gas and aerosols that are found in a garage. We lose so many kids to "huffing" gas and this should not be shown in a humourous light to children. I found this to be utterly irresponsible and will not recommend this movie to any viewers with children unless the scene is removed from the film.
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AGE
Reality Check
I saw this movie with my 4 and 6 year old and they enjoyed seeing the kids on the screen. I talked to them about the reality of children moving a lot and and asked them what the lead kid did to create stability for himself (in terms they could understand). I took the opportunity to talk about physical comedy and how some people consider this form of comedy and asked them what they thought about it. They do not quite find physical comedy funny, they are concerned about the people getting hurt. The key positive was the leading kids respectful persistence, respectful of his own needs and his parents.
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AGE
Excellent family film
This was an excellent Family Movie Night flick. It was fun, the kids loved hearing the dogs talk. What could've been a downer movie with a lonely child turned into a silly, fun, flick with the boy helping his dog friends and making some people friends.
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AGE
Just wanted to say
The fact that you give this as many stars as Kill Bill is ridiculous. Wow!
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AGE
Sort of odd
Er . . . well . . . this is sort of a weird movie. The dogs are from space and they talk. Then, the dogs are going to be taken back up to their own planet. It's weird, but it may be fun for young kids.
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AGE
Cut and Loveable!
I love this movie. The dogs are so cute. I could watch this movie again and again.
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| Topics: | adventures, space and aliens |
| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Director: | John Hoffman |
| Cast: | Liam Aiken, Matthew Broderick, Molly Shannon |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 88 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 10, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | March 2, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | some mild crude humor |
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