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Karate Dog (PG, 2006)

common sense media says

Too rough for any kid who'd find this dog funny.

parents & educators say
See 2 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this TV movie has a few scenes of actual, people-on-people violence, including the beginning, when Karate Dog's master is killed by masked assassins, and one scene in which Karate Dog is wrestled away to the pound by a gratuitous animal control officer. When Karate Dog is fighting, the scenes look more like a video game than anything else and are less frightening -- but no less violent. There's also mild sexual innuendo, mostly among the dogs, of a sort that might be difficult to explain to young kids.

Positive messages: The hero and his girl are portrayed as the only hard-working cops on the force, with the rest lazy creeps who kowtow to anyone with money.
Violence & scariness: A murder, a rough dog-catching scene, and far less karate than you'd expect. Karate scenes including Karate Dog look more like a video game than anything else, but are still violent.
Sexy stuff: Mild innuendo, mostly among talking dogs.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: The bad guy is taking a "formula" that makes him younger, stronger, faster ... and crazier.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Karate Dog

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about Karate Dog's computer-generated martial arts prowess and how that's created, or how a talented comedian like Chevy Chase ends up in a movie like this (Do you think it's all about the money? Do you think he was more inclined to do it because you only hear his voice? Could someone have made a funny movie out of this idea?) They can also discuss how much money must have been spent on the action sequences rather than on the script, a skewed set of values that really shows in this case.

What's the story?

What's the story?

When Karate Dog's master (Pat Morita) is killed, the wise-cracking dog – whose real name is Cho-Cho (voiced by Chevy Chase) -- must team up with a geeky cop (Simon Rex) to solve the crime. The killer is a former student of Karate Dog's master who's now out to use a secret formula to sell eternal youth. Karate Dog will also help his new friend get the girl (Jaime Pressly) after the obligatory Cyrano de Bergerac scene. Of course, no one besides the cop knows the dog can talk.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

This is The Karate Kid meets Turner and Hooch, with a dash of James Bond -- and it doesn't even come close to any of them. Action scenes lifted from Mission: Impossible, The Matrix, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are shoehorned into the plot, which otherwise resembles nothing so much as an old Charlie's Angels episode. Any kid old enough to have seen the films and get the joke is too old to appreciate it.

Karate Dog switches from one genre to the next with lightning speed and a blatant disregard for its limp storyline. The talents of Chevy Chase and John Voight are wasted. Do yourself a favor and don't invest your family's movie time in Karate Dog.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Bob Clark
Cast: Chevy Chase, Jaime Pressly, Jon Voight
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 84 minutes
Theatrical release: August 22, 2006
DVD release: August 22, 2006
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: martial arts action/violence and some suggestive content
This review was written by KJ Dell Antonia
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

ss32
teen, 16 years old
 
FUnny
This is funny. Drugs are the theme of the movie and deemed bad with side affects. Just cartoon violence not much unless you are squemish. people and dogss die from the drug. Diversity is a theme of most stuff so get used to it.
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helped me decide (4) | had useful details (5) | read my mind (5)
ctfur
teen, 15 years old
3
 
i`m so freakin exited[sarcasm]
csm was right the dog doing karate looked more like a video game than a movie
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (4) | had useful details (4) | read my mind (4)

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