The Dogfather
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Iffy humor and stereotyping in slapstick dog movie.
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The Dogfather
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What's the Story?
Don Tazio (Gerry Mendicino) wants to celebrate becoming a "made" man in the Mafia, but when his bulldog Sonny ends up swallowing his pinky ring and then escapes, the party is over. Don Tazio sends his bumbling underlings to try and find Sonny and return his ring, but Sonny has other ideas. He arrives in the front yard of the Franks family, where 12-year-old Josh (William Cuddy) sees him for the first time. But then the dog catchers take Sonny to the pound, and the Franks family decides to adopt Sonny, even though the father, Brian (Chris Parnell), isn't completely sold on the idea. While the Franks' try to prevent the rambunctious Sonny from wreaking havoc through their house, they must also prevent Don Tazio's underlings from retaking Sonny and returning him to their "godfather."
Is It Any Good?
Fans of Beethoven and its sequels will enjoy this slapstick dog comedy. It, too, finds much of its humor in rambunctious dog chases, constant pratfalls, and the less savory aspects of house-training a dog. The problem is that while there's a lot of goofiness to go around, it isn't enough to overcome the trite storyline and the attempts at parodying Mafia characters that veer a little too close to stereotyping Italian-Americans as a whole.
Not even the talents of Chris Parnell, and the cuteness of Sonny the bulldog can get past these shortcomings. Furthermore, for parents trying to get their families away from gun culture in all its forms, this movie instead shows kids having a lot of fun with Nerf guns while staging pretend battles and attacks.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about comedy movies with dogs. What similarities and differences do you see with this comedy and others where dogs are front-and-center in the humor?
What are your thoughts on the way the Mafia guys are portrayed in this movie? Is it a parody of characters in mafia movies and TV shows, or does it veer into negative stereotyping of Italian-Americans?
Talk about the responsibilities required to care for a dog adopted from a shelter.
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: January 18, 2011
- Cast: Chris Parnell , Ward Marie , William Cuddy
- Director: Richard Boddington
- Studio: Image Entertainment
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice
- Run time: 88 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- Last updated: January 29, 2023
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