Charlie The Wonderdog

January 30 – February 3

Friday 3:30 pm
Saturday 1:30 pm
Sunday 1:30 pm
Monday 3:30 pm
Tuesday 3:30 pm

Rated G – 1hr 30min

Family / Comedy

This heartfelt animated film follows Charlie the Wonderdog (Owen Wilson), a beloved family dog; after discovering his superpowers, he sets out to fulfill his destiny and protect the people he loves–only to learn that real heroism comes from courage, kindness, and believing in yourself. Charlie the Wonderdog is super fun for kids and their families … especially if that family includes a dog. This is the tale of a boy, Danny, and his dog, Charlie (voice of Owen Wilson,) a golden retriever. Charlie starts out as an ordinary pup – a darling doggo with an extremely boop-able nose. The two grow up together, and form that delightful friendship that will be familiar to anyone who’s ever loved – and been loved by – a dog.

Their lives are normal, if not ordinary. But then along come some aliens, including a young alien who can’t leave well enough alone, and Charlie ends up with a muscle-bound build and super powers – including the power of speech. At first, Charlie has a ball with his newfound powers. He begins to save people, and it makes him feel good about himself (one of my favorite scenes involves a plummeting plane that Charlie wants to rescue despite the fact he’s standing in line for tacos. How Charlie solves his dilemma and rescues the passengers is clever, fast and fun. 

But all heroes have detractors, including Charlie, who runs up against a villainous cat and a vicious ad campaign making Charlie out to be the bad guy. This isn’t Wilson’s first voice work, but it certainly is his best. He’s pitch perfect as the vocal cords for the goodhearted pooch.

Wilson brings his usual laid-back charm to his portrayal of the titular “wonderdog,” so it’s no wonder (pun intended) the film is being sold with his name above the title. Sure, it’s a mostly familiar tale that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and does about what you would expect with a pretty basic story about a dog gaining superpowers. Charlie the Wonderdog is good fun, and will entertain the target audience of kids.

Parent’s will love emphasis on loyalty and friendship, along with a lovely message about who can be a hero (anybody with courage and kindness.) The themes, the colorful characters and the action will engage all ages of audiences. We need more movies like this for families, especially those with an emphasis on kindness. By zeroing in on Charlie’s relentless desire to do good, the film encourages kids to seek ways they can have an impact in their own cities and towns. That idea, combined with cute characters and an overall sense of fun, makes this a movie parents can confidently take their children to see.

You’ll laugh while your heart is being touched.