Dog Man at Ojai Playhouse
A supa review by supa fans
Coming to Ojai Playhouse April 5
DOG MAN, COURTESY UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
I am a mother of two boys, Kaj, 13, and Milo, 11. Both grew up with me reading Dav Pilkey's Dog Man books to them before bed, way past the point when they started reading on their own. I kept it up for years because I sincerely enjoyed storytime, and the series made us all laugh hysterically. As a result, I am just as big a fan as they are.
This wildly popular graphic novel series follows a frankensteined half-dog, half-man supa-cop who is in endless pursuit of a feline supervillain named Petey the Cat. With 13 books published since 2016 (sometimes two per year), every title is a parody or reference to a famous book like A Tale of Two Kitties, Brawl of the Wild, and Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea. It takes a clever children's book author to understand that these play-on-words would be a hook for parents who purchase the novels.
On January 31, 2025, Dreamworks released the first Dog Man feature film written and directed by Peter Hastings, who also wrote and produced classics like Kungfu Panda, Dav Pilky's other famed series Captain Underpants, Animaniacs, and my personal favorite Pinky and the Brain which loomed large for me in the late 90s and still holds up to this day.
PETEY THE CAT, COURTESY UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
On Saturday, April 5, at noon, Dog Man will be screening for free at the Ojai Playhouse, and Hastings will be in attendance to introduce the film.
I sat down with Kaj and Milo to get their take on this cinematic rendition and help introduce what we think is a great animation based on one of our most beloved book series.
We hope to see all your kids there!
Mom: Did you like the Dog Man movie?
Kaj: Yes, of course!
Milo: Yes, it's Amazing!
What was your favorite part?
Kaj: The Butt Sniffer 2000 was funny and unexpected. I don't remember that being in the books.
Milo: The end was my favorite because the Disco Beastie Building came out dancing with laser beams. It was fun and made me think that the movie would keep going.
On a scale from 1-5, how many stars would you give the movie and why?
Kaj: 5 because I had to wait a long time to see it, and it brought back a lot of good memories from the books.
Milo: 5 because it took so long to make and felt worth the wait.
I know you thought it was funny because you were giggling in the theatre the whole time. What was the funniest scene to you?
Kaj: It was when the police chief said, "Go catch Petey, and I don't care if it takes a montage!" And then it took a montage.
Milo: I liked when the robot's pants fell down, and the Chief, Dog Man, Sarah Hattoff, Petey, and Li'l Petey climbed out of the robot's butt.
My favorite character has always been the robot named 80-HD because Dav Pilky wanted to show that his ADHD and Dyslexia are actually superpowers. His role feels timely and clever. Who is your favorite character from the movie, and why?
Kaj: I like Petey's first assistant, who keeps asking to get paid while screaming, "Bottle caps are not money!"
Milo: Little Petey because he is cute and super positive.
I like Petey the Cat as a villain because he has some depth. He is bad because someone did something bad to him. There is some good wisdom in telling that story. What makes him a good villain to you?
Kaj: Petey thinks outside the box in a world where everything is possible, so he gets very silly in his evil ways.
Milo: He is very creative with his evil plans and makes cool machines that I would never think of. He makes me laugh.
The movie is a patchwork of several of the books. Did the movie include any of your favorite moments from the series that you hoped would be in there?
Kaj: Yes. I like it when Dog Man licks the inside of the chef's mouth. It sounds gross, but it's very funny.
Milo: The part where little Petey and Flippy become friends "and stuff" (giggling).
Were there any new things in the movie that weren't in the books?
Kaj: I don't really like that question. It's a movie, right? Of course, there will be different stuff included. I like that Peter Hastings took creative liberties and added his own special touches to Dav Pilky's story.
Milo: I liked the big robot, Mecha Mail Man 2000, that Petey created to fight Flippy the fish and all the Beastie Buildings.
Did the movie look like a cartoon you've seen before? What did you think of the animation?
Kaj: The animation did not look like anything I have seen before. It felt like its own thing.
Milo: It's a different kind of animation style than I am used to. It's wacky — but in a good way.
Thanks for chatting with me. I appreciate your time. One last question: Are you excited that Peter Hastings and Dog Man are coming to the Ojai Playhouse, and will you tell your friends to meet you there?
Kaj: I can't wait to hear Peter talk about making the movie, and I am bringing all my friends.
Milo: I am very excited. Dog Man is a big deal, and I think my friends already know about it!
Free Screening at Ojai Playhouse April 5
Dog Man, half dog and half man, he is sworn to protect and serve as he doggedly pursues the feline supervillain Petey the Cat.
