Underdog (film)
Encyclopedia
Underdog is a 2007 American live-action comedy film
based on the cartoon series of the same name. The film was directed by Frederik Du Chau
and stars Peter Dinklage
as Dr. Simon Bar Sinister, Patrick Warburton
as Cad Lackley, and Jason Lee
as the voice of Underdog. The film also stars Jim Belushi, Alex Neuberger
, Taylor Momsen
, and Amy Adams
. The film was loosely based on the super-powered cartoon character of the same name and several other characters from the cartoon. It was produced by Spyglass Entertainment
and Classic Media
and distributed theatrically in the United States
by Walt Disney Pictures
. It was filmed in Providence
.
is accidentally kidnapped to be a guinea pig by Capitol City's best geneticist, Simon Bar Sinister
(Peter Dinklage
), who is secretly experimenting on dogs to perfect his serum. However, the beagle escapes, but not before causing a lab fire and being exposed to various substances. Found by ex-police officer and widower Dan Unger (Jim Belushi
), the beagle is named "Shoeshine" and becomes the pet of Dan's 12-year-old son, Jack (Alex Neuberger
). But as both eventually learn, the incident at the lab has not only made Shoeshine able to speak, but also able to fly and possess supercanine strength. Jack convinces Shoeshine to use his superpowers to help the citizens of Capitol City, taking the name, "Underdog."
However, Bar Sinister (whose face was badly disfigured when a burning television monitor
fell on him, during the lab fire), hunting Underdog and eventually learning of his identity
, manages to get a sample
of his DNA
that the scientist uses on Shoeshine to turn him back to a normal dog. After feeding three DNA
capsules to his German Shepherds, Bar Sinister takes the mayor hostage while setting up a bomb
on top of city hall, which has a vial
filled with a formula
that makes whoever breathes it obey Bar Sinister. However, Shoeshine manages to regain his powers by eating the same pills Bar Sinister gave to the German Shepherds, afterward he turns them against Bar Sinister and saves the day.
. The visual effects supervisor at Cinesite was Ben Shepherd, and the animation supervisor was Alexander Williams.
. Among the merchandise released that day was a soundtrack album
from Hollywood Records
and books from Disney Publishing Worldwide
. A video game was originally going to be released for Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
, but was cancelled due to the film's failure.
' freshness rating for Underdog stood at 15% in March 2010, the lowest of director Du Chau's three movies at that time (Quest for Camelot
and Racing Stripes
, receiving 35% and 34% respectively). The movie consensus on that site reads:
Ken Fox of TV Guide
said: "If you set your expectations just low enough, or are an easily satisfied 8-year-old, you might have a bit of fun." The New York Daily News saw Underdog as being "made for the Saturday morning TV crowd," claiming that "parents who lead their tykes to this adventure aren't likely to leave disappointed."
and high-definition Blu-ray Disc
on June 16, 2008. The DVD and Blu-ray Disc
both aspect ratios with Widescreen and Fullscreen.
The DVD shows the first episode of Underdog on the bonus features.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
based on the cartoon series of the same name. The film was directed by Frederik Du Chau
Frederik Du Chau
Frederik Du Chau is a film director, screenwriter and former animator. He is well known for directing films like Racing Stripes and Underdog...
and stars Peter Dinklage
Peter Dinklage
Peter Dinklage is an American film, television and theater actor. Since his breakout role in the 2003 film The Station Agent, he has acted in Elf, Underdog, Find Me Guilty, the 2007 film Death at a Funeral and its 2010 remake, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian...
as Dr. Simon Bar Sinister, Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
as Cad Lackley, and Jason Lee
Jason Lee (actor)
Jason Michael Lee is an American actor and skateboarder known for his role as the title character on the NBC television series My Name is Earl, his portrayal of Syndrome in the film The Incredibles, his role as Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films, and his work with director Kevin...
as the voice of Underdog. The film also stars Jim Belushi, Alex Neuberger
Alex Neuberger
Alexander James Neuberger is an American actor.Alex Neuberger was born in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. His first role was in the 2006 film, Running Scared, a thriller starring Paul Walker. Neuberger plays "Nicky Gazelle", the son of Walker's character...
, Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen
Taylor Michel Momsen is an American actress, musician and model who portrays the character of Jenny Humphrey on the CW television series Gossip Girl and portrayed the role of Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and fronts the rock band The Pretty Reckless.-Early life and career:Taylor...
, and Amy Adams
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
. The film was loosely based on the super-powered cartoon character of the same name and several other characters from the cartoon. It was produced by Spyglass Entertainment
Spyglass Entertainment
Spyglass Entertainment is an American film production company, co-founded by Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum in 1998. The studio was founded with an investment from European media conglomerates Kirch Group and Mediaset, and a five-year distribution deal with The Walt Disney Company...
and Classic Media
Classic Media
Classic Media, LLC, is an American production company and distributor of family programming. It was founded in 2000 by former Marvel Entertainment CEO Eric Ellenbogen and former Broadway Video executive John Engelman in hopes of acquiring mismanaged classic properties and giving exposure to...
and distributed theatrically in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
. It was filmed in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
.
Plot
The story begins when a police beagleBeagle
The Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound, but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game...
is accidentally kidnapped to be a guinea pig by Capitol City's best geneticist, Simon Bar Sinister
Simon Bar Sinister
Dr. Simon Bar Sinister was the main antagonist in the Underdog cartoon show. Simon is the wickedest man in the world, and it was his ambition to rule the world, but each time, Underdog defeated him.-Character:...
(Peter Dinklage
Peter Dinklage
Peter Dinklage is an American film, television and theater actor. Since his breakout role in the 2003 film The Station Agent, he has acted in Elf, Underdog, Find Me Guilty, the 2007 film Death at a Funeral and its 2010 remake, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian...
), who is secretly experimenting on dogs to perfect his serum. However, the beagle escapes, but not before causing a lab fire and being exposed to various substances. Found by ex-police officer and widower Dan Unger (Jim Belushi
James Belushi
James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
), the beagle is named "Shoeshine" and becomes the pet of Dan's 12-year-old son, Jack (Alex Neuberger
Alex Neuberger
Alexander James Neuberger is an American actor.Alex Neuberger was born in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. His first role was in the 2006 film, Running Scared, a thriller starring Paul Walker. Neuberger plays "Nicky Gazelle", the son of Walker's character...
). But as both eventually learn, the incident at the lab has not only made Shoeshine able to speak, but also able to fly and possess supercanine strength. Jack convinces Shoeshine to use his superpowers to help the citizens of Capitol City, taking the name, "Underdog."
However, Bar Sinister (whose face was badly disfigured when a burning television monitor
Electronic visual display
An electronic visual display is display technology which incorporates flat panel displays, performs as a video display, output device for presentation of images transmitted electronically, for visual reception, without producing a permanent record....
fell on him, during the lab fire), hunting Underdog and eventually learning of his identity
Identity
-Philosophical topics:* Identity , also called sameness, is whatever makes an entity definable and recognizable* Law of identity, principle of logic stating that an object is the same as itself...
, manages to get a sample
Sample (material)
In general, a sample is a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount of that thing. The things could be countable objects such as individual items available as units for sale, or a material not countable as individual items. Samples of countable...
of his DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
that the scientist uses on Shoeshine to turn him back to a normal dog. After feeding three DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
capsules to his German Shepherds, Bar Sinister takes the mayor hostage while setting up a bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
on top of city hall, which has a vial
Vial
A vial is a relatively small glass vessel or bottle, especially used to store medication as liquids, powders or in other forms like capsules. They can also be sample vessels; e.g., for use in autosampler devices in analytical chromatography.The glass can be colourless or coloured, clear or amber...
filled with a formula
Formula
In mathematics, a formula is an entity constructed using the symbols and formation rules of a given logical language....
that makes whoever breathes it obey Bar Sinister. However, Shoeshine manages to regain his powers by eating the same pills Bar Sinister gave to the German Shepherds, afterward he turns them against Bar Sinister and saves the day.
Cast
- Jason LeeJason Lee (actor)Jason Michael Lee is an American actor and skateboarder known for his role as the title character on the NBC television series My Name is Earl, his portrayal of Syndrome in the film The Incredibles, his role as Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films, and his work with director Kevin...
as Underdog / Shoeshine the Dog - Peter DinklagePeter DinklagePeter Dinklage is an American film, television and theater actor. Since his breakout role in the 2003 film The Station Agent, he has acted in Elf, Underdog, Find Me Guilty, the 2007 film Death at a Funeral and its 2010 remake, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian...
as Dr. Simon Bar Sinister - Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
as Cad Lackey - Jim Belushi as Daniel "Dan" Unger
- Alex NeubergerAlex NeubergerAlexander James Neuberger is an American actor.Alex Neuberger was born in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. His first role was in the 2006 film, Running Scared, a thriller starring Paul Walker. Neuberger plays "Nicky Gazelle", the son of Walker's character...
as Thomas "Jack" Unger - Taylor MomsenTaylor MomsenTaylor Michel Momsen is an American actress, musician and model who portrays the character of Jenny Humphrey on the CW television series Gossip Girl and portrayed the role of Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and fronts the rock band The Pretty Reckless.-Early life and career:Taylor...
as Molly the news reporter - John DiMaggioJohn DiMaggioJohn William DiMaggio is an American voice actor. A native of North Plainfield, New Jersey, he is known for his gruff, deep voice and New Jersey accent, which he uses to voice mainly villains and anti-heroes.-Filmography:...
as Supershep / The Bulldog - Phil Morris as Maim the Dog ("Supershep #1")
- Michael MasseeMichael MasseeMichael Massee is an American actor perhaps best known for his roles as villains in film and television, as well as his unintentional and accidental involvement in the death of Brandon Lee.-Career:...
as Kill the Dog ("Supershep #2") - Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
- Attack the Dog ("Supershep #3") / The Little Brown Dog - Amy AdamsAmy AdamsAmy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
as Sweet Polly Purebred (Molly's dog) - Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
as Riff Raff the Dog - Jess HarnellJess HarnellJess Q. Harnell is an American voice actor and singer, best known for voicing Wakko Warner on Animaniacs. Harnell has been the announcer for America's Funniest Home Videos since 1998.-Life and acting career:...
as The Astronaut - John SlatteryJohn SlatteryJohn M. Slattery, Jr. is an American actor and director, best known for his role as Roger Sterling on AMC's series Mad Men. He has been nominated for many awards, and has won two SAG Awards with the Mad Men ensemble....
as The Mayor - Samantha BeeSamantha BeeSamantha Bee is a Canadian comedic actress and author best known as a cast member on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.-Early life:Bee was born in Toronto, Ontario into an unconventional family...
as Principal Helen Patterson - Jay LenoJay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
as Himself - Stephen James Kidd as The Hot Dog Vendor Customer / The Bomb Squad Captain
- Tony MoreiraTony MoreiraTony Moreira is an American education and entertainment professional.Tony holds a Fine Arts degree in acting from Salem State College , and has credits in film, television, and theatre. Projects include Walt Disney Pictures' Underdog, CBS Television's Waterfront, and ESPN's The Bronx is Burning...
as Bomb Squad Officer Farrell (uncredited)
Visual effects
The bulk of the visual effects work on the film was completed by two London-based companies, Frame Store CFC, and CinesiteCinesite
Cinesite Ltd is a digital visual effects and post-production facility in London and one of the largest such companies in Europe...
. The visual effects supervisor at Cinesite was Ben Shepherd, and the animation supervisor was Alexander Williams.
Merchandise
The merchandise for the film was released on July 31, 2007 at the Disney StoreDisney Store
Disney Store is an international chain of specialty stores selling only Disney related items, many of them exclusive. Disney Store is a business unit of Disney Consumer Products. James Fielding serves as the President....
. Among the merchandise released that day was a soundtrack album
Underdog: Original Soundtrack
Underdog: Original Soundtrack is the licenced soundtrack from the 2007 film adaption of Underdog. It is currently only available as a download on various online music stores.- Album Information :...
from Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
and books from Disney Publishing Worldwide
Disney Publishing Worldwide
Disney Publishing Worldwide is the publishing group controlled by The Walt Disney Company. Its imprints include Disney Editions, Hyperion Books for Children and Disney Press. Through this group, Disney gets the royalties for any kind of licensed publication. The current President is R...
. A video game was originally going to be released for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, but was cancelled due to the film's failure.
Box Office
Underdog was released on August 3, 2007, in 3,013 theaters across the US. It grossed $11,585,121 on its opening weekend, placing in third among that weekend's films in release. As of October 11, 2007, Underdog made $42,937,703 at the domestic box office.Critical
Upon its release, Underdog received extremely negative reviews. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
' freshness rating for Underdog stood at 15% in March 2010, the lowest of director Du Chau's three movies at that time (Quest for Camelot
Quest for Camelot
Quest for Camelot is a 1998 animated feature film from Warner Bros. Animation, based on the novel The King's Damosel by Vera Chapman, starring the voices of Jessalyn Gilsig, Cary Elwes, Gary Oldman, Eric Idle, Don Rickles, Jane Seymour, Pierce Brosnan, Bronson Pinchot, Jaleel White, Gabriel Byrne,...
and Racing Stripes
Racing Stripes
Racing Stripes is a 2005 comedy film directed by Frederik Du Chau, the director of Quest for Camelot. Although set in Kentucky, the movie was filmed in Pietermaritzburg and Nottingham Road, South Africa.-Plot:...
, receiving 35% and 34% respectively). The movie consensus on that site reads:
"Underdog is a mostly forgettable adaptation that relies far too heavily on recycled material and sloppy production."
Ken Fox of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
said: "If you set your expectations just low enough, or are an easily satisfied 8-year-old, you might have a bit of fun." The New York Daily News saw Underdog as being "made for the Saturday morning TV crowd," claiming that "parents who lead their tykes to this adventure aren't likely to leave disappointed."
Home media
Underdog was released on standard DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and high-definition Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on June 16, 2008. The DVD and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
both aspect ratios with Widescreen and Fullscreen.
The DVD shows the first episode of Underdog on the bonus features.
See also
- Underdog: Original SoundtrackUnderdog: Original SoundtrackUnderdog: Original Soundtrack is the licenced soundtrack from the 2007 film adaption of Underdog. It is currently only available as a download on various online music stores.- Album Information :...
- Kyle MasseyKyle MasseyKyle Massey , is an American actor, dancer, singer, comedian and rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is perhaps best known for starring in the Disney Channel sitcom That's So Raven, in which he played Cory Baxter, and in the Disney show Cory in the House, a spin-off of That's So Raven...
, sang the single "Underdog Raps" - List of characters in Underdog
- Underdog, the television show
- Quest for CamelotQuest for CamelotQuest for Camelot is a 1998 animated feature film from Warner Bros. Animation, based on the novel The King's Damosel by Vera Chapman, starring the voices of Jessalyn Gilsig, Cary Elwes, Gary Oldman, Eric Idle, Don Rickles, Jane Seymour, Pierce Brosnan, Bronson Pinchot, Jaleel White, Gabriel Byrne,...
- Racing StripesRacing StripesRacing Stripes is a 2005 comedy film directed by Frederik Du Chau, the director of Quest for Camelot. Although set in Kentucky, the movie was filmed in Pietermaritzburg and Nottingham Road, South Africa.-Plot:...