Good Boy! review

Talk about a movie that's gone to the dogs: this mildly entertaining sci-fi mutt movie is like Cats And Dogs. Without the felines.

When young Owen (Liam Aiken) chooses a pet mutt from the local pound, little does he realise that Hubble (voiced by Matthew Broderick) is actually an interstellar emissary from Sirius (the Dog Star, geddit?) who has come to check up on how Earth dogs are getting on with ruling their human slaves. Obviously, he's unimpressed to find that the local hounds (Carl Reiner, Brittany Murphy) aren't commanding the planet...

Firmly aimed at the younger end of the kiddie market, this prattling pooch movie has plenty of bark but precious little bite. Broderick's on good vocal form as the canine cosmonaut, but the ropey animal lip-synching, flimsy script and cloying presence of kiddie actor Aiken ultimately turn this into an old dog that could have done with a few new tricks. Arf.