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Director Brian Robbins (The Perfect Score, Hard Ball) has a more extensive resume as a producer than as a director, but does a nice job here using animatronic effects to persuade us that Shaggy (played by a handsome collie named "Coal") is really Dave. The issue of portraying the actual metamorphosis from human to dog (or back again) is sidestepped by never really showing it. There is always a car or fence in the way, prompting memories of Tim's never-fully-seen neighbor on Home Improvement.

So maybe Allen hasn't come all that far since his sitcom days. And maybe that long white collie beard reminds us of another Allen role. That's OK. He's good at this sort of thing, and he's funny in The Shaggy Dog.

1. Carly breaks a lot of her dad's rules—and some laws—in her effort to prove that her teacher is innocent. Is it OK to break rules or laws if it's for a good cause? How do you decide?
   
   
2. Josh is afraid to tell his dad he wants to be in a musical because he thinks his father wants him to play football—but if his dad knew his son's real wishes, he would support them. Is there something in your life you're doing only for the approval of others? Is there something you're not doing because you're afraid of what others might think?
   
   
3. Dr. Kozak is working to develop a serum that could extend a human life for 700 years. If such a serum existed, would you take it? Why or why not?
   
   
4. Is genetic engineering a source of medical miracles or a dangerous attempt to "play God"? Where would you draw the line?

The Shaggy Dog is rated PG for "mild rude humor." Most of it has to do with dogs' tendencies to sniff each other in "personal" areas—a bawdy gag that runs a little long but is tame by today's standards. There is also some very mild peril that will likely frighten only very young children (preschool and under). The family at the heart of the story is quite respectful to each other (particularly the siblings), and this movie is so wholesome by today's standards, that it very well could have been rated G.

Photos © Copyright Zeitgeist Films

© Carolyn Arends 2006, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

When I was six years old, I saw the first Disney remake of The Shaggy Dog. That movie, The Shaggy D.A., was the first time I'd seen special effects cause someone's face to undergo a transformation. I remember being terrified by the sight of Dean Jones's horrified expression suddenly bristling with white hair and morphing into the reflection of a sheepdog. I had nightmares about that imagery for a long time afterward.

Of course, by the time I was seven, I was used to special effects, thanks mainly to Star Wars. Today, transformations are a dime a dozen on the big screen now, and it's rare to see one that is truly remarkable. So why does the latest Disney remake in this shaggy franchise scare me so much? It has nothing to do with the special effects, but everything to do with the question of why Tim Allen keeps signing up for these formulaic comedies that require him to suffer some kind of ridiculous metamorphosis.

Still, some Christian film critics have been pleasantly surprised by this all-ages comedy.

Marcus Yoars (Plugged In) says, "I'm unsure as to why Mickey & Co. deemed it necessary to tell the story a third time, unless it was to add 21st century updates in the form of potty humor, cultural references and issues: animal rights." He concludes that it "offers just enough positive messages and redemption to reel in parents looking for a moral-of-the-story movie for their kids, and just enough silliness—the mildly questionable kind included—to keep kids lapping it up."

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