"Show Dogs": A Conversation About Being Appropriate

Why does this family film feel like it's targeted at parents?


"Show Dogs" is a comedy flick about a dog in the police force that is entered in a dog show to rescue a kidnapped baby panda.  In this world, animals can talk to each other and sometimes humans.  Basically, it's a talking animal movie for kids that involves crime and comedy elements within.


I originally went to see "Show Dogs" to discuss the controversial scene in which the main male dog, Max, is grabbed by the genitalia in preparation for the big show.  In the original cut, there was an issue with how Max was told by another dog to let this harassment happen in order to have a chance at winning.  A mommy blogger wrote an article about this scene after seeing a pre-screening of the film, concerned over how this could affect the children as well as how it relates to the Me Too movement.


"The movie shouldn't have shown scenes like that..., but they ultimately changed it," said Luke Shrader, an employee at Marcus Southbridge Crossing Cinema.


Unfortunately, in the edited version I saw, there still was testicle touching.  If I hadn't heard about the controversy, I wouldn't have been able to tell a difference.  At the end of the day, all this debacle resulted in was more publicity for this forgettable film.


Even though this film is boring and offensively bad at times, I believe something more sinister lurks below the surface.  This movie with funny animals targeted at small children seemed to occasionally border on PG-13 territory.


The tone of the entire movie felt very inappropriate.  There was a drug reference early on, many sexual references throughout, language and a rapper voicing the main dog character.  I don't find that last instance to be controversial in theory, but how many kids would be excited to see Ludacris in a movie?


Some parents may be okay with inappropriate jokes in family movies.  It can be argued that inappropriate humor is okay because most kids won't get it and the parents deserve to get entertained as well.


"I like a lot of the adult jokes in the 'Shrek' movies," said Jodi Exsted, my mother.  "If the kids are old enough to get the joke, then it's okay for them to experience it."


I think clever adult jokes can be used sparingly as long as the film respects its target audience.  No matter how one may feel about inappropriate jokes, this movie is awful and definitely not good for kids.


This film is not only inappropriate because of its content but also because of how it treats the kids.  "Show Dogs" disrespects children by avoiding creativity at all costs and replacing it with overused jokes that aren't worth anybody's time.  This film is simultaneously generic, stupid and extremely convoluted.


On one hand, there is a bit of juvenile humor combined with talking animals for younger viewers.  But, at the same time, there is a plot that seems a bit too complex for children along with offensive humor that is not funny.  The film even has pigeons that provide exposition to let the audience know what's going on, which younger viewers wouldn't even be able to understand.


To be honest, I'm speculating that this film doesn't care about the children.  This film thinks talking animals is all the children need to stay entertained, and instead offers a pathetic attempt to entertain the older viewers dragged to see it.  While Pixar and Disney have taken the approach to make their kids films better in order to entertain, this film thought to include a lot of easy adult jokes and celebrity voice cameos that kids won't get.


Please, filmmakers, make more great films for children because they need it more than adults do.  Children differ from adults not only in the content they enjoy but also in how they think.  Put some more creative effort in because the kids deserve better than this.