Underdog

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

This digitized update, with Jason Lee as a huskier, more generic Underdog, mostly drops the doggerel, but the endearing airborne-beagle effects help to offset the formula twists.

TV Guide Ken Fox

If you're expecting anything resembling the beloved cartoon, you'll enjoy the title sequence and nothing else. If, however, you set your expectations just low enough, or are an easily satisfied 8-year-old, you might have a bit of fun.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

Made for viewers old enough to appreciate a talking pooch but too young to read or write about it.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

The movie isn't nearly as bad as you would expect when the studio holds its only press screening the night before a national opening.

Variety Justin Chang

Falls somewhere between stale retread and half-hearted parody of superhero-movie formulas.

LA Weekly Jim Ridley

Even the promising team of Peter Dinklage’s mad scientist Simon Barsinister and Patrick Warburton’s henchman Cad turns out to be a bust.

Empire Anna Smith

Despite the talent on show, there's little to distinguish this from any other bland family comedy.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

The elements of the film don’t quite mesh: The villains are cartoony, but Du Chau aims for soggy family drama in his father-son story.

Chicago Reader Joshua Katzman

The TV show was mildly subversive, with humor that children and adults could enjoy on different levels, but the movie strives for a blander, family-oriented middle ground.

Film Threat Michael Ferraro

Regardless, what probably made the show so tolerable and popular was the fact that each episode was under a half an hour long. This movie is about 84 minutes long and gets tiresome after the first 20 minutes or so.

Premiere Glenn Kenny

For adults -- even adults with fond memories of the TV series -- this is one bizarre mess.

New York Post Kyle Smith

The bite and bark of Underdog are both pretty awful, but little kids might take this pooch for a walk.

Boston Globe Janice Page

Underdog! Rest assured, there is no superhero cliche left unchewed; they even manage to slide in a "Lady and the Tramp" homage while they're at it.

The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

Underdog may have been originally created to sell cereal for General Mills, but this latest incarnation couldn't sell Frisbees at a dog park.

Los Angeles Times Sam Adams

Director Frederik Du Chau's big-screen Underdog has all of the cartoons' crudeness and none of their charm. It's the celluloid equivalent of sugar cereal: cheap, empty and headache-inducing.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

The result is unfit for humankind.