Molly Shannon, Liam Aiken, Matthew Broderick

A young boy named Owen learns the startling truth about dogs: They're actually from outer space, sent here to rule mankind. A canine agent from the star Sirius (voiced by Matthew Broderick) gets rescu...( read more  read more... )ed from the pound by Owen (Liam Aiken) and named Hubble. As Hubble desperately tries to train a motley crew of dogs from Owen's neighborhood to behave like conquerors before the Greater Dane arrives and decides the planet's fate, the outer space pooch slowly bonds with Owen and discovers why dogs may have joined forces with humans instead of dominating them. Good Boy! will charm dog lovers in particular, but the movie has enough clever touches to engage most viewers, and it manages a sweet tone without turning cloyingly saccharine. Featuring the voices of Carl Reiner, Brittany Murphy, Delta Burke, Donald Faison, and--of all people--Vanessa Redgrave as the Greater Dane. --Bret Fetzer

Flixster Users

52% liked it

2,673 ratings

Critics

46% liked it

82 critics

PG

Directed by: John Robert Hoffman

Release Date: October 10, 2003

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 2, 2004

Get It:

Stats: 432 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (432)


  • June 6, 2009
    I enjoyed it, I thought This movie played with my curious mind.
  • July 17, 2007
    I enjoy kids/family films. I enjoy animal films. This film is both of these things, but...I can't say I really enjoyed this one. The acting was poor, the plot was mediocre, the jokes were hackneyed and the message was garbled. Young children may enjoy the sight of talking dogs an...( read more)d their interaction with human beings and one another, but that is all this movie is good for really...a little visual stimulation (and it is hard pressed even there). They employed some great to fair talent to do the voiceovers (The great Carl Reiner, Matthew Broderick all the way to Brittany Murphy), but their performances were kind of boring. The child actor who plays the lead...don't look for him in the future either. Most kids will find this movie quite boring and even most adults will find it bland at best. Do yourself a favor and rent "Spirited Away" and pass on this film.
  • July 22, 2009
    I don't really remeber this movie well.
  • April 19, 2009
    This was a cute movie. Was fun to watch with my mom and sister, as we are all dog lovers!
  • April 2, 2009
    I thought that the plot was pretty creative, as was the writing. Two or three jokes related to bodily functions, but mostly they were cute jokes with creative insight on what a dog might say to us if we could understand them. Also, some creative insight on what a dog's place is i...( read more)n this world and who is really in charge of who. Some of the acting was a little stale(no academy awards here), but most of the acting was good to very good. My test is the "suspension of dis-belief" test. Can I forget reality long enough to accept the story line and think of the actors as the characters they are portraying? The answer here was yes. The acting was good enough that I suspended my dis-belief and was able to enjoy the story line and the humor.
  • March 3, 2009
    Did you know that dogs are originally from outer space and were sent to Earth to rule over mankind? Nor did I until I saw this informative family comedy about a boy who adopts a dog, bonds with it, learns to communicate with it, and helps it to impress the Greater Dane who comes ...( read more)down from the dog star Sirius to determine the fate of the planet. It has to be said that this movie is saved by the fact that it doesn't take itself at all seriously. It's not a good film, but Liam Aiken is totally adorable, and the premise is so far out that it's impossible to actively dislike it. I bought it for Brittany Murphy, who does some voice acting as one of the dogs, but love her though I do, she does a really irritating stupid voice and kind of adds zero to the movie. Watchable and a bit of fun, but not worth going out of your way for...
  • February 14, 2009
    Well with this movie It was a bit lame at some parts, but not a bad movie over-all. You'd probably enjoy it a load more if you're an insane dog-lover.
  • January 30, 2009
    talking dogs... uhuh...

Critic Reviews


October 10, 2003
Claudia Puig, USA Today

No new ground is dug up in Good Boy, but the story is well-paced, sweet and lively, filling a void for very young filmgoers. full review

October 10, 2003
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A painfully dull kids' picture. full review

October 10, 2003
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The movie asks us to consider a race of superior beings who are built a few feet off the ground, lack opposable thumbs and walk around nude all the time. full review

View more Good Boy! reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • nbhatti3000
    October 6, 2007
    A dog comes from another planet to earth who is smarter and speaks also he gives power to his owner that is the boy to understand him, dog wants to take other dogs to his planet that is near moon there only dogs live. It is very good for kids. There is a massage for everyone; love is everything even you are from earth or another space, it changes thoughts of everyone. I liked it

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
    The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (46%)
  • Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties
    Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (58%)
  • Cats & Dogs
    Cats & Dogs (79%)
  • Hoot
    Hoot (61%)

Theater Showtimes & TV Listings


Good Boy! Trivia


  • What movie has this sentence? "Good boy Jack!"  Answer »
  • In the movie Bad Santa Billy Bob Thorton's Character feels very good about himself after doing what?  Answer »
  • In which film, did Frodo had a hard time getting along with a really Rich Home Alone boy?  Answer »
  • In the movie Good Boy, what was the name of the all-powerful leader of all dogs?  Answer »

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?