Teacher's Pet (2003)

75% of critics liked it
(73 reviews)
39% of users liked it
(1,021 ratings)

Disney's animated feature Teacher's Pet is based on the award-winning ABC cartoon show created by artist Gary Baseman. Spot (voice of Nathan Lane) is a dog who wishes he was a real boy, like his master Leonard Helperman (voice of Shaun Flemming). He gets his wish when Leonard and his mom (voice of… More Disney's animated feature Teacher's Pet is based on the award-winning ABC cartoon show created by artist Gary Baseman. Spot (voice of Nathan Lane) is a dog who wishes he was a real boy, like his master Leonard Helperman (voice of Shaun Flemming). He gets his wish when Leonard and his mom (voice of Debra Jo Rupp) decide to move to Florida. Spot seeks the help of Dr. Krank (voice of Kelsey Grammer), an evil scientist who experiments with turning animals into humans. Things inevitably go wrong with the procedure and Spot is turned into an old man. Leonard and his friends try to help Spot, who now goes by the name of Scott Leadready II. Teacher's Pet also features the voices of Jerry Stiller, David Ogden Stiers, and Wallace Shawn. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 13 min.
Directed By: Timothy Björklund, David Ogden Stiers
Written By: Bill Steinkellner, Cherie Steinkellner, Cheri Steinkellner
Genres: Television, Animation, Kids & Family, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 16, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Jun 15, 2004
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Gary Baseman's Emmy-winning cartoon series arrives on the big screen in a delightful blast of bold drawing, brainy humor, and hard-charging songs.
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
As CGI cartooning takes over the world Teacher's Pet finds a fresh and frisky approach to doing things the old, Walt way.
Mark Holcomb, Village Voice
This isn't your father's Disney cartoon.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
It's part sugar, part spice and all-around brilliant.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Has a non-sentimental appeal for that ... crowd that fancies itself too cool for kiddie stuff.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
Teacher's Pet is no Finding Nemo, nor even Lilo and Stitch, but it is an enjoyable family film.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Fast, fresh, funny and entertaining for all.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
May not be a Disney classic, but it's certainly unique enough to warrant at least a rental, if not a spot in the permanent library.
James Plath, Reel.com
Art director Gary Baseman does some pretty innovative things with multiple screens, visual puns, transitions, and animated Broadway-style production numbers.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
If nothing else inventive, at the very least perverse, and at moments transcendently bizarre.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
You saw Brother Bear and Home on the Range in theaters but skipped the truly subversive Teacher's Pet? Here's your chance to fix that.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Disney's Teacher's Pet is a zippy animated feature with some clever musical numbers about a dog who wants to be a boy.
Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com
Delightful, giggle-inducing movie that will amuse kids with its quirky drawing style and outlandish action, while entertaining their parents with fast-paced, clever dialogue.
Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette
While an absurdity or two can be tolerated and cartoon physics is perfectly okay in this sort of thing, the simple fact is that the illogical plotholes generally hurt the movie.
Susan Granger, www.susangranger.com
It's splashy, bright, colorful fun for the whole family.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
What the film lacks in graphic sophistication it makes up for in visual imagination, especially in several exuberant musical numbers.
Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
A fine, smart, wickedly funny family film.
Collin Souter, eFilmCritic.com
Occasionally clever, but unworthy of being the swan song of Disney's hand-drawn animation department. Too loud, screeching and annoying.
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
The standard I-gotta-be-me theme and Broadway-show packaging of Disney's animated output gets a snarky makeover...
Randy Shulman, Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)
Fast, fresh, frenetic...Teacher's Pet is a great way to spend seventy-odd minutes -- whether or not you've got kids in tow.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Michael E

ide say its one of the few cartoon shows that is still entertaining to watch now as it was back in 2003 and the funny thing is i never watched one episode of the show
Juan C

a wonderful nonstop hillarious funny comedy for kids and adults alike! clever, brilliant, laugh out loud hillarious comedy, also nathan lane is brilliantly funny. this is something familys will enjoy! A