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Children's DVD Review: Disney's
Teacher's Pet |
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Released: June 2004
Reviewed: June 2004
Our Recommended Age: 8-12
Our Rating: B+
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| Buy: Teacher's Pet
(VHS) or Teacher's Pet (DVD) |
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DVD store at Amazon.com.
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Teacher's
Pet is certainly unlike most Disney animated films. Based
on a (now cancelled) television cartoon, the movie opens
like Pinnochio. Soon viewers realize that it's Spot the
dog's dream. Spot (voiced by the inimitable Nathan Lane) is
a dog who wishes with all his might to be a "real
boy", and his owner, Leonard, wants with equal measure
for his dog to be just that--a dog.
It's
the last day of school, and, like every other school day,
Spot dresses up as Scott, a human student. The teacher of
his fourth-grade class happens to be his owner's mother.
Scott appreciates being a boy so much that he is a star
student with perfect attendance. His owner, Leonard, is also
his classmate.
The
movie features plenty of songs, including Spot's little
ditty that helps children who haven't seen the TV show
understand the whole premise. ("I'm a dog who's learned
to keep his leg down").
On
this last day of school, the teacher, Leonard's mother,
learns that she is a finalist for the Teacher of the Year
award, and she'll need to go to Florida for 2 weeks. But the
rules are clear: no dogs are allowed! Leonard and his
teacher mom set off in their Winnebago to Florida, leaving
poor Spot behind. By coincidence, Spot watches TV and sees a
guest on the Barry Anger Show, Dr. Ivan Krank (voiced by
Kelsey Grammar) who claims he can turn animals into humans.
Is it a dream come true? Dr. Krank lives in Florida, where
Leonard and his mom are headed, so Spot quickly catches up
with the pair, pretending he is the student, Scott.
In
the meantime, the family's other pets, Mr. Jolly the cat and
Pretty Boy the bird, learn that Dr. Krank is a fraud, and
they go to Florida to try to warn Spot/Scott. It's too late
(for now), because Spot has already been transformed into a
human. Although he is not a boy (he's a man--he neglected to
factor in "dog years"), Spot is now human.
Extras
include deleted scenes and an episode, entitled
Muttamorphosis, that brings children back to the first day
of fourth grade.
The
"moral of the story" is an apt one for
children--it's all about being happy with who you are.
Teacher's Pet will appeal to a narrower audience than most
Disney films--it's a little too sophisticated for children
younger than 8, and although adults might find it mildly
amusing, it isn't quite as adept at entertaining parents as
many Disney films. The humor is on the bizarre side, and the
story, although amusing in many ways, ends a little
abruptly.
Teacher's
Pet certainly isn't a Finding Nemo, but it possesses a
quirky charm that children approximately 8 to 12 should
enjoy.
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