written by: Steve Ball, Shea Wageman, and Raul Inglis
produced by: Carson Loveday, Jenn Rogan, and Shea Wageman
directed by: Shea Wageman
rated: PG (for action, some rude humor, and language)
runtime: 92 min.
U.S. release date: January 16, 2026

Last year at this time, the wonderful animated feature “Dogman” was released, a fun, silly, and quite creative adaptation of the popular graphic novel series. Now we have “Charlie the Wonderdog” in theaters this month, a canine superhero comedy clearly targeted at a young audience. Indeed, that seems to be the only goal that director and co-writer Shae Wageman has in mind. It’s a cartoonish feature that definitely adheres to basic ideas of heroism and villainy, but Wageman and his co-writers cram too much plot when all it really needs to be is a companionship romp about a boy and his dog who can’t help but do good.

Since he was a toddler, Danny (voiced by Dawson Littman) has experienced the gift of canine companionship, starting his longtime friendship with golden retriever, Charlie (Owen Wilson). The two have been inseparable, but time is the enemy, and Charlie’s age has begun to slow him down, much to the concern of Danny. The pets have been gathered by Alien Queen (Rhona Rees) from across the galaxy for her petulant son, Alien Prince (Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez), to pick a pet. Bored with his options, Alien Prince discards Charlie and Puddy back to Earth, but before doing so, enhances the dog with superhuman abilities and the cat with mind-control powers.

When Charlie is reunited with Danny, he is definitely a different dog, appearing to be around five years younger, and, most significantly, he can speak. Obviously, this is shocking and surprising to Danny, delighting the boy with a new way to connect to his furry friend. Along with his super strength and flight, Charlie has been given superhearing, and, considering dogs already have a keen sense of hearing, the temptation to respond to every emergency and call for help is a challenge for him. To support his pet’s new calling, Danny designs a superhero costume for Charlie that transforms him into Wonderdog.

Meanwhile, Puddy (Ruairi MacDonald) is back with his derelict owner, Otis (Zac Bennett-McPhee), who is annoyed by the squalor of his living conditions and jealous of Charlie’s newfound popularity as Wonderdog. To get his own spotlight, Puddy (who can also talk) partners with the United States President Rose (Tabitha St. Germain) and uses the popular Wonderdog-branded dog food to realize his vision for dominance.

During the cold open of “Charlie the Wonderdog”, there’s an introduction of alien life as Danny’s mother (Elishia Perosa) finds a remnant of alien life while camping in the desert. Unbeknownst to her, what she’s found is a result of an accidental launch of a creature to Earth from a spaceship. Fifteen years later, we witness young Danny receiving a golden retriever puppy, and it doesn’t take long for the two to develop a playful bond, often engaging in imaginary superhero games. As the years pass, both the boy and the dog grow older, inevitably revealing Charlie’s physical decline.

There seems to be an opportunity to touch on the grief that comes with time, especially after the loss of a pet. That doesn’t necessarily have to mean the death of a pet. It can also take into consideration the loss of the relationship that once was with that pet. But none of this is on the minds of  Wageman and his co-writers Steve Ball and Raul Inglis. Their only concern here is having fun, with silly characters and spirited action sequences.

Once the two pets are back on Earth, Charlie essentially becomes the canine equivalent of Superman, while Puddy is more interested in causing harm. With Wonderdog’s popularity growing, President Rose hopes to boost her sagging dog food sales. This infuriates Puddy, who manages to weaponize his saliva to turn humans into domesticated animals. Meanwhile, Danny’s concern for Charlie’s media attention grows, as the boy sees his relationship with his companion changing.

Apart from Danny and maybe his mother, humans are depicted in “Charlie the Wonderdog” in a ridiculous, not humorous, way. The female president here is perplexing and quite odd, with her manic behavior coming across as annoying and unfunny. I guess that’s supposed to be funny to kids?

Ultimately, the feature amounts to entirely too much. Puddy winds up getting Charlie accused of diamond theft, and the antagonist also creates an evil lair in an amusement park. The feature feels like it’s trying to include every possible superhero genre stereotype, ending in a noisy, overlong third act with action beats and a slog of a resolution. The overall approach really snags any momentum the movie has, leaving an unsatisfactory viewing experience despite some fun heroic moments from Charlie.

Perhaps that basic conceit is meant to appeal enough for younger viewers, but “Charlie the Wonderdog” doesn’t fly high enough. There’s too much going on to provide a consistently good time. The feature has the right recipe for a good time, with wacky characters, some high-flying action, and Owen Wilson voicing the titular hero. Wilson signing on with his easygoing, recognizable voice is likely the only reason this was made, let alone released in theaters.

RATING: **