Walt Disney's
Review by Mari, January 2005
Scott Weinger as WILBY and Natasha Gregson Wagner as ALLISON
Other titles: BUNDLES--EIN HUND ZUM VERLIEBEN (BUNDLES: A DOG TO FALL IN LOVE WITH) Germany; PERRO POR UN DIA (DOG FOR A DAY) Argentina; Felpudo - O Cão Enfeitiçado (Bundles-The Bewitching Dog) Brasil; Förvandlingen 2 (TRANSFORMATION) Sweden
Rated G
THE SHAGGY DOG is one of many remakes of Disney's classic films of the 1950s and '60s. Like THE PARENT TRAP, FLUBBER, and THE LOVE BUG, The Shaggy Dog was made for the new audience who grew up with the Disney Channel, perhaps in hopes of generating an interest in comparing the older and newer films in the voluminous Disney arsenal.
1994's THE SHAGGY DOG appeared several times on the Disney Channel in 1997 thru 1999, when the channel had a late night segment called "Vault Disney". This progam had lots of great stuff for old and young Disney fans, including classic cartoons, old episodes of the Mickey Mouse Club, and good movies such as the 1959 version of The Shaggy Dog. Because I like Jeremy Sisto, and ONLY because I like him, I gave the "remake" a chance. I usually ignore the remakes, not because they're "inferior" but simply because they are, as I said above, made for a new generation. I grew up with THE PARENT TRAP starring Hayley Mills, not the one starring Lindsay Lohan.
So honestly, when I say Jeremy Sisto is the only reason I'll even watch the new Shaggy Dog movie, I mean it. But it is with equal honesty that I say that the films are equal in my eyes. They are both cute, silly and pretty darn funny. They are similar in plot, though there are big differences in some areas. In short, neither film is better or worse than the other.
The black and white original starred a bunch of faces that became synonymous with family friendly Disney fare: Fred MacMurray as the high strung Wilson Daniels; Jean Hagen as long suffering wife Frieda Daniels; Kevin Corcoran as kid brother Moochie; Annette Funicello as Allison; Tim Considine as ladies' man Buzz; and Tommy Kirk as the main character, Wilby Daniels. In this movie, Wilby is a smart, hapless teen suffering in the shadow of his brash, smooth talking best friend Buzz, who is often seen with envious eyes taking Allison, the most popular girl in town, out on dates. Meanwhile, Wilby's dad, Wilson, is growing weary of the havok Wilby wreaks with his missle interceptors and other wacky inventions. Wilson has his hands full with Moochie too, who wants a pet dog in spite of Wilson's objections...Wilson is a retired postman who absolutely DETESTS canines of all kinds. With the arrival of new neighbors, the French Andressi family, Wilby (and Buzz of course) meet the beautiful Francesca and her Brataschslavian Sheepdog, named Chiffon. To make a long '50s movie short, Wilby accidentally acquires an ancient ring, belonging to an Italian dynasty, which has the power to turn humans into dogs. Plot wise, there is the curse, the transformation, and the all too familiar promise that if you do something nice, the curse will be broken. Kind of like in Pinocchio, do something brave and unselfish, and you'll be a real boy.
In the 1994 version, the dad's name is Ron Daniels (Ed Begley, Jr.) and he doesn't really like dogs either, but it's because he's terribly allergic to dog dander. Mom is played by Sharon Lawrence, and she is pretty funny as she swishes around obliviously happy about life in general, LOL!!! Moochie is played by Jordan Warkol of THE LITTLE RASCALS, and he desperately wants a dog because their cat Missy is boring!!! Allison is a friendly neighbor girl (Natasha Gregson Wagner) who seems kind of smitten with Wilby's genius inventions, one of them being an ecologically sound jalopy...until Trey drives up. Trey, played by a particularly cute 19 year old Jeremy Sisto, is a lot like Buzz of the older film, beautiful to look at, with a very tasty convertible, yet shrewd, rude, and mean spirited, clearly jealous of his friend, even though Allison deserts Wilby and dashes over to the car as soon as it's in park!!! Like the '50s Wilby, the '90s Wilby (Scott Weinger) feels inferior to the far more outgoing and skilled Trey, and wishes he had the nerve to ask Allison out on dates. As far as new neighbors, there is a very lovely French girl across the street named Francesca (Sarah Lassez). She is staying with her American uncle Charlie (James Cromwell) and his shaggy sheepdog named Bundles. As soon as Wilby realizes that Trey is out to snag every girl in his line of sight, he steals a book of spells and crafts from the local museum, in hopes that he'll soon be a magic ladies man like Trey!!! As in the old film, a creepy ring belonging to the notorious Borgia clan is instrumental in Wilby's transformation, but instead of an irresistable woman-magnet, Wilby becomes Bundles!!!
You have to have a villain in most mixes to make it possible to save the day and reverse the curse. In the old film, it was something about spies, which to this day I'm embarrassed to say, I've never really figured out. In the new film, it's easier: Uncle Charlie is a professional diamond thief, and his next target is a big uncut diamond that Wilby's dad has on display in the local Odditorium.
It's sad that THE SHAGGY DOG is unavailable on DVD or video, because it's really not on TV anymore either. The Disney Channel today is nothing like back in 1999, so chances are, you may not ever see it on their lineup. I tried several times to record it when it came on from 1997 to '99. One time a storm even knocked out our power!!! I finally got to tape it in July 1999 or somewhere thereabouts, and for some reason either the cable or the Disney Channel had problems and a lot of the film is marred by sound and/or picture problems.
Jeremy Sisto, who said once that he didn't think he could do comedy all that well, is probably the funniest thing about The Shaggy Dog. We all know he's hot, but the fact that he played a hot looking guy who unfortunately is also an insecure jerk and jealous twit says that he can see humor in everything, including being really good looking. After all, just because you're outgoing, charismatic and really fine, not to mention you drive a hot car, doesn't mean you're not UNCOOL, and capable of sloppy schemes that end up making you look like a bigger buffoon than the two girls already thought you were!!! Loads of laughs at Jeremy's expense, including several scenes of tripping, falling, and getting popcorn thrown at him!!! Trey is one of Jeremy's most delightfully funny characters!!! He may remind you of a slightly younger version of Elton from Clueless!!!
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