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{{short description|2003 film by John Robert Hoffman}}
{{Other uses|Good Boy (disambiguation){{!}}Good Boy}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Good Boy!
| image = Good boy poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[John Robert Hoffman|John Hoffman]]
| producer = [[Lisa Henson]]<br />Kristine Belson
| writer = Zeke Richardson<br />John Hoffman
| starring = [[Molly Shannon]]<br />[[Liam Aiken]]<br />[[Kevin Nealon]]<br />[[Matthew Broderick]]
| music = [[Mark Mothersbaugh]]
| cinematography = [[James Glennon]]
| editing = Craig Herring
| studio  = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures]]<br>[[Jim Henson Pictures]]{{efn|Even though the company or "The Jim Henson Company" produced the film, their logo is not shown on any promotional material or in the movie itself.}}
| distributor = [[MGM Distribution Co.]] (United States/Canada)<br />[[20th Century Fox]] (International)<ref>{{cite web|title=Good Boy! (2003)|work=[[BBFC]]|access-date=11 June 2021|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/good-boy-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0znjexntc|archive-date=11 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611053832/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/good-boy-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0znjexntc|url-status=live}}</ref>
| released = {{Film date|2003|10|10}}
| runtime = 87 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $18 million
| gross = $45.3 million
}}
'''''Good Boy!''''' is a 2003 American [[science fiction comedy]] film directed by [[John Robert Hoffman|John Hoffman]], based on the book ''Dogs from Outer Space'' by Zeke Richardson; Hoffman and Richardson collaborated on the screen story, while Hoffman wrote the screenplay. The film stars [[Liam Aiken]] as Owen Baker, as well as the voices of [[Matthew Broderick]], [[Delta Burke]], [[Donald Faison]], [[Brittany Murphy]], [[Carl Reiner]], [[Vanessa Redgrave]], and [[Cheech Marin]] as the abundant dog characters in the film.
==Plot==
Owen Baker is a 12-year-old who has been working as the neighborhood dog-walker so he can earn the privilege of getting a dog of his own. Owen's hard work pays off when his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Baker, let Owen adopt a scruffy Border Terrier that he names Hubble. Owen has little time to make lasting friends, due to his parents' renovation and reselling of houses, so he hopes Hubble will be his best friend.
Owen does have a friend named Connie Flemming, a girl his age who lives in the neighborhood, but he is also bullied by two boys named Frankie and Fred. Soon after the adoption of Hubble, Owen finds out that his new abnormally intelligent dog actually came from outer space. Owen wakes up the next morning to discover that he can now understand every word Hubble says—including the ominous phrase: "Take me to your leaders."
Owen learns that dogs came to Earth thousands of years ago to colonize and dominate the planet. Hubble, who is really named Canid 3942, has been sent by the powerful Greater Dane on a mission from the Dog Star Sirius 7 to make sure dogs have fulfilled this destiny.
The dogs Owen walks include pampered [[Poodle]] Barbara Ann, rambunctious [[Boxer (dog)|Boxer]] Wilson, nervous [[Italian Greyhound]] Nelly and Connie's gassy [[Bernese Mountain Dog]] Shep.
Despite the best efforts of Owen and this rag-tag group of neighborhood dogs to convince Hubble that everything is fine with Earth's dogs, Hubble soon discovers the awful truth about Earth dogs: "You're all pets!" Things get worse when Hubble learns that the Greater Dane is headed for Earth to do her own inspection. If things don't look right, all dogs on Earth will be recalled to Sirius.
Owen and Hubble have to work together to prepare the neighborhood dogs for a visit from the Greater Dane and her Chinese Crested Dog henchman. Owen, Hubble, Connie, and their canine pals set out to whip the other dogs into shape so that they can pass muster.
Owen's efforts fail and the Greater Dane recalls all dogs from Earth. Upset, Owen repairs Hubble's communicator and sends him a message declaring how much he loves him. The Greater Dane hears the message and is left curious by it so she approaches Hubble for his opinion on why the dogs on Earth are subservient to humanity when they should be ruling it. Hubble believes that the dogs and humans have formed a bond of love and loyalty. When asked where his own loyalty lies, Hubble asks the Greater Dane to refer to him as Hubble rather than Canid 3942, showing his bond with Owen. As a result, the Greater Dane sends the Earth dogs back and declares them a different breed. Hubble is allowed to return as well, but on the condition that he removes Owen's ability to communicate with dogs. Owen's parents choose to remain in town for once and Hubble starts to fit in as an Earth dog.
==Cast==
* [[Liam Aiken]] as Owen Baker
* [[Molly Shannon]] as Mrs. Baker
* [[Kevin Nealon]] as Mr. Baker
* Brittany Moldowan as Connie Fleming
* George Touliatos as Mr. Leone
* Patti Allan as Ms. Ryan
* Hunter Elliott as Frankie
* Mikhael Speidel as Fred
* Benjamin Ratner as Wilson's Dad
* [[Peter Flemming]] as Wilson's Other Dad
* D. Harlan Cutshall as Mr. Fleming
* Brenda M. Crichlow as Mrs. Fleming
* [[Paul C. Vogt|Paul Vogt]] as Dog Catcher
* Emanas as Good Boy
===Voices===
* [[Matthew Broderick]] as Hubble, a [[Border Terrier]]
* [[Donald Faison]] as Wilson, a [[Boxer (dog)|Boxer]]
* [[Brittany Murphy]] as Nelly, an [[Italian Greyhound]]
* [[Delta Burke]] as Barbara Ann, a [[Poodle]]
* [[Carl Reiner]] as Shep, a [[Bernese Mountain Dog]]
* [[Vanessa Redgrave]] as The Greater Dane, a [[Great Dane]]
* [[Cheech Marin]] as The Greater Dane's Henchman, a [[Chinese Crested Dog]]
==Production==
In June 2002, it was announced [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] (MGM) had greenlit ''Good Boy'', a co-production with [[The Jim Henson Company]] about an alien dog coming to Earth from Sirius, the Dog Star, to investigate interstellar reports that his fellow canines have abandoned their original plan to take over the planet.<ref name="MGMCollarGoodBoy">{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/mgm-henson-collar-good-boy-for-hoffman-1117869030/|title=MGM, Henson collar 'Good Boy' for Hoffman|publisher=Variety|access-date=September 16, 2021|archive-date=September 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916214120/https://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/mgm-henson-collar-good-boy-for-hoffman-1117869030/|url-status=live}}</ref> During the announcement, both MGM and Henson representatives expressed intentions for the film to serve as a franchise with similar expansion to series such as ''[[Beethoven (franchise)|Beethoven]]'', ''[[Air Bud (series)|Air Bud]]'', and ''[[Balto (film)|Balto]]''.
<ref name="MGMCollarGoodBoy" />
===Special effects===
The bulk of the digital effects in ''Good Boy!'' involved digitally altering the facial features of the dogs so that in the film, they appear to be talking or expressing a different emotion (sometimes called CG muzzle replacement). These effects were produced by [[Rainmaker Studios]].<ref>Karen Moltenbray, Tongue-Wagging Effects, Computer Graphics World, December 2003, Volume 26, Number 12</ref>
==Reception==
The film's domestic total gross was around $37 million, with a worldwide gross of around $45 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=goodboy.htm |title=Good Boy! |publisher=[[Boxofficemojo.com]] |access-date=March 30, 2015 |archive-date=March 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326103637/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=goodboy.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Good Boy!'' received mixed reviews from critics, earning a 44% rating at [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 87 reviews. The site's consensus states: "''Good Boy!'' should appeal to kids. Adults, however, might consider it a dog."<ref>{{Citation|title=Good Boy!|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1126165-good_boy|language=en|access-date=2021-11-10|archive-date=2024-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417144011/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1126165-good_boy|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' criticized the film's special effects, saying "Sometimes it works to show their lips moving (it certainly did in ''[[Babe (film)|Babe]]''), but in ''Good Boy!'' the jaw movements are so mechanical it doesn't look like speech, it looks like a film loop. Look at ''Babe'' again and you'll appreciate the superior way in which the head movements and body language of the animals supplement their speech."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031010/REVIEWS/310100302/1023 |title=GOOD BOY! |first1=Roger |last1=Ebert |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |publisher=Rogerebert.suntimes.com |date=October 10, 2003 |access-date=March 30, 2015 |archive-date=March 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310115344/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031010/REVIEWS/310100302/1023 |url-status=live }}</ref>
A stop-motion short film animated by the [[BBC]], ''[[Hamilton Mattress]]'', accompanied the film's theatrical release.
===Home media===
''Good Boy!'' was released on [[DVD]] and [[VHS]] on March 2, 2004.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{notelist}}
==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.mgm.com/#/our-titles/762/Good-Boy!}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0326900|title=Good Boy!}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|1126165_good_boy}}
{{The Jim Henson Company}}
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:2003 comedy films]]
[[Category:2003 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2003 films]]
[[Category:2003 children's films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:American science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:Talking dog films]]
[[Category:Films about extraterrestrial life]]
[[Category:Films about pets]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Robert Hoffman]]
[[Category:Films produced by Lisa Henson]]
[[Category:Films scored by Mark Mothersbaugh]]
[[Category:Films shot in British Columbia]]
[[Category:The Jim Henson Company films]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction comedy films]]