This 'Teacher's Pet' needs more than an apple

In recent years, there has been a surge of movies based on children's cartoons. Disney has perpetuated this trend by introducing Teacher's Pet, based on an animated show of the same name. \nPet seems to have the makings of a family-friendly movie for all ages. There is a decent enough plot: a very intelligent talking dog named Spot has been going to school with Leonard, his owner, dressed up as a boy named Scott. Apparently, no one, not even Mrs. Helperman -- Leonard's mom and Scott's teacher -- notices the fact that Scott is a little furrier than the rest of the fourth graders. So now it's summer vacation, and Spot discovers that there is a mad scientist named Ivan Krank who claims that he can change animals into humans. A zany road trip and subsequent adventures ensue. \nPet also boasts some of the finest voice talents in Hollywood. Nathan Lane as Spot/Scott, Kelsey Grammer as the evil scientist and Debra Jo Rupp (better known as Kitty Forman on "That '70s Show") as Mrs. Helperman, all beautifully lend their voices to characters. Unfortunately, their range of talent has very little to work with: the dialogue is uninspired and boring and any entertainment value is practically nonexistent. \nThere are some inspired jokes, but the humor seems forced and contrived. Audiences may smile at a few references to other Disney movies, but in general the jokes fall flat and end up annoying rather than entertaining. Even more obnoxious are the lengthy and irritating musical numbers. Only one song really advances the plot, and that song drags on way too long. The rest of the songs apparently exist only to torture those people who brought their children to see the film. \nBesides the voice talent, the only real saving grace of the film is the wonderful animation style it boasts. Reminiscent of shows like "Ren and Stimpy" and "Rocko's Modern Life," the animation may not look real, but it's fun with a manic energy behind it. It really is a pity that the dialogue and jokes just couldn't measure up to the genius of the animation.\nPet held a bright promise of becoming another film full of fun for the whole family. It's true that the movie will entertain children, but kids can also be entertained for hours by dirt and sticks. Adults, on the other hand, will find a majority of Teacher's Pet to be unbearable.