Cartoon's leap to silver screen brings along the adults

By Nancy Churnin
Dallas Morning News

Leonard, left, his mother, Mrs. Helperman, and their blue dog, Spot — disguised as Leonard's friend Scott — head across the country for an awards ceremony in Florida ... and the dog's dream of becoming human. Walt Disney Films 'Teacher's Pet' PG, for crude humor 74 minutes

It starts out silly enough, with Spot (Lane) fantasizing about Pinocchio's Blue Fairy coming to his world and turning him into a boy. But the pleasure here is in the Looney Tunes-like details.

Under the breakneck direction of Timothy Bjorklund, the visual gags whiz right along. There's also a whole bunch of Disney digs, including multiple Mickey sightings and that unforgettable moment when Spot tries to fend off yet another musical number by yelling he feels "Von-Trapped!" (as in the family singers in "The Sound of Music").

Spot, despite being a dog, and blue in the bargain, has been "passing" successfully as Scott, a boy at the school of "his boy," Leonard (Shaun Fleming). There, Spot/Scott wins most of the medals in fourth grade, becoming the "pet" of the teacher, who just happens to be Leonard's clueless but enthusiastic mother (Debra Jo Rupp).

But Spot wants to be a real boy 24/7. So when he finds a mad scientist, Dr. Krank (Kelsey Grammer), who claims he can transform reptiles, insects and mammals into humans, Spot tries to talk Leonard into making his dream come true.

It would be funny enough just with Lane, who won a well-deserved Emmy for the show in 2001, the same year he won his Tony for "The Producers." But the sharp comic timing of the cast, including Megan Mullally and Jerry Stiller, adds to the fun.

The jazzy musical score breaks up the craziness, with one educational song that gives information about the 50 states in alphabetical order.

"Teacher's Pet," which debuted in 2000 on ABC, follows the "Rugrats," "Arnold," "Recess," "Doug," "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Wild Thornberrys"' movies in what is now becoming quite a stampede from small-screen animation to big-screen movie.

But this effort stands out for its crossover appeal. You don't have to be a fan of the TV show to enjoy watching this dog chase his shtick.