Man’s Best Friend (1993)

Synopsis:

A genetically enhanced dog escapes from a research laboratory. A newswoman, played by Ally Sheedy (The Breakfast Club), adopts the cute mutt, but she soon realizes that there is something sinister about the lovable canine. In a matter of days, this seemingly friendly dog becomes a vicious, unstoppable killing machine.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“Max isn’t your typical dog. It’s a genetic crossbreed.”

Man’s Best Friend is farfetched and derivative. There is nothing here that you haven’t seen before, and some plot twists are so unlikely that they can hardly be taken seriously. So, I keep asking myself, “Why did I like it so much?” Honestly, I just couldn’t resist a movie that shamelessly embraces sci-fi horror movie clichés — it constantly winks at the audience, and that makes the movie enjoyable to watch.

Written and directed by John Lafia (Child’s Play 2), Man’s Best Friend begins with serious-minded intensity, and the last scenes are a little sad, but there is a lot of dark humor in the middle. The film goes back and forth between ghastly violence and comedy, and that’s weird. I should have been annoyed at the sudden shifts of tone, but I wasn’t — I actually enjoyed the movie’s eclectic mixture of genres and moods.

There are many tender moments as well. The scenes between Ally Sheedy and the dog are poignant. It’s a good performance by Sheedy, who, in my opinion, was the most underrated actor of “The Brat Pack.” She is able to convince us that she really loves the dog, and because of that, we never stop rooting for the animal despite his bad behavior. Lance Henriksen (Aliens) is creepily focused as the “mad scientist.”

This is the type of sci-fi thriller that relies on movie magic to create tension, and the good news is that the film’s visual effects are very good. The movie employs an assorted selection of animatronics and makeup effects to portray the dog’s superpowers — it’s fun to see a 1990s movie that relies on optical effects instead of CGI images.

Furthermore, I loved the music score by Joel Goldsmith (The Man with Two Brains and Shilo), the son of Oscar-winner composer Jerry Goldsmith (Star Trek: The Motion Picture). While his work isn’t as widely known as his dad’s, Goldsmith Jr. demonstrates here that he was every bit as talented as Goldsmith senior.

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

Man’s Best Friend might be a few inches above schlock, but it’s surprisingly engaging and suspenseful. Ally Sheedy’s outstanding performance in the lead role is a bonus. And it says something important about the inhumane treatment of animals in research labs. I’m not going to pretend this is a high quality production, but as a piece of unpretentious entertainment, the film delivers the goods. Color, 89 minutes, Rated R.

This is my contribution to the Friends Fur Life Blogathon, hosted by The Midnight Drive-In and Hamlette’s Soliloquy.

Theatrical Trailer: