Based on the Disney Channel TV series of the same name, Teacher’s Pet is a real hidden gem from the Disney vault. Released in 2004, this movie came and went without much fanfare, but those who have seen it tend to agree that it is a lot of fun. Part musical and part comedy, this is one of those movies that is fun for the whole family to watch.
How to Download Teacher’s Pet
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like Disney animated films, check out also Ralph Breaks the Internet, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Encanto.
The Movie Review
I know that I said this is based on a TV series, but I do not feel that you need to have seen the TV show to like this movie. I can say this because I have never seen an episode of the show in my life and I still enjoyed the movie. It lasts a little over an hour too so it is not as if it is asking a great deal of time from you too.
The plot of the movie is something I found to have a lot of charm to it. The basic premise of Teacher’s Pet is that we have this dog called Spot who can read, talk and pass himself as a human boy. He actually attends school with his master, Leonard and he calls himself Scott while he is at school.
Leonard’s mother is also his school teacher and Scott (Spot) is actually her star student! Leonard’s mother is going to win a special teaching award in Florida so she and Leonard jump in an RV and make the trip down there. Scott is left at home with the other pets, but he sees something strange on TV.
The strange thing that he sees on TV is this infomercial by a mad scientist called Dr. Krank. Dr. Krank claims he can turn animals into humans and this is Scott’s dream! Dr. Krank is also located in Florida so Scott manages to chase down the RV and tag along on the trip to try and become a real human boy.
As you would expect, this “procedure” is not what it seems and neither is becoming human for poor Scott! As he is a dog, he ages way faster than a regular human and Dr. Krank’s “work” tends to end up with his subjects becoming monsters! This leads the other pets to try and save the day.
What I love about the story here is that it is a lot of fun, but it also has a fair bit of heart to it as well. There are some great, legit laugh-out-loud gags here and it is something the whole family can enjoy. It walks that fine line between actually being funny and also being very juvenile with its comedy.
I also really liked the animation style here. While at the time I saw the movie I had never seen an episode of the show, from what I have seen since, I can say they capture the look and style of the show perfectly. It looks just like the show, but with a much higher budget of course.
In all, Teacher’s Pet was a fun time and I am glad we ended up watching it. You can watch the show and the movie on Disney Plus and I highly recommend you check it out. As I said in the intro, hidden gem is probably the best way I can think of to describe this animated musical comedy!
