Today’s quick review: The Animal. Marvin Mange (Rob Schneider) gets the chance to turn his life around when an experimental surgery by an eccentric doctor (Michael Caton) leaves him with the organs—and abilities—of animals. His new abilities make Marvin a better cop and land him a date with Rianna (Colleen Haskell), an environmental activist and the girl of his dreams. But to stay on top, he’ll have to keep his animal instincts under control.
The Animal is a comedy about an ordinary man given the skills and urges of the animal kingdom. This improbable premise serves mainly as an excuse for Rob Schneider to unleash a flurry of animal impressions, ranging from dogs to chimps to horses. The Animal takes this gimmick in some creative directions, while its light tone and energy contribute to a breezy watch. However, its crass and shallow humor will rub most viewers the wrong way.
The Animal aims for quantity over quality, throwing a barrage of jokes at the audience to see what sticks. Its hit rate isn’t spectacular, but the film is quick to move on from its failures. Enough of the jokes find the right balance of absurd and clever to give the film some appeal. But these are outweighed by the film’s weaknesses, which include an insubstantial plot, overly raunchy humor, and mediocre characters.
Watch The Animal only if you’re a fan of Rob Schneider, or of loose, raunchy comedies in general. The Animal gets some mileage out of its premise, thanks mainly to a passionate performance from Schneider and the film’s rapid-fire gags. But the movie lacks enough comedic strength to make up for its failures, and its ends up outclassed by comedies with tighter scripts. For a similarly uneven watch starring Rob Schneider, try The Benchwarmers.
4.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for thin comedy with a mixture of highs and lows.