Teachers Pet

MPAA Rating: PG

Entertainment: +2 1/2

Content: +3 1/2

Teachers Pet is an animated musical based on the popular Disney television series by the same name. Leonard Helpermans (voice of Shaun Flemming) loyal dog friend, Spot (Nathan Lane), longs to be a human boy. Spot talks, reads and often poses at school as Leonards friend, Scott Leadready, and hangs out in class with the other students. Leonards mother, Mrs Helperman (Debra Jo Rupp), is also Leonards teacher. She has earned a prestigious award and must travel to Florida to be recognized. While she and Leonard are gone, Spot and the other family pets, Mr. Jolly the cat (David Ogden Stiers) and a grumpy bird named Pretty Boy (Jerry Stiller), are left with a pet sitter. By watching the pets favorite TV show, a Jerry Springer spoof, Spot learns of a scientist who can turn animals into humans by altering their DNA. So Spot sets out to find Dr. Krank (Kelsey Grammer), who also happens to be located in Florida, and the adventure is on.

Teachers Pet is geared to the young mind and the active imagination. The characters often break into song and share heartwarming sentiments. One great song teaches children the names of each of the United States in alphabetical order. The Jerry Springer spoof is recognized as trash television. But a few troubling points in this movie should be noted. Spot, after tricking Mrs. Helperman into believing that he is Lennys friend and can therefore join them on their trip to Florida, proceeds to lie repeatedly in order to cover up his lies. The funny thing is that the Teacher of the Year was fooled by Spots silly scheme. The appearance of evil Dr. Krank, with his scary voice and violent tendencies, may be too frightening for younger children. But the encouraging theme of Teachers Pet is that everyone needs a friend and every boy needs a dog.

Preview Reviewer: Brian Hughes
Distributor: Disney

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: Once moderate (butt 1)

Obscene Language: None

Profanity: None

Violence: Several times mild (chasing, arguing, evil voice by one character); moderate (an adult character attempts to chop up a child character using an ax, children and animals are strapped onto a table and cannot get free); strong (a scary adult character removes his head and then puts it back on his body, there are some strange and scary mutated animals that do the evil scientists bidding)

Sex: None

Nudity: Several times mild (woman and boy have clothes blown off of them leaving them in underwear, women and men in bathing suits, a Vana White character wears a gown with a plunging neckline, group of guards are rushed out of their bathroom stalls in their underwear, a man wears a shirt and pants that would fit a boy)

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: None

Drugs: None

Other: Appropriate use of the Lords name (God love her, good Lord, thank God); gratuitous use of slang as exclamations (darn, gosh darn, jeez, oy!, foo, shucks, holy jeez, shoot, heck, shut up); a child is told that he is worthless

Running Time: 68 minutes
Intended Audience: Children 6 and Up

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