Underdog 2007

There is a false alarm in the Capital City Town Hall caused by a police bomb squad beagle. The beagle is ridiculed and turned away, and Cad Lackey kidnaps him and brings him to Simon Barsinister’s laboratory. Disappointed that his suggestion for genetic testing was turned down, Barsinister intends to test his new serum on the beagle in order to validate his theory. The beagle breaks free and runs loose in the lab, where he causes a fire and is exposed to a variety of chemicals that alter his DNA and grant him superpowers.

A Rottweiler named Riff Raff and his goons are avoided by the beagle after he escapes. The beagle is hit by Dan Unger’s car, but it survives. Dan brings him home and, after the dog licks his shoes, names him Shoeshine. Dan’s adolescent son, Jack, grows envious of Shoeshine’s focus. Although he still appears to be busy, Dan left the police force to spend more time with Jack following the death of his wife. When Shoeshine is left alone at home, he unintentionally creates a huge mess because he is unaware of his new abilities. Shoeshine verbally apologizes, surprising them both when Jack returns. Following the initial shock, Shoeshine and Jack become friends because they are both attracted to Jack’s friend Molly and her dog, Polly. After testing Shoeshine’s abilities, the two learn that he possesses superhuman strength, speed, hearing, and smell.

After learning that he can fly, Shoeshine quickly helps Molly and Polly when they are robbed. Shoeshine returns home with Jack after surreptitiously saving them, and Jack demands that he never divulge his abilities. Jack tricks Cad into leaving when he arrives in search of Shoeshine. Later, Barsinister and Cad locate a new hiding place beneath the city and organize a heist to raise money for his lab’s reconstruction. Jack persuades Shoeshine to step in after watching the news about Cad’s heist. While Cad manages to get away, Shoeshine disguises himself as a fish, saves the hostages, and defeats two robbers. Wearing a blue cape and a shrunken red sweater, Shoeshine assumes the alias “Underdog” and becomes the city’s resident superhero.

After failing time and time again to replicate his serum, Barsinister sends Cad to collect a DNA sample from Underdog. Although Cad is unable to apprehend Underdog, he manages to acquire his collar, which bears his real name and address. Dan is abducted by Barsinister and Cad, who then make him call Shoeshine for assistance. After an attempt at rescue by Shoeshine and Jack, Barsinister kidnaps Dan and Jack in order to persuade Shoeshine to donate his DNA. Three trained German Shepherds receive the super pills from Barsinister, who also creates Underdog’s superpowers and gives Shoeshine an antidote to the serum. After leaving the family stranded in the sewers with Cad, Dan uses his background as a police officer to free them all. They use a hypodermic needle containing the antidote to chase after Barsinister.

Molly and Polly follow Cad after Barsinister kidnaps the mayor at City Hall and gives him the order to attach a mind-control serum-rigged bomb to the roof. Shoeshine overcomes his self-doubt and enters the building after smelling the bomb. Cad finds Polly and Molly, catches them, and restrains them. Shoeshine unintentionally tears open Barsinister’s pocket during a fight with him, and he takes a super pill that gives him back his abilities. Cad is rendered unconscious by the giant shoeshine ball. After hearing Molly and Polly cry out for assistance, Shoeshine momentarily renders the German Shepherds helpless; however, Barsinister takes a pill and diverts his attention. Following their recuperation, Shoeshine persuades the German Shepherds to turn against Barsinister, who has mistreated them. Underdog shows up on the roof, saves Molly and Polly, cuts them off, ties them up, and tells them to take the mind control serum to the police while he takes out the bomb while they are holding Barsinister. Dan shows up after the mayor promotes and reinstates him, injects Barsinister with the antidote, and arrests him. Shortly before it detonates, the underdog takes the bomb and buries it underground. Despite his attempts to flee, he is caught in the blast, sent into space, and is thought to be dead. When Underdog comes back to life in front of a sobbing audience, everyone is ecstatic. As Underdog, Shoeshine resumes guarding Capitol City.