Secret Agent Dingledorf and His Trusty Dog Splat

This is a movie with a lot of heart! To start I got to give props for the cast and crew. This is the kind of film that anyone can enjoy, I know it is mainly targeted for kids due to being based on the book series of the same name, but adults can enjoy and get a good message out of it too. This film contains a message about kindness and bullying. Think kids today can really learn a valuable lesson after watching it.

I'm going to do my best to keep this spoiler free as much as possible, mostly just detail some things on the way the movie starts out.

The film follows Bernie Dingledorf played by Zackary Arthur, IQ played by Cooper J. Friedman, Lens Cap played by Shiloh Nelson, and Splat played by Tupac Souza. Bernie, IQ and Lens Cap are filming their own superhero movie, when a group of bullies confront them and end up sabotaging it. This causes Bernie to get depressed for not being able to stand up to those bullies and protect his friends as well.

In another part of town there is a group of clowns going around robbing stores for a candy bar called "Gooey Chewy Bar", that got sent to the wrong addresses by mistake. The leader of the clowns, Dr. Chuckles who is played by Ryan O'Quinn is developing a plan to take over the world, with an invention of his own creation that causes laughter and makes people play mean pranks on one another. Anyone that eats the candy bar is immune to the affects of it, which Bernie and his friends ends up getting enough for them after a crate of the candy bars falls out of the clowns truck, following the encounter with the bullies..

This is where an secret agent Agent 001/2 who is played by Paul Johansson is assigned to find Bernie and his friends. They may be the only ones able to stop Dr. Chuckles from completing his diabolical plan.

This sets the foundation of the film, leading Bernie, his friends and others on a silly humorous ride of unpredictable moments.

Some other mentionable things about the film is that it has a very special actress in it too, Darcy Donavan. You may have seen Darcy in films and shows like Anchorman, Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, and My Name is Earl, to name a few of her works. She plays Agent 001/2's love interest in the film. There is one of her scenes where Agent 001/2 is trying to hide her from his boss, who discusses the mission to him. It made me really burst out laughing.

I also wanted to give props to both Billy Dickson the director and Bill Myers the writer, for bringing this movie together and putting the kind of effort in the film that makes you want to go and pay it forward to someone after watching it. It has that kind of ripple effect about it, of positivity. Also mentioning Bill again another fun part of the film is seeing him appear in parts of it as little cameos/easter eggs.

As a final message on why I think you all should watch this film, besides just the good message about the film, there is a lot of heart, humor and silliness within it too. With the way things has been this year and last year with the pandemic and quarentine, this is the kind of family movie that can bring out your inner child and make you feel like a kid again. Its also a family movie that anyone can enjoy watching. God knows we can all use a few laughs right now, and this movie certainly delivers on that! Give it a chance, you will not be disappointed!

Secret Agent Dingledorf and His Trusty Dog Splat is a film that has a relatable message, an interesting storyline, and shows the importance of teamwork. There are some familiar faces in this film, making it one to watch.

The story follows a 10-year-old boy named Bernie Dingledorf (Zackary Arthur) who is living a normal life, until he and his friends eat a Gooey Chewy Bar. This makes the friends immune to the Laugh Generator, which is being used by Dr. Chuckles, a clown who is trying to take over the world through uncontrollable laughter. When a secret spy agency called T. W. I. T. forces Bernie and his friends to come together to save the world from Dr. Chuckles, it is up to them to step up to the plate.

The acting in this film is not great, but it's acceptable. The sets are very colorful and creative. At some points you can tell they are using a green screen such as when we see the T. W. I. T. agency behind the characters - the setting looks like it has been edited. My favorite aspect is the storyline, which is entertaining and fun. Throughout the movie we see Berinie and his friends go on an adventure to figure out how to stop the clowns from creating world-wide havoc, which can be a fun, exciting, adventure for the audience. My favorite character is IQ (Cooper J. Friedman) because he's really funny. Although IQ is small, he is a big help in stopping the clowns. The others think that just because he is small, he doesn't know much and is small-brained. But, I like the fact that he is really just as smart as the others.

The message of this film is that it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, God doesn't make junk. This film is completely family friendly.

I rate Secret Agent Dingledorf and His Trusty Dog Splat 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 8. You can find this film on VOD starting September 30, 2021. Be sure to check it out.

By Giana N., KIDS FIRST!