Aimed at little nippers, Good Boy! is an extra-terrestrial dog comedy that delivers far more bark than bite. But like a flea-ridden old hound that hasn't learnt any new tricks and insists on slobbering over your shoelaces, it's curiously loveable all the same.

In smalltown America, Owen (Liam Aiken, from Road To Perdition) is desperate for a pooch to keep him company. Nagging his parents into taking him to the pound, Owen comes home with Hubble (voiced by Matthew Broderick), a cute little Norfolk terrier.

"HUMAN SLAVES"

Except Hubble isn't your ordinary mutt. His real name is Canid3942 and he's an interstellar emissary from Sirius (the Dog Star), on a mission to gather data on how well his Earth brethren are ruling their human slaves. Needless to say, he wasn't expecting the planet to have gone to the dogs quite like it has.

After an accident with Hubble's flying saucer leaves Owen able to understand dog-speak, his new pet explains that unless Earth dogs sort themselves out, a "global recall" may be ordered by The Greater Dane (voiced by Vanessa Redgrave). Desperate to avoid such a calamity, Owen, Hubble and the local dogs (voiced by B-list celebs like Brittany Murphy and Carl Reiner) set to work.

As safe and fluffy as a three-month-old puppy, this kiddie-friendly mutt movie doesn't have half the sophistication of Cats & Dogs. Dodgy lip-syncing and some terrible canine jokes ("I knew he was trouble as soon as I sniffed his butt") may detract from the fun for older viewers, but there's no denying the fact that there's something cute about seeing these dogs running wild while gabbling away at each other. Definitely one for dog fans with an age range still in single figures.