Quartile rating: 5/10 · 1 rating
When loser Marvin Mange is involved in a horrible car accident, he's brought back to life by a deranged scientist as half man and half animal. His newfound powers are awesome -- but their adverse side effects could take over his life. Now, Marvin must fight to control his crazy primal urges around his new squeeze, Rianna, and his rival, Sgt. Sisk, who both think he's one cool cat.
The Animal is a formulaic Rob Schneider comedy that recycles a well-worn premise of a bumbling loser gaining extraordinary abilities through scientific mishap. The plot is thin and predictable, hitting every expected beat without surprise. Acting is broad and low-effort, with Schneider doing his usual schtick and supporting players playing broad caricatures. Cinematography is flat and functional, typical of early 2000s Happy Madison productions with no visual ambition. Novelty is low — the man-animal hybrid comedy concept was not fresh, and the execution is by-the-numbers. The ending resolves predictably with minimal payoff. A perfectly mediocre entry in the genre with no standout qualities in any dimension.