Beginning in the early 1960s, a generation of children stuck close to their TV screens, to catch the latest installment of Underdog's ongoing battle with the villainous Dr. Simon Barsinister.

Now, thanks to director Frederik Du Chau's charming film adaptation and updating, "Underdog" (Disney/Spyglass), the series' original fans can share his magic with their children.

True, the modern Underdog (voiced by Jason Lee) has undergone some changes. He is not only a live-action figure, much indebted to modern technology, but his personality is quite distinct from his cartoon predecessor.

While the original Underdog, voiced by Wally Cox, might have been a professor on the faculty of Capitol City's local university, Lee's Underdog is more like Garfield, constantly perplexed by the foibles of the humans who surround him, and just as constantly on the lookout for a bite to eat.

As the movie opens, things are looking down for our hero. A failed police dog, he decides to abandon the force, only to find himself dognapped by Barsinister's hulking henchman, Cad (Patrick Warburton), to be experimental fodder for the bad doctor (Peter Dinklage). Barsinister has a plan to mix animal and human DNA.

He escapes, but not before being accidentally transformed into a bona fide superhero. On his own again, the future Underdog allows himself to be adopted by the bumbling security guard Don Unger (James Belushi), who names him Shoeshine, and his alienated son, Jack (Alex Neuberger).

As the bond between Jack and Shoeshine deepens, they provide each other with the kind of mutual support that is the ideal of friendship. Shoeshine helps Jack deal with the loss of his mother and the resentment he feels toward his father, while Jack helps Shoeshine face his true vocation as a superhero.

The human characters are largely two dimensional, but Warburton is humorously vain and Dinklage is appropriately sinister. But Belushi's "well-meaning father" character has little depth as written. The script does provide some laughs, however, for adults as well as for children, especially in the clever way it incorporates elements from the old series.

In between its hero's adventures, "Underdog" manages to defend some solid values, such as Jack being taught to be more appreciative of his father. The title character, meanwhile, learns that the risk of failure should not prevent him from helping others. The movie is on the whole good fun for parents and children alike.

The film contains occasional crass language and some mild innuendo, and scatological humor and cartoon violence perhaps preclude the film for very young children. The USCCB Office for Film and Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

--- John Mulderig

Daddy Day Camp (TriStar)
A few years after the events of "Daddy Day Care," the two entrepreneurial fathers (now played by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Paul Rae) buy a run-down summer camp and take up a rivalry with the big, mean bully camp next door. Director Fred Savage, the former child star now making his feature-film debut, runs through the checklist of crass jokes and heavy-handed messages about life and teamwork that would have been a lot more resonant if they had been grounded in reality. A few instances of crass language, some children's brawls, bathroom humor, light cartoonlike violence and an offhand sexual remark. (A-II, PG)

Rocket Science (Picturehouse)
Quirky and sublime first-love dramedy about a stuttering young high-school boy (Reece Daniel Thompson) and the driven debating champ (Anna Kendrick) who to his surprise wants him as her debate-partner protege. Writer-director Jeffrey Blitz, without being preachy or obvious, shows us how family can come through when you least expect it, and how sometimes we can become better by going through what seems like the absolute worst. One instance each of rough language and profanity, several instances of crude and crass language, three scenes of young teens smoking or drinking, rude gestures, brief nudity in classical-art drawings, some pubescent sex talk, much debate-club discussion of abstinence policies and one instance each of implied sexual groping and off-camera sex sounds, both by adult characters. (A-III, R)

Rush Hour 3 (New Line)
The third installment of the action comedy franchise puts the dour Jackie Chan and frantic, wisecracking Chris Tucker in Paris on the trail of a secret crime syndicate called the Triads. Director Brett Ratner and screenwriter Jeff Nathanson, who both made "Rush Hour 2," keep the car chases taut and lovingly choreograph the swordplay, gunplay and martial arts, but the rapport between the two leads is forced, and the best of the comedy seems borrowed from the "Naked Gun" spoofs. Nearly bloodless violence, crude and crass language, skimpy female costuming, implied female nudity, implied sexual activity and mild sexual banter. (A-III, PG-13)

Skinwalkers (Lionsgate)
Werewolves-on-motorcycles action movie pits four biker-werewolves (including Jason Behr) against good werewolves (Elias Koteas among them) protecting a 12-year-old boy (Matthew Knight) who was prophesied as being the one to end the curse afflicting them. Director Jim Isaac's low-budget horror film is hardly a classic, but he provides intentional comic-book stylings and pointedly "cool" flourishes, and, admirably, there are no graphically gory effects. One example of rough language and a few instances of crass language, two lengthy gun battles, some supernatural violence that includes a broken neck, the aftermath of torture with the victim tied onto a cross, and one brief nongraphic sex scene. (A-III, PG-13)

Stardust (Paramount)
Eventful fairy tale based on a popular book by Neil Gaiman about a star that falls to earth in human form (Claire Danes), and how she's pursued by a witch (Michelle Pfeiffer) who hopes to acquire eternal youth, a murderous prince (Mark Strong) trying to secure his late father's (Peter O'Toole) throne, and a young man (Charlie Cox) who promises the maiden (Sienna Miller) he loves that he'll bring her the star to prove his love. Matthew Vaughn directs the multistrand narrative with conviction, and there's a good deal of welcome humor and an interesting cast (also including Robert De Niro, Rupert Everett and Ricky Gervais) but some of the story elements veer more toward adults -- or older teens -- than the youngsters who might most enjoy this sort of yarn. Intense action violence, implied premarital sex, a flamboyantly gay character, another born out of wedlock, some innuendo and brief crass language. (A-III, PG-13)

Jonn Mulderig is a guest reviewer for the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.