Finn on the Fly

Gr 4 Up—Seventh grader Benito "Ben" Soledad (Matthew Knight) has moved to a new town where he doesn't have any friends beyond Finn, a Frisbee loving border collie, in this live-action film that first aired on The Disney Channel. When Finn chases the mad scientist neighbor's cat into her laboratory and drinks a green potion, the canine is transformed into a two-legged young man (comedian Ryan Belleville). Ben introduces Finn to his parents as Eddie, the cousin they haven't seen since he was a young child, and helps Finn learn to speak and behave like a human. Along the way, Finn teaches Ben and a band of misfits how to play ultimate Frisbee and Ben becomes friends with a cute girl at school and makes peace with the school bully, who is the son of the mad scientist, Dr. Madsen (played with over-the-top evilness by Ana Gasteyer). There is much hijinks as the scientist and her assistant try to capture Finn, the kids practice for the Frisbee tournament, Finn tries to pass for human, and the real cousin Eddie arrives and ends up in police custody. One small misstep is a brief scene at the airport where Eddie learns he is going to have to undergo a cavity search. This PG-rated family film would be a solid addition to library collections.—Veronica Schwartz DeFazio, Plainfield Public Library District, ILGuidance-General