Boy oh boy did I go into the theater dreading this one. Most of these comedies featuring ex-Saturday Night Live players (see Joe Dirt or Little Nicky) or even taking their cues from Saturday Night Live skits themselves (see The Lady's Man, A Night at the Roxbury, or Superstar) have been absolutely awful. Last year, Animal star Rob Schneider took part in the ridiculous Deuce Bigelow, Male Gigolo, so it seemed fitting that this picture would be just as bad. To my pleasant surprise, I enjoyed The Animal. Although it does serve up some gags that don't work, I found myself smiling and laughing through most of the movie.

In a film of this type, there isn't really much of a story. It's more like a set up. In The Animal, Schneider plays an earnest young man who desperately wants to get on to the police force. Unable to pass the physical test, it seems our hero is doomed a lonely dispatcher for life. While driving his car, he finds himself the victim of a horrible auto accident in which he left for dead. A crazy doctor comes to his rescue, only to replace some of his vital organs with that of wild animals. When Schneider comes to, he finds himself full of unlimited energy and overcome with bizarre side effects. Such as keen smelling powers, an addiction to raw meat, incapable of controlling his sexual urges etc.

True, the film does offer up the inevitable fart joke, but that aside, The Animal doesn't seem to be as full of lame crude humor as so many recent comedies (Saving Silverman and Head Over Heals). And while not every joke is on target, most of this flick is pretty damn fun. It's sort of a comical version of Mike Nichols' Wolf with Jack Nicholson. The movie even offers up some cool visuals as Schneider runs through the forest like a gorilla, jumps high in the air like a leopard, and skims across the water like a playful dolphin.

Schneider (who also co-wrote the movie) is actually sweet natured, which is a refreshing change of pace from Adam Sandler's annoying turn in Little Nicky. There are moments where he even reminded me of Michael Keaton with his frizzy hair and spastic demeanor. Also along for the ride is newcomer Colleen Haskell who you may remember from the first series of Survivor. She's hardly a movie star, but she does have a somewhat appealing screen presence. I really liked John C. McGinley as an athletic jerk of an officer. He really hams it up and it's hilarious.

The Animal sort of reminded me of Ace Ventura at times, only this movie is good. I wouldn't call it groundbreaking cinema but it was pleasant enough to make me forget about some of the really bad comedies as of late. This is a fun diversion full of some big laughs and even a couple of surprises. The Animal is good, dumb fun.