In Theaters August 3rd Credit: Disney/Spy Glass

It still has a place in that darned Thanksgiving parade of balloons. But maybe you have to be a certain age and have a memory of a middling but endlessly re-run TV cartoon from the `60s to get a thrill from its theme song.

"When in this world the headlines read

"Of those whose hearts are filled with greed"

"And rob and steal from those in need."

"To right this wrong with blinding speed goes ... Underdog"

It wasn't much - under-plotted, under-animated, under-acted (by Wally Cox).

But at least it rhymed.

"There's no need to fear, Uuuunnn-derdog is here!"

And darned if Disney didn't screw it up. "Underdog" is the little summer movie that can't.

Brought to the screen as a live-action with (semi-animated) talking critters by the director of "Racing Stripes," and voice-acted by Jason Lee, who sounds embarrassed there aren't better jokes, this sleeping dog just lies there, waiting for something fun to happen.

Not much does.

The story - a beagle police dog washout is snatched by a mad scientist who tries to create a superdog, and by accident, does. The dog escapes, finds an owner (James Belushi, who knows a dog when he acts in one). And the new guy, who names the dog "Shoeshine" (don't ask) has a kid who could use a pooch.