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| Reviewed By Stephen Davis |
| Director: Lawrence Guterman |
| Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins, Alexander Pollock |
The Plot:
For years cats and dogs have been involved in a heated battle for supremacy, at least on the big screen. Interestingly, neither team has ever had an undisputed advantage… until now. Professor Brody is on the verge of a huge discovery, one that could finally tip the balance of pet power forever, but a small mix up lands an inexperienced young beagle pup in the middle of it all. With time running out, Lou has to muster the courage to fight for mankind; if he fails, catastrophe will strike all over the globe! |
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The Movie:
With the upcoming release of Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, I half expected the original Cats & Dogs to be released in HD, if for no other reason than to use modern technology to attempt to increase anticipation for the sequel. I honestly never saw the 2001 hit (if you want to consider it that), and I now know why. A lackluster plot, cheesy humor, and a ridiculous 'twist' of events all prove unwatchable, making the film a borefest from start to finish.
Starring many respectable names like Jeff Goldblum, Susan Sarandon, and Tobey Maguire, I wanted this film to be entertaining. I enjoyed last year's G-Force, so I felt it had a good chance. No such luck. In fact, in many regards, I found this adventure to be the worst of recent memory, even when compared to the recent Marmaduke.
The film starts out well, and I will give kudos to the acting dog that played Lou - he was cute. But there isn't much else worth crediting. The cat scenes were quite ridiculous, and I found the fight sequences to be a complete waste. The final scene was somewhat clever, but I lost interest mere seconds after it was revealed. It would take a youthful imagination to even find the film somewhat entertaining and my five year old cousin stopped paying attention at about the five minute mark; that should say something. |
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The Extras:
Teaching a New Dog New Tricks: This feature dives into just how they got the animals to act according to the film's detailed specifications. A mixture of trained dogs and CGI was used, both of which are discussed.
Storyboard Comparisons: Here we get to see just how close the final cut of the film was to the initial storyboards drawn prior to filming. |
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The Verdict:
I am not Warner Brother's target market when it comes to Cats & Dogs, that much is easily known. But I can honestly not understand how this film made over $200 million at the worldwide box office. I feel bad for both Jeff Goldblum and Elizabeth Perkins for their involvement here as they were given absolutely nothing to work with. If you are like me and need to see the original before heading out to the sequel (assuming you are even interested in Kitty Galore), then rent it. Other than that, here is no reason to even see this film once, and you will be grateful that you can pass it back to the video store employee and forget you ever opted to waste 87 minutes of your life. If you could care less, don't let this review stir up any interest. Cats and dogs are often cute, especially if you aren't allergic. But trust me, allergic or not, Cats & Dogs the movie should be avoided at all costs. |
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