Review: Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

CATS AND DOGS 2: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE

Stars (voices of): James Marsden, Nick Nolte, Christina Applegate, Bette Midler, Neil Patrick Harris, Roger Moore, Joe Pantoliano, Michael Clarke Duncan, Chris O’Donnell | Written by Ron J. Friedman & Steve Bencich | Directed by Brad Peyton

Cats & Dogs 2 – Just like real spies… only furrier.

As a prelude to my review, I should mention, I’m not a big cat or dog lover and very much of the opinion that I should try and find love amongst my own species before I begin projecting my love onto animals without opposable thumbs. However… That’s just me and it hasn’t in any way affected my thoughts, feelings and emotions towards Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.

Back in 2001, perhaps I missed something, but as far as I can remember the original Cats and Dogs didn’t set the movie industry on fire with its offering of talking cats and dogs battling it out to save the world from the diabolical deeds of Mr. Tinkles, even though it did star Jeff Goldblum, who is a hero.  Making a worldwide Box Office total of $200,687,492 it strikes me as rather curious that 9 years down the line Warner Brothers would revisit this little chocolate. From a highly cynical point of view it seems even stranger that Warner would release this in the wake of Inception. However, I’m not a cynical person, so we shall ignore that and move on swiftly.

The film looks something like this according to the filmmakers – In the age-old battle between cats and dogs, one crazed feline has taken things a paw too far. Kitty Galore, formerly an agent for cat spy organization MEOWS, has gone rogue and hatched a diabolical plan to not only bring her canine enemies to heel, but take down her former kitty comrades and make the world her scratching post. Faced with this unprecedented threat, cats and dogs will be forced to join forces for the first time in history in an unlikely alliance to save themselves — and their humans. Somewhere in this salsa of mix of madness, Chris O’Donnell rears his ugly head and Mr. Tinkles makes a cameo appearance (phew).

I actually quite enjoyed the movie. Perhaps more than any fully grown human male should. There are some genuinely funny moments in the film, the standout one (unfortunately being used up in the trailer) features a singing, rotating squirrel that explodes, only to reveal the entrance to a secret underground network of tunnels where the Canine’s serve and protect the human race. All the voice talent in the movie do a reasonable job, Joe Pantoliano and Michael Clarke Duncan you’ll recognise immediately and probably have some of the funniest lines in the movie. The movie makes no apologies for squeezing numerous and dangerously obvious puns into the mixer and orchestrating the action by borrowing story line hooks from films that the youngsters in the audience will probably never have seen or heard of.  I liked them all, but then I’m barking mad (sorry). My only question is how many people really want their kids watching Silence of the Lambs before they go and see this, just so they can pick up a few filmic references?  As I said Chris O’Donnell also pops up and whilst he’s hardly in it, it’s just nice to see him not wearing the leather nipple suit from Batman and Robin.

It’s a fun film and I guess parents will always need something to entertain the sprogs, but Cats & Dogs 2 is entering into the ‘School’s Out for Summer’ mix up against Toy Story 3 and Marmaduke. Toy Story 3 is near perfection and if I were a parent, I’d be more inclined to go see that twice. Cats and Dogs 2 just doesn’t have the appeal of the Disney/Pixar animated behemoth. This isn’t a film for cat and dog lovers, it’s a film for the kids, but sadly I don’t think this second installment will invite many into the cinema, especially  if the weather is still amazing and Woody and Co. are still going strong over at Sunnyside day-care.

Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore arrives at cinemas August 4th. For more info visit the official Facebook page.