navigate through the world of humans) and Spy Kids (family-friendly espionage
story). In a strange way, it succeeded - Cats and Dogs takes the worst
elements of both movies and pulls them together to create an end-product so
juvenile and tedious that only a child could possibly appreciate what it has
to offer. Cats and Dogs isn't just a miscalculation - it's a wholesale
blunder.
Cats and Dogs has one of those simplistic plotlines that a five-year-old can
follow and an adult is unlikely to care about. The nefarious Mr. Tinkles
(voice by Sean Hayes) leads a gang of cats in an attempt to take over the
world and subjugate humanity (how they plan to do this is never made clear; I
suppose we're supposed to take it all on faith). Their only obstacles are
dogs - specifically canine secret agents Lou (Tobey Maguire), and Butch (Alec
Badwin). They are tasked to protect a human scientist (Jeff Goldblum) while
he develops a formula to eliminate allergies to dog dander. So it's cats
against dogs, with the well-being of the human race in the balance.
As a 30-minute short this film might have been enjoyable, but as a
full-length motion picture, it's a bore. The screenwriters might believe
that they penned a clever script, but the leaden nature of the quips,
in-jokes and pop references (yet another Matrix spoof) serves to emphasize
how subversively funny and intelligent movies like Chicken Run and Shrek are.
Cats and Dogs is series of missed opportunities that represents adequate
entertainment for the under 10 crowd, and suitable only for the most
self-sacrificing parents.
Rating: 1 star (out of 4)