SYNOPSIS:
A pampered Beverly Hills Chihuahua named Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore) finds herself accidentally lost in the mean streets of Mexico without a day spa or Rodeo Drive boutique anywhere in sight. Now alone for the first time in her spoiled life, she must rely on some unexpected new friends--including a street-hardened German Shepherd named Delgado (voice of Andy Garcia) and an amorous pup named Papi (voice of George Lopez)--to lend her a paw and help her to find her inner strength on their incredible journey back home.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Would someone like to tell us how we can love this movie a little more? Would someone like to tell us why Hollywood producers continue to give the green light to projects like that? Would someone like to tell us what is it about talking animals (most of them canines in this case) that is supposed to make us laugh? Over the years, we have seen countless movies that employ animatronics so that animals can spout slews of unintelligent dialogues in the attempt to make human beings chuckle. So when we are given the task to review this movie brought to you Walt Disney Pictures, we weren’t exactly get particularly excited.
Drew Barrymore (He’s Just Not That Into You) voices a spoilt Beverly Hills Chihuahua (and gets the movie to be named after her character) who gets lost while on vacation in Mexico. She then meets a whole lot of other animals (most of them dogs) who help in one way or another to get her home. And joining Barrymore in voicing these animals are Andy Garcia (The Pink Panther 2), George Lopez (Henry Poole is Here), Cheech Marin (Race to Witch Mountain) and Luis Guzman (Rogue Assassin).
The Chihuahua will find love in another Chihuahua at the end of the movie. So will the human characters too. This would be the niece played by Piper Parebo (Because I Said So), a sweet young thing who is tasked to find the lost dog in the show. She will eventually fall in love with another dog owner (and why aren’t we surprised?) played by lesser known Manalo Cardona.
We know that this silly movie is targeted at kids below the age of, say, 12 (it’s difficult nowadays to put a number to the age where children grow tired of talking animals) – which is why we are not going to tear this 91 minute picture apart. There are some charming moments between Barrymore’s Chihuahua and Garcia’s disgraced German Shepard. There are some rib tickling moments when Barrymore’s Chihuahua chances upon a lost civilisation of Chihuahuas. There are also some romantic moments between Perabo and Cardona. Watch out for the unintentionally funny scene where the two of them bathe – not with each other, but the dogs.
But that is about it. You’ll probably not remember much of this movie once its credits roll. The throwaway jokes and the forgettable performances will not be part of movie history. Even with Golden Globe winning Jamie Lee Curtis’s (Freaky Friday) turn as the tai tai owner of the titular Chihuahua, you’d be wishing that you can spend the time doing something else more constructive – like taking your own dog for a walk in the park.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This Code 3 DVD contains some bonus features which are as bland as the movie. First up, there is a three minute Legend of the Chihuahua which explains where the small species of dogs come from – did you know that it is the 10th most popular species? There are three Deleted Scenes, one of them showing a romantic night out with Barrymore’s Chihuahua and her love interest. The three minute Blooper Scooper shows you what happens when dogs do not listen to their trainers, accompanied by a comedic music track. The Audio Commentary by Director Raja Gosnell tells us that how much time and where the shooting took place – not very excitedly though.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The disc’s visual transfer is clear, while there are 5.1 Dolby English and Thai audio tracks to choose from.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
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