SYNOPSIS:
Former elite agent
Kitty Galore has gone rogue and plans to unleash a diabolical
device designed to not only bring her canine enemies to heel
but also to take down her former kitty comrades and make the
world her scratching post. Faced with this dire threat, cats
and dogs must work together for the first time ever to save
themselves and their beloved humans from global cat-astrophe.
This fantastically fun adventure features the voice talent
of Christina Applegate, Michael Clarke Duncan, Neil Patrick
Harris, Sean Hayes, James Marsden, Bette Midler and Nick Nolte
and stars Chris O'Donnell and Jack McBrayer.
MOVIE REVIEW:
I’m not sure anyone actually wanted a sequel to the modestly successful 2001 movie “Cats and Dogs” from which this movie derives its title, even less so after nine years. But with the dawn of 3D, I guess the producers finally realised that they could lure people back with the prospect of talking animals in a live-action picture with an added dimension. Not so unfortunately- if the ho-hum box-office results were anything to go by, audiences have already grown smarter than to fall for every 3D ploy Hollywood throws their way.
Without the 3D distraction on home video, you’ll quickly find that this sequel is no more than an utterly trite and uninspired affair. Whereas the first movie exploited the age-old cats versus dogs rivalry to mildly amusing effect, this sequel trades in that premise for a substantially less interesting one of an uneasy alliance between the two species. Their enemy? A crazed hairless feline Kitty Galore, hell-bent on world domination.
That feeble threat is no more than an excuse to bring together two male dog agents, Butch and Diggs (Nick Nolte and James Marsden) and one female cat agent (Christina Applegate) from DOG and MEOWS (you couldn’t get more obvious which agency belongs to either species) to protect a pigeon (Katt Williams) who apparently has information on Kitty’s nefarious plan. Needless to say, the trio will bungle things up along the way, bicker about stereotypical cat and dog traits and finally save the day.
If predictability is order in such family-friendly movies, then the least that veteran screenwriters Ron J. Friedman and Steve Bencich (“Chicken Little”, “Open Season”) could do was to come up with enough comic inspiration to make this an amusing enough affair. Yet you’ll find that laughs are in short shrift here, and originality all but absent. Indeed, even the mildly amusing James Bond spoofs get recycled too often, and other tongue-in-cheek references to “Silence of the Lambs” and “Lethal Weapon” are wan at best.
In return, first-time director Brad Peyton compensates by trying to keep up a frenetic pace with a multitude of characters and various CG action sequences. But whether the verbal diarrhoea of the seriously annoying pigeon or the physical comedy of the other animal characters, Reed fails to raise more than a chuckle each time. The ensemble voice cast also try their best- among them the former 007 Roger Moore as a debonair cat- but there’s only so much their spirited delivery can do to save the generally unfunny lines.
“Cats and Dogs 2” joins the long line of unnecessary talking-dog animal movies that Hollywood continues to think will tickle audiences’ funny bone. Fortunately, we have seen more than our fair share to be duped once more by this hairball of a yarn- avoid this if you can, unless you have a tot you want to keep occupied for some time.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
A must-see is the Looney Tunes short here, which played before the feature in cinemas. As you've probably guessed, there are more laughs to be found here than throughout the 82-min feature.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track makes good use of the back speakers for surround effect during the action sequences, while the crisp visuals ensure that you don't miss a fur or hair on the animals.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Gabriel Chong
Posted
on 15 January 2011
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