Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore
Voices: Bette Midler, Nick Nolte
Direction: Brad Peyton
Rating: **1/2
A blend of live-action and animatronics, the original Cats and Dogs movie was released at a time, back in 2001, when computer-generated cartoons were the exception rather than the rule.
Although it grossed a whopping $200-plus million at the global box office, the tale of jealous felines was far from purr-fect. The sequel, which inexplicably took nine years to fructify, is meow of the same, with the added attraction of 3D.
This time around, the arch-villain is a hairless horror (voiced with gusto by old-timer Midler). The kitty mastermind plans to take over man and petkind.
Enter a rookie police pooch (James Marsden). Accompanied by a veteran spy dog (Nolte) and a chirpy pigeon, the trio strive to save themselves and their human owners. Fur flies and how as the canines lock paws and claws with a sleek feline agent (Christina Applegate) in order to vanquish the diabolical foe.
Exciting? Not quite. The storyline is trite and the slapstick routines quite tiresome. Plus, there are several wince-inducing references to the James Bond capers, the Lethal Weapon series and even The Silence of the Lambs.
To be fair, the movie is chock-a-block with wall-to-wall mayhem. The menagerie of vocal talent is top-notch providing the characters their life and personality.
{{/usCountry}}To be fair, the movie is chock-a-block with wall-to-wall mayhem. The menagerie of vocal talent is top-notch providing the characters their life and personality.
{{/usCountry}}At best, then, …Revenge of Kitty Galore is likely to appeal to kids and pet lovers of all ages.