Cats & Dogs is an ambitious, over-the-top, comedy that brings to life the idea that dogs and cats are engaging in a constant, global scale, behind-the-scenes war to secure world domination. The film lets us humans in on the secret when we aren’t looking, the dogs and cats of the world are actually highly evolved conversationalists with technology that would amaze any human being. Animals let the humans think of them as dense when all the while the species engage in a battle of wits to outmaneuver each other.
According to the film, dogs are loyal, human lovers intent on keeping their place as man’s best friend. Cats, on the other hand, are diabolical, power hungry aggressors always on the prowl to exploit dogs’ weaknesses in order to overtake their power base. The menagerie is brought to life on the screen with a dizzying mix of real life critters, intricate puppets and state of the art computer animation.
Mastif (voiced by Charlton Heston) leads the highly intelligent and technologically advanced underground canine intelligence system, which constantly monitors the actions of their cat foes. The latest mission is to protect human, Professor Brody (Jeff Goldblum) who is on the cusp of creating a cure for human allergies to dogs. If the humans have access to this cure, the cats of the world will lose their place in man’s favor for good – forever banished to second banana status.
The cats are intent on capturing the technology so they can re-work it and make humans allergic to all dogs knocking them off the ladder of affection permanently. The film is driven by the fiendish Mr Tinkles (a deliciously hilarious Sean Hayes), a white Persian cat leading the forces of evil.From his headquarters in a musty, rich shut-in’s mansion, Mr. Tinkles assembles a team of terrifying assassin cats, from cagey Russian bomb experts to ninja cats, in hope of capturing the formula and taking over the world (evil cackle!)
The dogs set up an elaborate plan to get an agent, in the form of a new puppy for son Scott, inside the Brody’s household so they can counteract the cats. The plan goes awry when Mrs. Brody (Elizabeth Perkins) chooses the wrong puppy – a non-agent beagle named Lou. While he has a sense of adventure and dreams of an exciting life, Lou has none of the skills needed to protect the Brody clan or vanquish the killer feline foes. Mastif then sends in a crack dog intelligence group led by agency veteran, Butch (voiced by Alec Baldwin) to show Lou the ropes and keep Prof. Brody on track with his experiments.
Thus the stage is set for epic encounters with cats and dogs duking it out for supremacy. The set-ups are grand in scale with intricate chase scenes and crazy action sequences. Of course, all the while the battles take place under the clueless noses of the Brody’s, who always seem to just miss the fireworks.
The human performers in Cats & Dogs certainly go along gamely with the film but they come off rather flat and unnecessary. Jeff Goldblum gives another patented oddball roll as he spends the majority of the film running around with wires coming off his head as he takes heady whiffs of Lou’s fur. It’s just creepy after awhile. Elizabeth Perkins is sunny and motherly while Alexander Pollack, as Scott, is an agreeable child actor but doesn’t add much to the mix.
The fun of the film is in the clever shenanigans concocted by both sides of the pound. Director Lawrence Guterman peppers the film liberally with eye-catching gizmos and gadgets, lots of colorful side characters and elaborate sets that will keep the kids engaged. There are some slow spots in the middle as the story gets bogged down with some overly long action sequences and the weight of too many sub-plots. Most surprising is that despite the wealth of imagination presented visually – the script suffers from some pedestrian writing. The dialogue could be a lot better if only it matched the quality of the ingenious setups.
While it makes the film a bit of a letdown for anyone over age twelve, Cats & Dogs still entertains based on the sheer exuberance of it’s comedic premise. Against this backdrop, the pace only lets up when the humans are on screen. Nevertheless, the film succeeds both as a parody of the spy genre, and in stretching the boundaries of what you believe is possible.
The voice work is top notch especially Tobey Maguire as the earnest Lou, and Hayes as the maniacal Mr. Tinkles. Supporting characters played by Susan Sarandon, Joe Pantoliano and Michael Clarke Duncan also add some zest.
The movie makes you think and take a second look at your pet in a new perspective. Just do not get too much influenced. LOL
Cat lover’s – you’ll hate it. The tabbies take a serious knocking at the paws of the dog’s but for those of us with a fondness for those with Alpo breath – it all turns out, as it should. Whoof!