I guess it makes sense that the cats would have to be the bad guys. As a cat lover, I don't like it, but can you imagine intelligent dogs trying to take over the world from cats? As a one time owner of both, I can truly imagine my dog risking his life to protect me. Just as I can imagine my cat tolerating me only as long as he felt like he owned me.

The story seems somewhat familiar, and borrows heavily from the James Bond world of spies and secret agents. In this world, cats are out to conquer the human race, and dogs (man's best friend) have sworn their oath of "To Fetch & Protect". Early on a dog is 'catnapped', because as it turns out was a spy planted in a residence where a scientist, played by Jeff Goldblum, has almost succeeded in creating a serum that would cure a person's allergy to canines. A replacement spy is needed to be placed there, but because the new dogs overlooked him, our inexperienced puppy hero gets the job instead. This puppy hero is believed to be a well trained secret agent straight out of the dog spy academy so is shown a little too much, and bonds with the family, before he can be easily replaced. Now it is up to our 'ordinary puppy' alongside some veteran dog agents to protect the household from the sinister cats looking to destroy the scientist's work. The lead cat is also working on the reverse of this serum, that will make everyone more sensitive to a dog's dander, thus destroying the bond between man and dog, and giving cats the opportunity to enslave humanity, like it did during ancient Egypt. I'll go into more detail about that a little later.

This is definitely a kid's film, but adults will find things to like about it. It is nowhere near as good as "Babe", "Chicken Run", or even this year's "Spy Kids" in those regards, but you won't be bored by it like most movies aimed for children. Disappointedly, like most films made for children this year, "Cats & Dogs" makes its first fart joke within the opening fifteen minutes.

The voice acting is particularly good, with Susan Sarandon and Sean Hayes really standing out to me. I couldn't place Sean Hayes' voice throughout the film, and had to look him up on the IMDB when I got home. He is the completely gay friend on "Will & Grace". His Mr. Tinkles work was perfect. My favorite line of his was when he was sitting on the lap of an ill owner of a Christmas tree factory, and while pretending to be the man says to a guard at the gate, "Let us in human guard. That is all.". It doesn't read funny in print, but when spoken in the movie, it was hysterical.

Another great line was when he closed a cat inside a room that was on fire. He says to the cat about to be trapped. "I want you to stay here." When the cat replies "Why?", Mr. Tinkles' response is a very simple "Because I hate you." Actually I also loved it when he told a bunch of workers that they were fired and that they should go home and take it out on their dogs. He even ends his speech with a terse "Cats Rule!".

Alec Baldwin, also did a very good job with his voice acting. As the elder and more experienced dog spy wants to protect humans, yet he is bitter towards them due to a long buried secret. Let's just say he has abandonment issues.

The look and the feel of the film impressed me more than its success at making talking animals seem real. The house and neighborhood seemed rather suburban, just like it should. But underneath the city lies the dog secret headquarters, which was made to look like a James Bond type of headquarters. We see training rooms, laboratories, and a large United Nations looking dog conference. When the all the foreign dogs begin to go crazy, even throwing frisbees around the room, the general commands attention by running a can opener!

There is also a brief, but incredible, scene where the dogs teach our puppy hero about the true ancient history between dogs and cats. I can neither explain the effect they used, nor compare it to anything else I've ever seen in a movie, because I think it was truly original. The history is shown on a computer screen how the ancient Egyptians were actually ruled by cats, and treated people as if they belonged in their litter boxes, until dogs came in and saved the day. Thus becoming "man's best friend". The ancient people forgot this as time went on, and so the dogs have kept the cats from taking over all these centuries, but have been losing footing in recent years. The effects were a very strange combination of computer graphics and static artwork. I think they were supposed to look like hieroglyphics come to life. Whatever they were, the look was perfect, and easily the highpoint of the film for me.

I fear as clever as the movie was at times, it still only just barely rates a recommendation from me because of a few major problems. For one, the human acting was poor enough that I never really cared for them. For another, the lead puppy just wasn't as interesting as any of the other animals in the film. And I'm not just saying this because I am more of a cat person. I also have a problem with the end sequences of the film. As a plant is exploding and the dogs are taking on the cats in a warehouse about to produce a deadly allergy transmitted by thousands of mice, none of the effects worked for me at all. In the tradition of the bond films, I think it was supposed to be a big war between two sides. It just wasn't a thrilling rescue, fortress assault, or decent fight finale.

I also really wish the story had a few surprises going for it. I really thought that Susan Sarandon's stray dog that quickly charmed her way into the lead puppy's good graces was going to be a double agent or something. I also thought that maybe one of the cats would have a change of heart and turn on the ruthless Mr. Tinkles. Nope. It was pretty much a 'by the numbers' type of film.

The secret solution to providing the answer to creating the dog anti-allergy serum is right out of one of the "Honey, I shrunk the Kids" type of films. It wasn't that clever, highly illogical, and actually would make the average eight year old ask more questions than it answers. I'm not even sure at the end if the super formula was destroyed, really worked, or what. And is there going to be a group of cats plotting revenge on the puppy savior? I doubt it, unless this film makes over $150 million dollars at the box office.

Aside from the early fart joke, and numerous attempts at slapstick humor, there is another sign that this was clearly aimed for children. Another problem with the film is that no person, or animal, ever really seems to be in harm's way. The problem with this is that it kept the movie from really working for me. We see a dog 'catnapped' early in the film, apparently killed. Nope, he was released and retired to a Florida beach because he couldn't handle it anymore. This didn't make too much sense. The cats are living in a gentleman's house whose nurse needs to occasionally pound on his chest to keep his heart beating. Later the cats put him in a wheelchair (don't ask) and take him to the factory he owns. I'm thinking he was dead in the chair and that was the trick. I guess not, because at the end, the family of humans helps rescue him from a burning warehouse. Even in the fight with the Ninja cats with blades flying through the air, there is no sense of danger simply because it was made clear early on that nothing could get hurt in this film. The Looney Toons cartoons of fifty years ago gave us a stronger sense of danger.

I think "Spy Kids" is still the better children's film to come out this year, but with "Shrek" still in the theaters, it would be a tough call to take a kid to see "Cats & Dogs" if I could only take him to see one film. It is easy to make a 'Kiddie film', but very hard to make a 'Family Film', and this movie didn't quite do it. It is very funny in some scenes, and clever in many scenes, but just not consistently enough.

Final Question: And why would Ninja cats need to wear "Night goggles"?




Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4