Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Cats & Dogs Blu-ray Movie Review

Things do indeed get hairy in this third-tier catalog release...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown July 11, 2010

Talking animals will never die. Not in the strictest sense, of course -- chatty as they were, Mister Ed, Francis the Mule, Babe, Milo, Otis, Paulie, Shadow, Sassy and Chance have all gone on to meet their maker -- but, long after you and I are gone, studios and filmmakers will be trotting out new breeds of sociable, four-legged extroverts for our grandchildren's children. Ironically though, talking animals never seem to evolve either. Stilted slapstick, cheesy dialogue, tired sight gags, second-rate special effects, wooden performances and grade-school humor continue to dominate everything from G-Force to Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the genre shows no signs of changing. So here we are, a mere two weeks away from taking our wide-eyed offspring to see yet another talking-animal dud, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore; the only time the release of forgotten kiddie fare like Cats & Dogs makes a lick of sense.

Insert pithy puppy quip here...

When an underground organization of evil felines kidnap a beloved bloodhound in broad daylight, a super-secret canine agency sets out to discover what the killer kitties are up to. On one side of their centuries-old conflict: Mr. Tinkles (Sean Hayes), a conniving, vindictive Persian mad-cat with dreams of world domination. His plan? To steal a cure for allergies from the bloodhound's owner, Professor Brody (Jeff Goldblum), reverse engineer the good doctor's formula, and unleash a toxin that would make the entire planet allergic to dogs. Opposing him at every turn: a skilled Shepherd named Butch (Alec Baldwin) and an elite squad of trained agents, each of whom packs some serious puppy power. There's new recruit Lou (Tobey Maguire), a beagle adopted by the professor's wife (Elizabeth Perkins), agency chief Mastiff (Charlton Heston), communications expert Peek (Joe Pantoliano), field agent Ivy (Susan Sarandon), and baritone collie Sam (Michael Clarke Duncan), among others. But as the dogs piece together Mr. Tinkles' elaborate scheme, they have to contend with right-hand-cat Calico (Jon Lovitz), a clan of clawed ninja, a crafty Russian kitten (Glenn Ficarra), and all the deadly weaponry the cats' maniacal, independently wealthy mastermind can muster. Who knew G-Force had pilfered so much from so little?

There is a bit of innate charm buried deep within the gimmick-laden bowels of Cats & Dogs; a playful premise an animation studio like Pixar or DreamWorks Animation could have refined into a family friendly classic. But as a live-action feature film, director Lawrence Guterman's spy-vs-spy caper is a mess. A stocky parade of stiff-limbed, rubber-lipped house pets lumber out of writers John Requa and Glenn Ficarra's creative ooze, clumsily tapping keyboards, donning awkward black-ops gear, and foaming at the mouth with pop culture references and subtle-as-a-sledgehammer one-liners. Baldwin, Maguire, Pantoliano and their fresh-off-the-studio-lot ilk do their best to inject soul where there isn't much to be had, but fail miserably. Hayes is the only voice actor who embraces the lunacy of it all, going for broke when everyone else settles for less. Alas, the pups' on-screen human co-stars aren't much better. Goldblum slathers his long-established scientist schtick on way too thick, Perkins hems and haws like a miscast pro, and an uninspired assortment of character actors cling to golden-age theatrics accordingly. And the potentially inventive tale at the center of it all? A terrifying, Frankenstenian monstrosity that hobbles from scene to scene, its clipped paws clutching at convention and pulling in any familiar idea that might be of use. Other than a brisk and breezy overview of the cat-and-dog conflict though, one that amusingly traces back to Ancient Egypt, I found it difficult to keep my eyes away from my watch.

But the five-year old at my side? His take on the film was quite different. Clapping through fight scenes, giggling anytime Mr. Tinkles shook his furry paw at his minions, and bouncing in his seat as if our demon-cat would suddenly prance downstairs and start a conversation, he was enamored. He didn't care about the film's shoddy effects or shaky performances. He didn't mind that it was often more cartoonish than a cartoon, or that it continually stalled before lurching forward. He didn't notice how bland its voice acting was, how flat each punchline fell, or how wide its plot holes were (silly as it may be to mention plot holes in a movie about rival animal agencies). More than anything though, he began begging to see The Revenge of Kitty Galore when it hits theaters later this month. (The Blu-ray edition of Cats & Dogs conveniently includes a free ticket to see the sequel. Woo.) And that, my dear friends, is why talking animals will never die. Where adults see chintzy production values, kids see magic. Where adults begin to think of the many ways their hour-and-a-half could be better spent, kids find a world worthy of investing their imagination. Is it time for talking animal flicks to evolve? Absolutely. If Pixar can employ a box of toys to entertain children and make grown men cry, a smart and savvy filmmaker could do the same with talking animals. Is it likely to happen? Not if films like Cats & Dogs are any indication.

Cats & Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Absurdly colorful and unabashedly groomed for the kiddies, Warner's ultra-vibrant 1080p/VC-1 transfer wears its genre stripes proudly. Unfortunately, the resulting picture is so unnatural, so garish and unsightly at times that it comes undone. Primaries pop, but tend to be overbearing; skintones are warm, but often appear cast in orange Jell-O; black levels are deep, but crush background details; contrast is strong, but overwhelming, suggesting some serious boosting occurred at some point during post-production or specifically for this Blu-ray release. (Having never seen Cats & Dogs before this week, I can't say which for certain.) Adding insult to injury, errant softness and print damage hamper various scenes, and artifacting, banding, and some soupy digital noise rear their ugly heads throughout. That's not to say the presentation is without merit. Detail is quite good -- the majority of the film's furs and fine textures are nice and clean, and object definition is typically sharp and satisfying (without any egregious ringing) -- and several sequences capitalize on their high definition potential. It's a passable transfer, but it lacks polish and consistency, leaving the whole of the presentation stranded by the side of the road.

Cats & Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Cats & Dogs isn't going to fry your receiver either. Paired with a flat, front-heavy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, the film offers little and delivers even less. Canine voices and feline mews float above their human masters' dialogue, making for a noticeably contrived, at-times stagey soundscape. Worse, the tenor of the animals' musings ranges from thin to full, and pinched to natural. Acoustics are all but ignored -- which is fine since the rear speakers are rarely tasked with anything more than pitter-patter ambience and score support -- and dynamics are pushy and artificial. Even so, decent LFE output brings some much needed oomph to the table, John Debney's music is bright and lively, and lines are never lost in the mix. It's tough to tell whether the track's shortcomings should be attributed to the film's original sound design or a less-than-ideal lossless mix, but it hardly matters. Cats & Dogs doesn't boast sonic finesse, immersive prowess or a particularly engaging experience. Is it adequate? Sure. It's loud and lively enough to leave five-year old audiophiles grinning from ear to ear. But is it remarkable? Not at all.

Cats & Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

How is it that a film like Cats & Dogs has special features to spare, yet many a beloved catalog release barely earns a theatrical trailer? Sigh... I blame Fate's insatiable appetite for human misery. Ah well. The Blu-ray edition of Cats & Dogs arrives with a commentary, several featurettes, storyboard comparisons, concept sketches and other bonuses. Initial copies of the release also include a $7.50 voucher for Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore; a blessing for parents like myself who already promised their tykes a trip to the theater.

• Audio Commentary: Director Lawrence Guterman, production designer James Bissell, produer Chris DeFaria and actor Sean Hayes provide a lively, decidedly earnest dissection of the film that covers the genesis and development of the script, casting and special effects, the animals (and the challenges they presented), Julio Macat's photography and more.
• Production Featurettes and Goodies (SD, 24 minutes): Behold the magic. A clip-heavy "HBO First Look" special sputters and stalls; "Teaching a New Dog New Tricks" is a more extensive and satisfying EPK; a "Mr. Tinkles Audition Tape" will sail over kids' heads and leave adults rolling their eyes; a flashy, one-minute "Dog's Rule" montage fizzles; and a "Mr. Tinkles Speech" is just that.
• Storyboard Comparisons (SD, 3 minutes): A standard, splitscreen storyboards-to-final-film comparison short.
• Concept Sketch Gallery

Cats & Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What awaits those who pick up a copy of Cats & Dogs? A mediocre talking-animals adventure, a problematic video transfer, an average DTS-HD Master Audio track, an unfulfilling supplemental package, and a free ticket to see the film's upcoming sequel, The Revenge of Kitty Galore. In other words, not enough to warrant a purchase. However, such a knee-jerk assessment doesn't factor in one all-important aspect of this release: the sheer joy young children will exude when a Blu-ray copy of Cats & Dogs arrives in the mail. Worth a few bucks? In my house it is.