Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

It is what it is, and the 3D is pretty good.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 19, 2011

A cat's eye reveals everything.

Talking animals. Secret spy stuff. Heroes and villains. Cats versus dogs. Lighthearted and well-meaning entertainment fit for all ages. That's all that really needs to be said about Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. No special insights, no deep-seeded emotions to share, no thematic import to dissect. This is base-level family entertainment at its most innocent, a movie made not to touch lives, share a message, win an Oscar, prove a worth, or even show off the latest and greatest in digital effects, though if the film did need to be pigeonholed into some category other than "Family," the latter would be it. No, this is all fluff and fun, a movie that exists only to put a smile on a face, to fill theaters and homes with the sweet sound of childlike laughter, and, sure, to make a buck or two for all involved. A good deal all around, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is the kind of movie the entire family can enjoy. It's extremely light and approachable, and even if the young ones might not get some of the references -- even the overriding James Bond motif -- the talking animals; to-the-point story; and various gadgets and gizmos, including utility belt-like collars and doggie jet packs; will certainly catch their fancy and leave them drooling for more.

...and I shall finally secure victory in my plan to cover the world in cat hair! Oh, wait a minute...

Diggs (voiced by James Marsden) is a loose cannon canine cop. His latest escapade -- inadvertently blowing up a used car dealership -- is the last straw. He's kicked off the force, much to the chagrin of his loving human partner Shane (Chris O'Donnell). Unbeknownst to Diggs, his misadventures but obvious talents have caught the eye of a secret underground canine-based organization with the stated goal of combating radical felineism. While in a holding cell, Diggs is rescued through a secret passage by agent Butch (voiced by Nick Nolte) who recruits the former officer to help track down the dangerous criminal known as "Kitty Galore" (voiced by Bette Midler). The dogs have recently unearthed evidence that Galore is poised to unleash a dangerous new weapon dubbed "The Call of the Wild" that will turns dogs against their human masters, resulting in their incarceration and allow Galore and her minions to enslave the entire world under one-cat rule. Diggs and Butch track down a Pigeon named Seamus (Katt Williams) that may have critical inside information pertaining to the whereabouts of Kitty Galore and her powerful new weapon. Along the way, the dogs reluctantly team up with a cat named Catherine (voiced by Christina Applegate) that works for a secret agency known as M.E.O.W.S. and is also chasing the rogue Kitty Galore. Can the cats and dogs -- both loyal to humanity -- set aside their differences in an effort to rid the world of the greatest feline threat it has ever known?

There are few films that are less pretentious than this one. Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is so comfortable in its own skin -- whether the healthy coat of its German Shepard star or the hairless pile of wrinkles that is the feline body of the film's title villain that only her human master could love -- that every moment plays as genuine and sincere in the singular goal of making audiences smile. There's nothing phony about the movie, no veiled intentions, no effort to be anything that it's not. A clever script, likable characters, and several well-conceived movie references are at the core of Director Brad Peyton's little talking animal journey that goes basically nowhere except straight down the Innocent Fun Freeway. Sure, it's easy to dismiss, and chances are most anyone over the age of six will shrug it off -- except, maybe, for hardcore animal lovers -- and probably rightfully so. Still, there's a little spark through it all, a flicker of goodness that doesn't aspire to light the world on fire but rather offer just a hint of comfort for those who wish to approach it. The movie doesn't hide its intentions or sell itself either too short or as something that it is not. Those predisposed to dislike the movie know to stay away, and audiences looking for a charming little adventure that's literally a cinematic fluff piece should walk away satisfied with expectations met, as meager as they may and should be.

And now, for something completely different, a second opinion review from the Liebman household's youngest kitten, a Black Calico named Saffy. "Helllooo! Safey here, sorry, im not much of a speler or writer yet, this is my 1nd review but daddy has azked me to rite a few wordz about cats and dogs revenge of kitty galore. There was one part with a lazer pointer and the cats didnt chase it!!!1!!! I 4 1 was really suprised by that becauze everyone nows that cats love to chase lasers, me inkluded! When daddy doe snot want me in his movie watching room it makes me sad but he haz a realy kool way of getting me away from the door he keeps a lazer pointer near by and i run down the starez and chase it! I can alredy jump one half way up the wall after it! when i go in his movie watching room I play in the curtains so i had to watch the 2d blueray downstares with the other cats my best friend Saturn the really mean Geek the shy Saber and the grandma sadie. Grandma sadie has been really sick and she has pink rapping around her nek and a tube hanging out and she skratchez it all the time. We all liked the movie if we were making the movie Saturn would play the role of kittyGalore he haz short fur and his a tonkinese or something and lookz kind of like Kittygalore but with fir. Geek would play the mean henchmen cat becauz she is alwayz hissing at me and Saturn. Sadie would be the leader or something and Saber would not be in the movie becauze she is a real fraidy cat so even this movie was sometimes two scary for her like when there were dogs and explozions and stuff. The end." Thanks Saffy!

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore arrives on Blu-ray 3D with a solid all-around 1080p transfer. First for the boring stuff. The transfer reveals fine details across the board. Fur is handled nicely; it appears layered and never at all clumpy in close-up shots, with in-tight angles really showing off the strength of high definition to bring to life even the most intricate of very fine objects. Clothing textures, too, are quite good, down to the very last stitch, while other objects, like the plush carpeting lining every square inch of M.E.O.W.S. headquarters offers a palpable, reach-out-and-touch-it texture. There are a few soft scenes, but the image is generally crisp and satisfying in both foreground and background elements. Black levels, oftentimes troublesome in lesser 3D transfers, are fairly good, with readily-evident crush never much of a problem. Colors are steady and bold, amped up a bit no doubt to satisfy the younger viewers but the Blu-ray delivers every shade accurately and without hiccup.

And now for the fun part. Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore's 3D elements are borderline excellent. Things don't approach the Avatar upper echelon, but this is a steady, good-looking, and almost always satisfying 3D image that rarely lacks some sort of perceptible depth. The 3D imagery impresses form the get-go; the Warner Brothers logo, taking the shape of a hologram, leaps off the screen with a nifty 3D effect. The opening titles are accompanied by a fair bit of a "ghosting"-like appearance when the disc is replayed on Panasonic's first-gen Blu-ray 3D hardware; this isn't a continuous problem throughout the film, but various animals and objects occasionally have a ghostly double that can reach a distracting level on one or two occasions. On the flip side, there are plenty of eye-catching and visually dazzling computer-generated 3D images floating around the title sequence -- bones, balls of yarn, tennis balls -- that play a part in replicating a James Bond-like opening, and Warner's transfer handles each one superbly, giving shape and space to every little nuanced segment. General depth is quite good -- whether looking at the Golden Gate Bridge stretch into the depths of the television or something as unassuming as two men standing on either side of a desk -- and rarely does the image look completely flat. Objects such as dog snouts take a nice, three-dimensional shape and really manage to give the transfer a realistic character. This is a surprisingly high-quality, upper-end 3D effort; as a 3D convert the transfer had "potential disaster" written all over it, but it's a good-looking image that should satisfy most viewers.

Please note that all screenshots were captured from the included 2D-only Blu-ray disc.

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack is a match for the film's high-quality 3D visuals. The fun begins with a high-energy opening title song that plays with plenty of volume, a good deal of surround support, and a punchy low end that's crisp and accurate. Surrounds are utilized extensively throughout the movie, aiding in both natural atmospherics and more action-oriented effects alike. Whether gentle natural ambience or the power of a doggie jet pack zipping all over the listening area, Warner's track is invigorating with every passing moment. Bass is potent outside of music, too, as evidenced by an overload of kitty litter that threatens to bury the heroes and bust a house at its seams in chapter four. Dialogue is well-balanced against both music and effects as it flows naturally from the center channel. This is an exciting, well-crafted soundtrack that's sure to please young viewers and dedicated audiophiles alike.

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore features a small but fluffy collection of kid-centric extras, including an all-new cartoon and a digital copy for those long car trips. This is the same supplemental package found on the standalone 2D-only Blu-ray release of Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, and they are all present on the included 2D-only disc which, by all accounts, is exactly the same as that found on the standalone release. Only the all-new Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon is found on the 3D disc, and it is, of course, presented in Blu-ray 3D.

• Dogs Dishing: Tails From the Bark Side of Hollywood (1080p, 8:59): Both the humans and animals from the film spill the beans about the follies of their counterparts and what it was really like to work on the set of a major motion picture. The piece has a humorous edge to it and pokes some light fun at both the filmmaking process and the "quality" of the film itself.
• The Best of the Best Cat vs. Dog Animated Showdowns (1080p, 4:33): A small grouping of clips from various Hanna-Barbera cartoons that feature dogs and cats duking it out for supremacy, intercut with clips from Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.
• Meow-Takes: Outtakes and Gag Reel (1080p, 3:32).
• Looney Tunes "Coyote Calls" (1080p, 3:00): An all-new animated short starring The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. In widescreen! Also available in 3D on the separate 3D-only disc.
• Sneak Peek of the All-New Yogi Bear Theatrical Film (1080p, 3:16).
• DVD/Digital Copy Disc: The digital copy, sampled on an iPhone 4, features crisp, colorful, and nicely-detailed imagery and a standard two-channel soundtrack that's a bit on the clunky side but that features suitably clear dialogue.
• 2D Blu-ray disc.

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is a well-meaning little movie that should please the young ones, and there are just enough "adult" movie references and just enough attention to small details like plot and pacing that the grownups shouldn't have too much trouble sitting through it once or twice. Fortunately, Warner's Blu-ray 3D release of Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore contains the film on just about everything but VHS; the kids will be able to watch on a 3D TV, via a 2D-only Blu-ray player, a DVD player, or a portable device with the included digital copy, so even when the parents don't feel like seeing it again, there's a way for that eager beaver viewer to watch. This set is a good value for the whole family. Mom and dad should be happy with the technical quality of the 3D presentation and the kids will enjoy having no less than four unique ways to watch. The supplements are a little thin -- a few interactive pieces and a lite game or two would have really rounded this thing into form -- but it's still a solid buy if the kids like the movie. Recommended.