Been playing again...so.click or I'll put Bonfire toffee in your hair!! Am trying to catch up with e...
Been playing again...so.click or I'll put Bonfire toffee in your hair!! Am trying to catch up with everyone so bear with me!! Kez x
Member since:02.12.2000
Reviews:81
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Did you know that your magnificent moggies and darling doggies have been locked in brutal combat since Egyptian times? No surprise there then, but did you know that undercover of darkness, they use high-tech surveillance equipment, bombs and enough super-cool gadgets to make Batman sick with envy? Did you know that there are cat and dog armies, both run with military precision? If you didn’t, then you obviously haven’t seen “Cats and Dogs”.
“Cats and Dogs” centres around one particular family: the Brodies. The Brodies are very important to the both the cat and dog militia as Professor Brody is working on a vaccine to eliminate allergic reactions to dogs in humans. This is obviously important to the canines as they can then protect all humans against the feline threat. However, it’s more important to our feline friends as they can use the vaccine to find the cause of the allergy and infect everyone (through mice, funny, funny!!!) thus making dogs the enemy of both human and cat. The cat militia is headed by a thoroughly gorgeous and very bad tempered white Persian called Mr Tinkles, who in the tradition of all Bond villains, has an army of henchmen (or henchcats!!) working for him to bring off his evil plan to rule the world! The film begins with the Brodies old dog being catnapped (he’s actually rescued and retired to the Bahamas by dog intelligence!!).
A highly trained replacement is required, and so enters Lou. Lou is a Beagle puppy, has never been to the dog training academy; in fact he was born on a farm and that’s where Mrs Brody gets him by accident, choosing him over the trained Doberman puppies that have been placed there by Dognet! Making the best of a bad lot, the Brodies neighbourhood dog officers, Butch, an old big dog and leader of the Brody sector, Peek, a Pekinese surveillance expert and Sam, a hilarious Old English sheepdog, train Lou on the job. The resulting film is funny, cute and absorbing.
The mix of live actors and animals with animation works incredibly well. It’s all done a la “Babe”, as in real animals are used but their mouths are animated. It’s seamless and very believable. The cast and vocal talents are superb; Jeff Goldblum plays Professor Brody and is fantastic! He’s does what he does best and that’s being himself!! Totally neurotic, very highly strung, intense and full of nervous energy! Think of Goldblum in “Jurassic Park”. That’s the quality he brings to this movie! Elizabeth Perkins is adequate as Mrs Brody, but let’s face it, there’s very little for any other actor in this film (apart from Goldblum!) to do. The focus, and rightly so, is on the animals; Tobey Maguire (who’s playing Spiderman in the upcoming film!!) is the voice of Lou and is fab!! He’s totally believable and you warm to him straight away (and this from a cat person!! High praise indeed!) Other vocal talents of note are Susan Sarandon as Ivy, a neighbourhood stray, Alec Baldwin as Butch, Sean Hayes as Mr Tinkles, and Charlton Heston as the Dog Leader at Dog HQ.
My personal favourites bits are the Siamese Ninja cats that are so funny; I nearly wet myself again! (I’m always doing that!!!) I loved the battle scene with them and watch out for the binoculars and parachutes!! The Russian cat is hysterical; this is the one you see in the trailers for the film, the “I think not, baby puppy” cat! He has a way with fur balls that’ll make me look twice at my two cats the next time they hack one up!! Mr Tinkles is just a cinematic gem, the evil genius that has all the great slapstick moments, loved the bit in the bath!!! In fact, the cats really do steal the show big time!! (I’ll address this in a moment though!!) Other fab bits are: the look at the Dog Training Academy (oh, you’ll find out what your dog’s really doing when he’s ‘drinking’ from the toilet) and the final climactic scene with the mice (this had be holding my stomach in stitches!)
All in all, “Cats and Dogs” is a great film. It’s fun, funny and original. The plot is very easy to follow (critics say a little too easy, but hey, they’re devoid of a sense of humour right?!!) and the visual gags come thick and fast. It’s rated PG and is a good family film. It’s not quite as good as “Shrek” or “Toy Story” but it’s a really light and amusing way to spend a couple of hours. Go on give it a go; after all, we all have days when we’re mentally challenged or haven’t got two brain cells to rub together, leave your intelligence at home and go enjoy yourself laughing at domestic pets beating the crap out of each other!!! At least you’ll be more tolerant when you get home and your house is ransacked by your fluffies!! After all, a full-scale war might have taken place!!!
(On a side note, and hence down here at the bottom, nicely tucked out of the way, does anyone else think that cats are getting bad press from movies?!! I mean, I can’t actually think of any successful films (which rules out Disney’s “Oliver and Co”) where a cat has been one of the good guys! There were the Siamese cats in “Lady and the Tramp” – evil. The white Persian in “Stuart Little” – evil. That Bond villain that I really can’t remember the name of had a white cat – evil. Even Dr Evil has Mr Bigglesworth – evil. And now we have Mr Tinkles! Just seems a little unfair, that’s all!! But then again, I usually love the bad guys in films anyway!! Ah well!! If you can think of any non-evil cats in movies that were successful, could you please please please leave me a comment!!! It’s driving me slightly round the twist trying to remember one!!! And I’m not counting Simba because he was a lion or Tigger because he’s a bouncy tiger!! I’m after pure pussy cats!!)
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Production Year: 1993 - Family - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Michael Caine, The Muppets, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, David Rudman, Steve Whitmire
Sounds like a film to watch, I did not fancy it but I have changed my mind based on this opinion. Cats getting a bad press, well I can stomach them, washed down with a little Ciant of course, achoo!, they make me sneeze!
Judgee 28.08.2001 04:39
mmm might have to go see this! Good cats, wasn't there one in a film about 2 dogs and a cat that have to find their way home through the wilderness? can't remember what it was called though!
offy 26.08.2001 02:29
Excellent review. Well written and informative. I saw a trailer for this and, being an animal addict, really fancied it. Your review has convinced me - cheers.
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![Cats And Dogs [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78545313.jpg "Cats And Dogs [DVD] [2001]")
![Cats And Dogs [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78521214.jpg "Cats And Dogs [DVD]")
Aug 21st, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
