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DVD Review: "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore"

No local heroes were hurt during the making of “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”; Oklahoma City's James Marsden lends an enthusiastic voice to Diggs, the heroic German shepherd who thwarts the hairless villain Kitty Galore (Bette Midler). But beyond Marsden, “Cats and Dogs” is about as intolerable as computer-enabled animal puppetry is likely to get. No cliche is too obvious for director Brad Peyton and writers Ron Friedman and Steve Bencich. They even employ George Thorogood's “Bad to the Bone” within a few minutes of the opening credits. Because it's a movie about dogs. Get it?

For adults, seeing all 82 minutes of “Kitty Galore” in the theater was like being slapped around with a James Bond box set that had been urinated on by house pets, and parents should closely consider whether to buy this Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, mainly because it allows for repeated viewings and/or torture. It's a tough grind of stale jokes about the things dogs like to sniff and the most annoying things kids love, such as “The Hamster Dance.” But if a fun time is defined by seeing animals that sound like Nick Nolte or Sean Hayes and that re-enact scenes from “Mission: Impossible,” then “Kitty Galore” is a gut-busting blast.

However, this package is not without redemption since the good people at Warner Home Video include the superb new short cartoon “Coyote Falls,” the first in a new series of 3-D Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner cartoons. Director Matthew O'Callaghan gives “Coyote Falls” the look and feel of Chuck Jones' classic shorts. It's good to see Warner Bros. taking care of its classic properties and breathing new life into the characters. As for “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore,” someone should alert animal control.

— George Lang

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