Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2010

Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore: 2009 VILLAGE ROADSHOW FILMS (BVI) LIMITED

The original movie, a 2001 CG-lips-on-talking-animals flick, was so forgettable that I recently watched the entire thing on DVD, thinking it was this charmless sequel, and not a single frame rang a bell. This ain’t no Babe. I’m not even going to go into the plot, since there’s nothing here for adults save numerous 007 references (title, opening credits, gadgetry, theme song by Bette Midler à la Shirley Bassey), and your kids won’t care. The lines the poor beasts are given could be construed as cruelty to animals. Could have done without the waterboarding joke. Will appeal to kids under 10. Make that 8. Okay, 6. Note: all local screenings are dubbed in Japanese.