Cats & Dogs

Plot synopsis:
Mrs. Carolyn Brody (Elizabeth Perkins) and her son Scotty (Alexander Pollock) return home, and the family's Bloodhound Buddy starts chasing a cat, a chase which ends with Buddy's capture by other cats in an ambush.
This is witnessed by an Anatolian Shepherd dog named Butch (voiced by Alec Baldwin) who reports Buddy's capture to his superiors. The head dog then orders the best canine agents to complete the mission by preventing all (cats) from achieving their favorite goal: to make all humans allergic to dogs.
Meanwhile, at a farm, a handful of Beagle puppies make fun of a younger puppy (voiced by Tobey Maguire), who wants to be free. The younger puppy tries an escape, but he fails. A group of young black Doberman puppies, all of them trained dog agents, led by a large Doberman Pinscher appear, round up the Beagle puppies and force them into hiding underground. Mrs. Brody comes into the puppy pen and she selects the younger puppy who was forgotten by the Dobermanns. She decides to adopt him and takes him home, naming him Lou after Scotty sarcastically suggests the name "Loser".
Lou goes near an explosive trap set by the cats but Butch comes out and detonates it harmlessly. Butch then shows Lou the network that dog agents use, then takes him to meet some more agents: Peek (voiced by Joe Pantoliano) is a Chinese Crested Dog who works in an underground tube and has surveillance and communications equipment and Sam (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan) who is an Old English Sheepdog. Having mistaken Lou for a trained dog agent, Butch raises his concerns to his superiors, but is told that there is no time to send a replacement. Lou is then briefed on the origins of the war between cats and dogs, which apparently dates all the way back to Ancient Egypt. Butch also mentions that Buddy managed to escape from the cats and retired from the spy business, living life in a condominium.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tinkles (voiced by Sean Hayes), a white Persian cat, plans to conquer the world by making all humans allergic to dogs with Professor Charles Brody's (Jeff Goldblum) research on a cure for dog allergies. He is briefly interrupted by Sophie the Maid (Miriam Margolyes) who needs to dress him upon seeing the comatose Mr. Mason (Myron Natwick). Tinkles then tells his sidekick Calico (voiced by Jon Lovitz), an Exotic Shorthair, to send in the ninja cats (voiced by Danny Mann and Billy West) he hired to steal the research. He sends in the Devon Rex ninjas but Lou manages to prevent the theft. Lou then meets a former agent and Butch's ex-sweetheart and girlfriend named Ivy (voiced by Susan Sarandon), a Saluki who belly scratches him. Disappointed that the ninja cats failed him, Mr. Tinkles then orders Calico to send a Russian Blue mercenary, whose name is Diemitir Kennelkoff, (voiced by Glenn Ficarra) to steal the research. Kennelkoff frames Lou for defecating in the house with a ball containing fake dog feces, causing Lou to be confined outside, then places a bomb on the lab door. Butch and Lou manage to get into the house through the window, but Peek and Sam are trapped outside after Lou knocks the window prop away. Kennelkoff fires a series of boomerangs around the Brodys' house causing serious damage and which break several vases and knock a lamp over; the boomerangs also cause the curtain pole to break. Lou then distracts the Russian while Butch tries to disable the bomb, but Kennelkoff turns his attention on Butch and tries to kill him. Butch gets caught in a telephone wire, then Mrs Brody comes home looking for her cell phone and surprisingly does not notice her wrecked living room. Although he suspects that dogs can see in black and white, Butch manages to escape and disables the bomb, but Kennelkoff holds out a remote that will detonate the bomb and laughs until the lab door opens and hits him. Kennelkoff is then captured and interrogated. The agent tells the gang that they pumped a few things out of Kennelkoff's stomach, including a note written by Mr. Tinkles.
After an incident involving Lou playing with Scotty, Professor Brody's machine finally gets the positive combinations for the formula. As Mr. Tinkles and Calico overhear the call between Professor Brody and a doctor, they decide to spring a trap for Dr. Brody and his family. First, Mr. Tinkles makes his sinister and talking side known to Sophie, causing her to faint, then he and his cats take Mr Mason's comatose body to Mason's Christmas tree flocking plant, where Tinkles passes his voice off as Mr Mason to send the employees home and commandeer the factory for the next plot. The cats send soccer tickets to an exhibition game between Uruguay and Chad to the Brody family, obviously a ruse. The cats make a fake entry and when the Brody family pulls up, the cats throw a gas bomb into their car, which goes off in a tremendous explosion and leaves the family unconscious.
While trying to decipher Mr. Tinkles's location, the dogs are obviously unaware that the Brodys have been led into a trap and are kidnapped by the said cat. After receiving a video from the cat demanding Mr. Brody's research as a ransom, the dogs from around the world assemble at a meeting (like the United Nations General Assembly) run by the Mastiff (voiced by Charlton Heston). When the dogs are unable to give up the formula after the meeting of the world's dogs, Lou angrily confronts Butch for not helping him. Butch then explains that when his owner went to college, he left him with his grandmother and storms off, cutting off all of Lou's communications with Peek and the others, so Lou would not seek help to save his family. Lou gives in and brings Mr. Tinkles the research, and is betrayed. Butch manages to find the depressed Lou and, along with Ivy, the two stage an ambush of Mr. Tinkles's factory where the latter plans to use mice to spread the now mass-produced allergy to dogs. While Butch, Ivy, Peek and Sam fight Tinkles's cat forces, Lou frees the Brodys and Calico (who was betrayed by Tinkles), revealing he can speak in the process. Lou defeats Tinkles and rescues Butch, but the claw of the excavator hits his head and a flocking tank, causing an explosion that destroys the factory. Butch manages to save Lou and he tells him he was right about everything, but the puppy is unresponsive and seems to be dead. After a few hurtful moments of sadness and sorrow, Lou suddenly awakens, and all rejoice. Lou decides to be a normal canine and not a secret agent yet, but one day he will be when he is a full-grown beagle.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tinkles is sent to live with Sophie and her three sisters, who dress him in hilariously ridiculous girly outfits as punishment.

Tags: stupid

Review:
The housekeeper/nurse makes Mr. Twiggles' life a horror by continually dressing him in feminine outfits which he hates.Another favorite is Lou, the beagle puppy who is adopted by the Brody family and is drafted as a secret agent in the war against cats.I gave this movie 8 stars..
This was a pretty clever film mixing live characters and human voices for the dogs and cats.
(Forget an original story, I just wanted a marginally good one.) I wanted the animals to be real characters, treated with respect and earning our emotional reactions, instead of being used as props - hurt, tossed around, put into scary situations - to manipulate our emotions.That it's a "kid's movie" is no excuse.
Movies have to be dumbed down for the kid audience??If you can handle watching a disturbing, strange, disconnected family (and not in a good/funny way), a squirmingly bad kid actor, some very ugly cats, sloppy editing, and as many cliches as you could ever want, then go see this movie.
However with Mr Tinkles chasing the formula and Lou growing near to his family - can the formula be protected?This had great potential - a good plot, a really strong cast and a good opportunity for children and adult jokes alike.
For children there are some fart jokes and plenty of cat and dog slapstick but there are almost no jokes for adults that other films such as Shrek and Toy Story had in spades.Given the cast this is very surprising - Jon Lovitz is a great voice but is hardly used at all, the character of Mr Tinkles could have been a great Dr Evil character, but even he is wasted.
It won't go down in history as a classic, but it certainly puts you in a good mood and keeps you there!I love dogs, especially beagles, and the one in this movie ("Lou") is just adorable!
I have to say Lou(voiced with earnest conviction by Tobey Maguire) is adorable for a dog, and while you certainly don't want to mess with villainous feline Mr Tinkles (Sean Hayes seems to having a whale of a time here), though he is cute to look at.
"Cats & Dogs" thinks its concepts are funny and entertaining enough, which is probably why it puts so little thought into the story..
I found Shrek to be one of the funniest movies I have seen all year, this wasn't.It was full of childish humor, and really had nothing at all to give to people who are over the age of 10, except celebrity voices and a few funny covert spy lines.
That said, this film would probably be enjoyed more by those of you who prefer canine company to the company of felines.There isn't much for adults, and I think children will be a little bit lost in some of the technology and dialogue.
That's why I give Cats and Dogs it's rating here because this is the type of family film that more often than not can work for the whole family because while the kids can laugh at the pratfalls the dogs and cats encounter, adults will find humor in the ninja cats, the dictator-like-boss cat and other small things.
Imagine my dissappointment then, upon seeing the film, when I realised that all the best jokes were the ones already included in the trailer.Cats and Dogs isn't an awful film, it's just not a particularly good one.
The storyline is uninspired (and in my opinion, a little too complex for the very young), the sentimentality is sickening, and even the much-hyped CG effects are painfully bad in places.There's solid voicework from the actors, with Tobey Maguire on excellent form as wannabe secret agent Lou, but the human actors (Geoff Goldblum, take a bow) play it straight when they should have gone for laughs.
Hmm. I thought this movie had an interesting premise to work off of- the enmity between cats and dogs.
Cats and Dogs is a great comedy action film that stars Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins, Alexander Pollock, Miriam Margolyes, Tobey Maguire, Alec Baldwin, Sean Hayes, Susan Sarandon, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jon Lovitz, Joe Pantoliano, and Charlton Heston!
Jeff Goldblum was annoying (wasn't his fault, he was pretty much the same as always; the script ruined it), Elizabeth Perkins looked good, nothing else, I hated the kid and the story lacked good ideas.Also, why did they have the lights on in the trailer when it comes to the Matrix cats, but had the lights OFF in the film, so you could hardly see anything?Again, I have to say this: the trailers nowadays take too much away.What I like about the movie:Little.
But I'm glad I did so anyway.Admittedly, a spy film about talking cats and dogs is likely not going to be the best in cinematography since Casablanca, but for its intended audience it's a very funny and well-made film.The star of the film is Mr. Tinkles, a beautiful and megalomaniac white Persian cat, who wants to take over the world.
Boy what a pitch that must have been " It`s about the pussy revolution that`s under way " The cats are taking over and only the canine commadoes can save us "  Man I bet a few Hollywood shrinks had an emergency call at that sales pitch , but it`s nice to know that some producer managed to stop laughing long enough to consider making this film because CATS AND DOGS is a very entertaining family film .
This is absolutely pure kid's movie, plain & simple plot, although the animation on speech is quite real, but some animation is like 1980's  robot movement (they actually use robot i presume), nothing interest me from the start to end...
When a movie like this comes out and does something that hasn't been done before (in this case, mixing live-action and animation to tell a story with talking and ninja-fighting animals), it makes a big splash.
Cats and Dogs is a movie that is fun for the little ones.
The effects are fantastic, and there are some certain scenes that are quite amusing, however, overall, it is a film for small children.Dr. Brody (played by Jeff Goldblum) is a scientist, who in his basement, is working on a formula to fight allergies to dogs.
After this one is done, watch Shrek, a film that will appeal to both you and your kids, as Cats and Dogs certainly does not..
But twas not meant to be because I saw a film that great moments of genius (those ninja cats)but a lousy whole.It had its highlights - Mr Tinkle was a fantastic character and as a whole the cats had more character than the dogs.
Today, I've seen a lot of animated movie (I really like this kind of film).
The animal voices executed  by Tobey Maguire, Alec Baldwin, Susan Sarandon, Jon Lovitz, and Sean Hayes were good enough for me to fetch on to  this film again.
Once in a great while, Hollywood will actually make a movie for the sole purpose of entertainment, and this film is one of them.I don't see this as a cruel movie in regards to animals, but it's more like a live action cartoon.
Hey, I own two cats and two dogs, I love them all, and a true animal lover will love this film.
When watching this, I am reminded of my childhood memories, such as the lines that I used to quote in this movie ("No, I think not, Sophie!").Basically, the plot is that Professor Brody, played by Jeff Goldblum, is trying to find a cure for Dog allergies.
Mr. Tinkles (voiced by Sean Hayes), the antagonist in the film, needs the research, as he wants to take over the world, by making everybody allergic to dogs.
If I was a cat, I'd be jealous of that for sure.The acting in front of the character is great (Goldblum is good at pretty much everything he does), but if anything, it's the voice acting that's the best thing about this movie.
"Cats & Dogs" is the latest to join an elite list including "Atlantis: The Lost Empire," "Dr. Dolittle 2," "Spy Kids," "See Spot Run" and "Shrek;" proves family oriented films will entertain all ages."Cats & Dogs" is one of the most unique adventure films I have seen because it combines humor, intelligence and the technical savvy to call itself a box-office hit.
The combination of live actors with voices of actors with incredible special effects immediately elevated "Cats & Dogs" to a new level of greatness.
The movie takes an incredible look inside a top-secret, high-tech espionage war between cats and dogs, which their owners are completely unaware.
I knew "Cats & Dogs" was going to be a smash hit; however, I didn't realize how much fun I could have watching the movie.The combination of live actors with voice over actors made "Cats & Dogs" more interesting because it was an element that makes the film more unique.
For example, other films like "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" and "See Spot Run" are great in their own special way; however, when you add this added element, movie patrons are guaranteed to be entertained because of the unique and rarity of the occurrences.Instant credibility came to the movie the moment I heard the voices of Baldwin and Heston because these are among the best actors in Hollywood; however, everyone involved with this movie made it a success.
"Cats & Dogs" has my vote for the movie that will make people have the most fun.
Elizabeth Perkins seems to be tailor made for her role as mother; furthermore, she is extremely talented, I can't wait to see her next film.In a summer that has contained animated and live action inventive family films, 2001 has added another with "Cats & Dogs." There is one piece of advice I must give to everyone, which is to watch everyone of the family films and share in the enjoyment..
It would have been great if all the human characters were cut out of the movie.The Cats-- Mr. Tinkles, Russian Blue ("I might look cute, but inside?
I like the ninja cats dropping from the sky, the russian's gadgets, the dog equipment, the animation and puppetry for most of the cats....Overall i enjoyed the movie.
If you are expecting a side-splitting comedy, a solid plot and character development, then "Cats & Dogs" might be a mild disappointment, especially for adults.Children, however, will be thoroughly entertained.
Except for the evil Persian Mr. Tinkles (Sean Hayes), a cat owned by a comatose Christmas tree tycoon, and his lackey Calico (Jon Lovitz), plus a briefly-seen, humorous Russian Blue "assassin" (voiced by Glenn Ficarra, who co-wrote the script), the other Cats are pretty much faceless minions.The much-publicized Mr. Tinkles winds up with only about half the screen time of Lou and Butch, which left little room for character development among the Cats.But this movie is by no means chopped liver.
There is a priceless scene in the beginning when Mrs. Brody chooses Lou over a litter of militaristic Doberman puppies.Plus, it has just been discovered that Cats can indeed drive limousines ("This isn't NASCAR!").This film's most interesting aspect is that the conclusion takes place in a Christmas tree flocking factory, a line of work hardly explored in the movies.
Her opinion: "It was GREAT" (and believe me, she can be quite picky)I was especially humored by the "Russian," a cat in serious need of an attitude adjustment.The special effects were just a tad hoaky, but it suited the spirit of the comedy perfectly.If your children liked "Spy Kids," they will thoroughly enjoy this movie.
O.K., much of it is silly, but if you have pets like I do (7 cats, 1 dog, etc.), then you'll probably get a kick out of the movie.
Though many of the animals are mechanical (animatronics?), there are still plenty of good old warm-blooded cats and dogs to melt your heart.Sure, this is not going to win any academy awards, but it's great to see a film with some truly funny moments that doesn't rely on foul language or bathroom humor.
Crouching Cat, Hidden Dog. This film was tailor made for the Ailurophobe: if you believe that cats have a hidden agenda and possibly even a secret plan to take over the world then you really cannot miss this movie.One of the worst insults hurled at one of the main characters is `Dog lover.'  There are quite a few chuckles and some real laugh-out-loud jokes but primarily this is one sight gag after another.Sean Hayes (Will and Grace, Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss) is great as the nefarious `Mr. Tinkles,' the leader of the underground cat society, whose biggest threat is the maid of the house in which he resides.Susan Sarandon and Jon Lovitz turned in their usual great performances as the voices of Ivy' and Calico,' respectively.Jeff Goldblum makes a great nerd.
Compare him to his sexy persona in `Earth Girls Are Easy' and many of his other films and you can see what a multi-dimensional actor he really is.The sound track by John Debney is perfect  shades of John Williams without being overbearing or detracting from the action on the screen.While this is primarily a kid's movie there are some adult jokes:  the word play on the substance being manufactured by Mr. Tinkles owner, as an example.This is good summer escapist fare  especially if the theater is air-conditioned and you are not looking for great art.
Yes, Cats and Dogs probably will not make any critic's top ten list for this year but sometimes you need to take a break from these type of movies and settle in for some obtuse, mindless fun.
I was sort of disappointed that the cats weren't the good animals, then I realized why the dog is always referred to as "man's best friend".
However, I would urge anyone who enjoys family comedies to watch this film, especially if you are an animal lover!The story is about an on-going war between cats and dogs, with the ultimate aim of being the best friends of humans.
The rest of the film follows Lou meeting up with other neighbouring dogs (also agents) and then them fighting Mr Twinkles and his evil cat friends.This film really made me laugh in several places and the animals are very cute.
Also, the movements look extremely realistic - for example, when Lou is fighting the Ninja cats!Mr Twinkles (voiced by Sean Hayes) is the best character in the film - he must be one of the best movie villains in recent years.
The cats and dogs are by far the biggest stars of the film, but the Brody family and other humans are just plain annoying (especially the kid and the mother!).
And what the hell is jeff goldblum doing sluming it as a bofin who descovers a cure for dogie odder.(or something like that,i lost interest by then) The novelty of seeing cats and dogs walk,talk and fight wears off after two minutes,so whatch the trailer instead.
First, the ads con all cat-lovers like myself  into seeing the movie, thinking that both cats and dogs will have an equal chance in the film.
Cats and Dogs is a great movie for kids and adults.
So it is up to one old spy dog Butch(Alec Baaldwin)and a pup named Lou(tobey Maguire) to stop Mr. Tinkles plans of foiling the formula.This movie was a lot better than I thought it would be.
(The closest thing was a tired reference to the slow-mo karate sequences of _The Matrix_.)  Most of the time, the film relies on kid jokes and slapstick (which for some reason just isn't funny with animals).
i Hatee spy dog movies.And why are the cats evil.
Cats and Dogs is one of those films that are silly,but at the same time hilarious.The first time I watched it,I really laughed because I laughed at the general silliness of it.The second time some bits were not so funny,but it was still hilarious.
I saw this movie and I thought it was a cute film for people of all ages to watch.
Kids will enjoy it yes, but the script ensures that it is best appreciated by adults - one's preferably with either a cat or dog!
I'm sure the Cats & Dogs will love watching this movie hehe....
Even though the whole thing was quite expensive with fifteen bucks for a movie of one and a half hour with a couple of mediocre special effects and a rather ordinary story line, I think that the follow-up is somewhat underrated because it has many funny characters, a couple of really good jokes and is overall very dynamical.
The dog Sam and the Russian cat are two amusing sidekicks but the rest of the animal cast is rather boring.In the end, one shouldn't be too severe with this movie as it is simply done to entertain a young public and surely succeeds from that point of view.
The parents will be able to watch it with their children without hating it too much and some younger people that have cats or dogs at home might also like the concept.
For a kids' film, "Cats & Dogs" has good production and an exciting plot.
So all in all, Cats & Dogs is a good movie to show kids when babysitting or at camp, but it's not so original or funny that it will be remembered years from now.
"Cats and Dogs"fight in terrible movie..
I went in to Cats and Dog expecting something along the lines as that the movie would be about the two fighting,for whatever reasons.Then comes in the sideplot with the professor and of course they were going to have a conflict.
I'm sure when most of us were kids we probably had vision at one point or another that Cats and Dogs had this huge rivary, and this movies intentions were to bring that to life in a new way.