Review by Keith Emmerson
Stars the voices of Christina Applegate, Michael Clarke Duncan, Neil Patrick Harris, Sean Hayes,
James Marsden, Nick Nolte, Joe Pantoliano, Chris O'Donnell | Written by Ron Friedman & Steve Bencich
UK certification U | UK RRP £17.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 82 minutes | Directed by Brad Peyton
Right at this moment I'm staring at a blank Word document trying to think of something to fill the monolithically empty white space. Coincidentally, I found myself doing the very same thing while sitting and watching Cats & Dogs 2.
Much like the end of a rainbow or the horizon, the end of Cats & Dogs 2 seemed infinitely far away. As I repeatedly looked at my watch and reasoned that it must be over soon, at 82 minutes it felt longer than every dentist's appointment or Post Office queue stuck back to back in some sort of hellish Hollystenders Sunday omnibus.
As the subtitle suggests, the plot follows the revenge of a cat called Kitty Galore. If you're the kind of person who thinks 'Kitty Galore' is a clever pun on 'Pussy Galore' then this is the film for you. I was lucky enough to miss the first offering from this film franchise, if you're in the same happy boat I will explain the premise. Cats and dogs don't like each other. Indeed, we are to believe that they have evolved to a level beyond our awareness and can operate advanced spy networks for no discernible reason. References to Bond films are milked to their most arid limits, there is even a voice cameo from Sir Roger Moore – yet another way for him to sully his legendary status.
Throughout this film I struggled to reconcile how or why it would entertain children. Once the Bond and accompanying film references – which were plainly inserted to appease parents – are removed, there remains a vacuum with little to captivate young minds.
Credit must be given for the special effects; the seamless integration between live action footage and CGI is impressive, but probably wasted.
EXTRAS ★★ A theatrical 3D release, and a digital 3D Blu-ray release in the US ... and once again, the UK gets the dregs – a standard 2D-only release for this one. Oh well. Among the actual extras themselves are the amusing new Looney Tunes short Coyote Falls (again, made and show originally in 3D, but only in 2D here); a trailer for the new Yogi Bear film; outtakes and gag reel; behind, the-scenes footage, and "interviews" with the "stars"; memorable "cats vs dogs" showdowns from the Looney Tunes and hanna Barbera vaults (ie, cartoon clips).