This live action/CGI feature is a sequel to 2001's Cats And Dogs, a film which I am pretty sure I saw but which I can remember nothing about. Which doesn't bode well, for a start. As far as I can see, there is virtually no continuity from the first film to this one apart from a Labrador called Butch (voiced by Alec Baldwin previously and Nick Nolte here) and a Persian cat called Mr Tinkles, voiced by Sean Hayes in both. The general gist of things is espionage operations conducted by cats and dogs, and the wrinkle here is that they have to work together to foil the dastardly plans of Kitty Galore (one of those ugly cats things with no fur, voiced by Bette Midler).
The voice talent is great - much higher profile than the humans (led by Chris O'Donnell in a thankless role) and the CGI work is excellent - there are times when you know something must be CGI (facial expressions, mouth articulation, certain actions and so on) but it is often the case that you really aren't sure. The script is loaded with gags (even down to Roger Moore playing the leader of the cats' espionage organisation, a cat named Tab Lazenby). And the moral of the thing is laudable - even cats and dogs can learn how to get along together (so, by extension, we should all be able to, shouldn't we?).
But something doesn't quite work. And I think it is that the film has no heart. It seems to be a fairly mechanical exercise in putting elements together which should work, and maybe they do for kids, but they didn't really work for me.
This may also be the reason why I don't remember the first movie.
The 3D doesn't add anything significant, although the 3D Road Runner cartoon attached to the main movie was GREAT. More of this, please - MUCH more! - and less of the Cats And Dogs.
The voice talent is great - much higher profile than the humans (led by Chris O'Donnell in a thankless role) and the CGI work is excellent - there are times when you know something must be CGI (facial expressions, mouth articulation, certain actions and so on) but it is often the case that you really aren't sure. The script is loaded with gags (even down to Roger Moore playing the leader of the cats' espionage organisation, a cat named Tab Lazenby). And the moral of the thing is laudable - even cats and dogs can learn how to get along together (so, by extension, we should all be able to, shouldn't we?).
But something doesn't quite work. And I think it is that the film has no heart. It seems to be a fairly mechanical exercise in putting elements together which should work, and maybe they do for kids, but they didn't really work for me.
This may also be the reason why I don't remember the first movie.
The 3D doesn't add anything significant, although the 3D Road Runner cartoon attached to the main movie was GREAT. More of this, please - MUCH more! - and less of the Cats And Dogs.