| Cats & Dogs | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Lawrence Guterman |
| Written by | |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Julio Macat |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | John Debney |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 83 minutes[1] |
| Countries | |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $60 million[3] |
| Box office | $200.7 million[3] |
Cats & Dogs is a 2001spy-comedy film directed byLawrence Guterman and written byJohn Requa andGlenn Ficarra. It starsJeff Goldblum,Elizabeth Perkins andAlexander Pollock, with the voices ofTobey Maguire,Alec Baldwin,Sean Hayes,Susan Sarandon,Charlton Heston,Jon Lovitz,Joe Pantoliano andMichael Clarke Duncan.
The story centers on the relationships between cats and dogs, depicting the relationship as an intense rivalry in which both sides use organizations and tactics that mirror those used in human espionage. It was released byWarner Bros. Pictures on July 4, 2001. The film received mixed reviews and earned $200.7 million on a $60 million budget.
The Brody family's petBloodhound Buddy chases a cat and is captured by other cats in an ambush. Cats and dogs are revealed to be highly intelligent, tech-savvy enemies capable of speech, waging war with covert operatives while concealing their true nature from humans. After anAnatolian Shepherd dog named Butch reports Buddy's capture to his superiors, the best canine agents are dispatched to complete Buddy's mission: to prevent the cats from making all humans allergic to dogs.
At a local barn one month later, a litter ofBeagle puppies mocks their youngest brother for trying to escape captivity. ADoberman Pinscher agent replaces the litter with a pack ofMiniature Pinscher agents, failing to notice the youngest Beagle. Carolyn, the Brodys’ matriarch, arrives to adopt a new dog and selects the Beagle, naming him Lou after her son Scotty sarcastically suggests the name "Loser".
After detonating an explosive trap laid by cats for Lou, Butch – mistaking him for a trained operative – brings him to the dogs' underground network, and introduces agents Peek, aChinese Crested Dog, and Sam, anOld English Sheepdog. Butch quickly realizes Lou is not the agent he was expecting, but his superiors order him to train Lou himself due to lack of time to find a replacement. Lou is briefed on the origins of the conflict between cats and dogs, dating back toAncient Egypt when cats ruled the world. Butch reveals that Buddy has escaped the cats and the spy trade, retiring to acondo inBoca Raton.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tinkles, a whitePersian cat, plans to exploit the Brodys' patriarch Charles' research on dog allergies to conquer the world. His scheming is interrupted by Sophie, his comatose owner's maid, who enjoys dressing Tinkles in embarrassing costumes. Tinkles orders his sidekick Calico, anExotic Shorthair, to sendDevon Rexninjas to steal the research. Lou foils the theft and meets a former agent and Butch's ex-girlfriend Ivy, aSaluki who encourages him to bond with Scotty.
Mr. Tinkles contracts aRussian Blue mercenary named Dimitri Kennelkoff, who tricks Lou and places a bomb on Brody's lab door. Kennelkoff battles Lou and Butch, damaging the Brodys' house until Butch disables the bomb and captures Kennelkoff. During the interrogation, the dogs recover a note by Mr. Tinkles from Kennelkoff's stomach.
After a breakthrough involving Lou playing with Scotty, Charles' machine finally finds the formula to a cure for human allergies to dogs. Having bugged the house, Mr. Tinkles and Calico spring a trap for the Brodys. First, Mr. Tinkles travels to aChristmas tree flocking plant under the guise of the plant's comatose owner, Mr. Mason, and sends the employees home, then lures the Brodys with fake tickets to a soccer exhibition game, capturing the family.
The dogs receive a video from Mr. Tinkles demanding Charles' research as a ransom for the Brodys, and dogs around the world assemble at a meeting, led by aMastiff. When the assembly decides not to surrender the formula, Lou confronts Butch. Revealing that he was abandoned by his owner, the unsympathetic Butch leaves Lou behind. Desperate, Lou brings Mr. Tinkles the research and is double-crossed. Butch, realizing what has happened, stages a raid of Mr. Tinkles' factory wheremice are being prepared to spread the mass-produced allergy.
While Butch, Ivy, Peek, and Sam fight Tinkles' cat forces, Lou frees the Brodys and Calico, who was betrayed by Tinkles, revealing to the family that he can speak. Lou defeats Tinkles but is struck by an excavator as an explosion destroys the whole factory. Butch rescues the seemingly dead Lou, tearfully admitting that Lou was right to love his adoptive family, and Lou awakens. He decides to return to a normal pet's life with the Brodys until he can serve as a full-grown agent.
Meanwhile, Tinkles is sent to live with Sophie and her three sisters, where he is dressed in even more humiliating outfits as punishment for his actions against the dogs.
The film was shot inVancouver, British Columbia and Eagle Creek Studios inBurnaby, British Columbia,Canada[4] from June 19 to November 17, 2000. Lou's doghouse was filmed on Stage 1, Mr. Mason's office and the interior of the tree flocking factory was filmed on Stage 2, and the international meeting with the dogs was filmed on Stage 3, while the backyard of the Brody house was filmed on the studio backlot,[5] and the front exterior of the Brody house was filmed at 1661 W 45th Avenue in Vancouver.[6]
Cats & Dogs was released with the classicLooney Tunes short "Chow Hound" which was also seen in the film itself. When released onIndependence Day 2001, the film opened at #1, beating outScary Movie 2 as it grossed $21.7 million over the Friday to Sunday span, averaging $7,140 from 3,040 theaters. It grossed $35.8 million over the Wednesday to Sunday span.[7] It dropped 44% the following weekend, dropping to the #3 spot, grossing $12 million, falling behindLegally Blonde andThe Score, and bringing its 12-day gross to $58.9 million.[8]Cats & Dogs opened in the UK with $5.3 million during its first weekend, ranking in first place ahead ofRush Hour 2, while also having the third-highest opening weekend for a Warner Bros. film, behindBatman Forever andBatman & Robin.[9] The film grossed $93.4 million in the US and $107.3 million overseas, for a total of $200.7 million worldwide on a $60 million budget.[citation needed]
Cats & Dogs was released on VHS and DVD on October 23, 2001.[10] An alternate ending that shows Sophie instead taking Mr. Tinkles to a pet hospital to be neutered was also included as one of the extras. It was later released on Blu-ray on July 20, 2010,[11] 10 days before the release of its sequel,The Revenge of Kitty Galore.
The soundtrack by composerJohn Debney was released in 2001. It includesWhat's New Pussycat? byTom Jones.
OnRotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 52% based on 117 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A great concept, but the movie fails to develop the characters and some of the jokes are hit-or-miss."[12] OnMetacritic the film has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13]
The Washington Post's Jane Horwitz called it "[a] surprisingly witty and sophisticated spy movie spoof that will tickle adult pet lovers and still capture kids 6 and older with its boy-and-his-dog love story and pet slapstick".[14]Roger Ebert gave the film 3 stars out of 4, praising the special effects and theCGI.[15] In contrast, Kenneth Turan of theLos Angeles Times wrote: "Irritating, childish and more frantic than funny,Cats & Dogs does manage some few pleasant moments, but they are not worth waiting for".[citation needed]
Cats & Dogs was nominated for theYoung Artist Award for Best Feature Film (Comedy) and Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor (Alexander Pollock). John Debney won theASCAP Award for his musical contribution to this film as well asThe Princess Diaries andSpy Kids.
Heston received the2001 Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his role as The Mastiff in this film, Mr. Claybourne inTown & Country, as well as for his cameo role inTim Burton's remake ofPlanet of the Apes.[16]
Asequel titledCats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, directed byBrad Peyton, was released on July 30, 2010.Michael Clarke Duncan,Joe Pantoliano, andSean Hayes reprised their roles as Sam, Peek, and Mr. Tinkles whileNick Nolte andWallace Shawn replacedAlec Baldwin andJon Lovitz as Butch and Calico. In this film, Lou is now an adult and is voiced byNeil Patrick Harris.James Marsden,Christina Applegate, andBette Midler voice new characters named Diggs, Catherine, and Kitty Galore respectively.
A third installment andstand-alone sequel, subtitledPaws Unite!, features a new storyline taking place 10 years after the events of the previous film. However, unlike the previous two, the third film has been released as astraight-to-video release on digital on September 15, 2020, and on DVD and Blu-ray on October 13. It is also the only film to not have any of the original cast members. The new voice cast includesMelissa Rauch,Max Greenfield andGeorge Lopez. It was directed bySean McNamara, co-produced byAndrew Lazar and David Fliegel, and written by Scott Bindley. It is distributed byWarner Bros. Home Entertainment. The film received a nationwide theatrical release in Australia on September 24, and in the UK on October 2.
| Films |
|
|---|---|
