Cats & Dogs


Cats & Dogs is a 2001 spy action-comedy film. The film was directed by Lawrence Guterman with screenplay by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, and stars Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins and Alexander Pollock, with the voices of Tobey Maguire, Alec Baldwin, Sean Hayes, Susan Sarandon, Charlton Heston, Jon Lovitz, Joe Pantoliano and Michael 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 shot in Victoria and Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada as well as at Warner Bros. Studios. It was released on July 4, 2001 by Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Zide/Perry Productions, and Rhythm and Hues Studios. The film received mixed reviews from critics and it earned $200,687,492 on a $60 million budget.

Plot

At the home laboratory of Professor Charles Brody, his wife Carolyn, and son Scotty, the family's pet Bloodhound Buddy chases a cat and is captured by other cats in an ambush. Dogs and cats 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 an Anatolian Shepherd dog named Butch reports Buddy's capture to his superiors, the best canine agents are dispatched to complete Buddy's mission: to prevent cats from making all humans allergic to dogs.
At a local barn, a litter of Beagle puppies mock the youngest for trying to escape captivity. A Doberman Pinscher agent replaces the litter with puppy agents, failing to notice the youngest Beagle. Carolyn arrives to adopt a new dog and she selects the Beagle, naming him Lou after 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, a Chinese Crested Dog, and Sam, an Old English Sheepdog. Realizing Lou is a civilian, Butch raises his concerns to his superiors but is rebuffed. Lou is briefed on the origins of the conflict between cats and dogs, dating back to Ancient Egypt when cats ruled the world. Butch reveals that Buddy has escaped the cats and the spy trade, retiring to a condo in Boca Raton.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tinkles, a white cat Persian, plans to exploit 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, an Exotic Shorthair, to send Devon Rex ninjas to steal the research. Lou foils the theft and meets former agent and Butch's ex-sweetheart Ivy, a Saluki who encourages him to bond with Scotty.
Mr. Tinkles contracts a Russian 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 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 a Christmas tree flocking plant under the guise of the plant's comatose owner, Mr. Mason, and sends the employees home, then lures the Brodys with faux tickets to an exhibition game between Uruguay and Chad, 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 the Mastiff. 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 where mice 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 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, Mr. Tinkles is sent to live with Sophie and her three sisters, with even more humiliating outfits as punishment.

Cast

The Brody house was filmed at an actual house: 1661 W 45th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia. Butch's house was also filmed at an actual house: 6238 Churchill Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. The soccer stadium was filmed at the Pacific Coliseum. Mr. Mason's house was filmed at Craigdarroch Castle, in Victoria, British Columbia. Other scenes were filmed at Playland.
The rest of the film was shot at the bat cave in Burbank, California. Lou's doghouse was Stage 1, Mr. Mason's office and the interior of the tree flocking factory was Stage 2, and the international meeting with the dogs was Stage 3. Parts of the Brody house were filmed on the studio backlot.

Release

Cats & Dogs was released with the classic Looney Tunes short "Chow Hound" which was also seen in the movie itself. Cats & Dogs was released on VHS and DVD on October 23, 2001. The alternate ending that shows Sophie instead taking Mr. Tinkles to a pet hospital to be neutered was also included as one of the extras.

Soundtrack

Cats & Dogs is a 2001 soundtrack on this film by composer John Debney.

Reception

Critical reception and box office

Cats & Dogs received mixed reviews from movie critics. It has a 54% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based upon 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." Metacritic, which uses an aggregate rating system, collected an average score of 47/100, based upon 26 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The Washington Post's Jane Horwitz gave the film a positive review, calling it " 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." Roger Ebert gave the film 3 stars out of 4, praising the special effects and the CGI. In contrast, Kenneth Turan of the Los 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."
When released on Independence Day 2001, the movie opened at #1, beating out Scary Movie 2 as it grossed $21,707,617 over the Friday to Sunday span, averaging $7,140 from 3,040 theaters. It grossed $35,756,549 over the Wednesday to Sunday span. It dropped 44% the following weekend, dropping to the #3 spot, grossing $12,033,590, falling behind Legally Blonde and The Score, and bringing its 12-day gross to $58,945,593. The film grossed $93,385,515 domestically, and $107,301,977 overseas, for a total of $200,687,492 worldwide on a $60 million budget.

Awards and nominations

Cats & Dogs was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Feature Film and Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor. John Debney won the ASCAP Award for his musical contribution to this film as well as The Princess Diaries and Spy Kids.
Heston received the 2001 Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his involvement in three films that year, including his role as The Mastiff.

Sequels

''Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore'' (2010)

A sequel titled Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore entered production in September 2008 under the direction of Brad Peyton and was released on July 30, 2010. Michael Clarke Duncan, Joe Pantoliano, and Sean Hayes reprise their roles as Sam, Peek, and Mr. Tinkles while Nick Nolte and Wallace Shawn replace Alec Baldwin and Jon Lovitz as Butch and Calico; and Charlton Heston, who voiced The Mastiff from the first film, died from pneumonia on April 5, 2008. In this film, Lou is now an adult and is voiced by Neil Patrick Harris. James Marsden, Christina Applegate, and Bette Midler voice new characters named Diggs, Catherine, and Kitty Galore respectively.

''Cats & Dogs: Paws Unite'' (2020)

A third installment, subtitled Paws Unite!, features a new storyline taking place 10 years after the events of the previous film. However, unlike the previous two, the third film will be released as a straight-to-video release on DVD, Blu-ray and digital release in September 2020. The new voice cast includes Melissa Rauch, Max Greenfield and George Lopez. It will be directed by Sean McNamara, co-produced by Andrew Lazar and David Fliegel, and the screenplay written by Scott Bindley.