Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (U) **
Directed by: Brad Peyton
With the voices of: Christina Applegate, Michael Clarke Duncan, Neil Patrick Harris
As a sequel to a family romp that barely dented the collective consciousness nine summers ago, the second spy-pets movie lives down to expectations: acceptable filler for tots who’ve grown tired of Toy Story, maybe, but it’ll be a chore for accompanying adults. Disgraced sniffer dog Diggs seeks redemption in pursuit of the titular feline, a furless megalomaniac with the voice of Bette Midler. Once more, the cats are conniving, the dogs dogged, the stoolpigeon an actual pigeon; we’re invited to pick sides, though you may feel greater empathy towards the human performers dragged along in their co-stars’ wake.
There are odd flashes of wit – Bond-spoofing opening credits, Kitty’s noirish backstory – and it arrives preceded by a 3D Road Runner cartoon, which is fun, if no match for the Looney Tunes of yore. Still, the meshing of live action with digitally-enhanced creatures remains awkward – the CG cats are particularly inexpressive – while a retro script trots out butt-sniffing jokes alongside nods to films now so old (Scarface, Lethal Weapon) it’s possible they were made before the target audience’s parents were born. If we are going to put words in the mouths of furballs, they surely have to be funnier than these.
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore opens in cinemas nationwide tomorrow.
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