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When Hollywood chooses to make a sequel, the reason rarely comes into question. After all, it’s usually pretty obvious: cash. The original made a ton of money, and it’s already got a built-in audience. So making a sequel means making more money. But not so with Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, the sequel to an entertaining (though not particularly memorable) family adventure that came out in the summer of 2001. Now, nine years later, the original film’s fans are too busy texting their friends and decorating their dorm rooms to rush out to see the sequel to a movie they liked when they were kids—making it pretty pointless. But the gimmicky 3D graphics and the talking animal action could win over a new, younger audience.
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is this summer’s answer to G-Force: a silly kids’ action movie starring a bunch of talking animals.
After a humiliating accident in the line of duty, former MEOWS agent Kitty Galore (Bette Midler) goes rogue, seeking revenge on both dogs and humans. She plans to unleash The Call of the Wild: a sound that will make dogs go crazy, thereby making their owners ship them off to the nearest kennel. And once the dogs are out of the way, Kitty will conquer the world.
When a canine agent discovers Kitty’s dastardly plan, the rest of the dogs leap into action. Teamed with headstrong rookie Diggs (James Marsden), veteran agent Butch (Nick Nolte) sets out to find a loquacious pigeon named Seamus (Katt Williams), who may or may not have all the answers. But Butch soon discovers that he and his trouble-making new partner might need some help from an unlikely ally: a MEOWS agent named Catherine (Christina Applegate).
Though the next James Bond movie may be on hold indefinitely, kids can still get the same kind of Bond-like action, adventure, and punny one-liners from Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. For young audiences, this spastic action-comedy has it all: gimmicky 3D graphics, silly butt-sniffing jokes, a creepy-looking villain, and a bunch of lovable animals. Sure, the story is predictable and filled with clichés, but the story isn’t really the focus of the film anyway.
Moms and dads, meanwhile, will be entertained by the movie’s non-stop parodies and pop culture references. From the Bond-style opening titles (complete with a jazzy, dramatic version of P!nk’s “Get the Party Started”) to Kitty’s metal-mouthed henchman, Paws—and even a cameo by former 007 Roger Moore as the voice of MEOWS head Tab Lazenby—Cats & Dogs is loaded with allusions to the popular spy franchise. There are other references, too—everything from buddy cop movies to The Silence of the Lambs—which help to lessen the pain of sitting through another 90 minutes of talking animals.
Pointless sequel or not, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is still an amusing family-friendly action-comedy. Kids will be thrilled by its 3D action and its cute talking puppies—and the action movie parodies will distract parents from an otherwise weak story.
There’s even an appearance by the franchise’s original villain, Mr. Tinkles (Sean Hayes), who seems poised for a comeback in a future installment. No word yet on whether or not that will happen before 2019.
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