"BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Piper Perabo as RACHEL ASHE LYNN Manolo Cardona as SAM CORTEZ Jamie Lee Curtis as AUNT VIV Drew Barrymore as CHLOE Andy Garcia as DELGADO George Lopez as PAPI Rated PG Studio: Disney Directed by: Raja Gosnell Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
“Beverly Hills Chihuahua” follows a high-society Chihuahua named Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore) that is kidnapped when her dogsitter Rachel (Piper Perabo) takes her on an impromptu vacation in Mexico. After escaping a ring of dog fighters, Chloe is helped by a retired police dog (voiced by Andy Garcia) to find her way home. Rachel implores her aunt’s gardener Sam (Manolo Cardona) to help her track Chloe down before Aunt Viv (Jamie Lee Curtis) discovers the missing pooch.
WHAT I LIKED
The past year has been a good one for Disney dogs. Not only did you have “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and “Bolt” chew through the box office in the fall, the Mouse House has re-released several other pet movies on DVD: “Air Bud: Special Edition,” “Space Buddies” and “Oliver & Company.” The fact that I’m not yet annoyed with dogs and cats on my television screen shows that these characters are gold for Disney. Just wait... soon you’ll be seeing “High School Poochical” on the Disney Channel.
But I just can’t help it. I like the Disney dogs. They’re adorable. And this is what makes a movie like “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” work. The dogs take center stage (which is something the makers of the theatrical release “Hotel for Dogs” didn’t get), arguably getting a much better story than the humans.
“Beverly Hills Chihuahua” uses the “Underdog” model, which has live-action dogs speaking with celebrity voices. For the most part, the voices are very appropriate, as the filmmakers have mined Hollywood’s bigger Latino names for the cast. George Lopez steals the show as the fiery lover Papi, and it’s a shame he’s not in the movie more.
What I really enjoyed about this movie was how seriously it took itself. The filmmakers knew it was a kids movie with a pretty predictable plot. However, it never really delved into schlockiness or complacency. In fact, considering the rather epic score, the movie is made like a Michael Bay action flick, which makes it even more fun.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Even though the dogs get the full spotlight, I did get a little bored with their human counterparts when the dogs were on screen. I don’t blame the actors, but rather I understand this is how the film was constructed. Overall, if you can get past the real kitchiness of the film’s set-up, and you aren’t looking for high art, the film can be fun. But I will concede that someone who isn’t ready for the cuteness of the show will get pretty annoyed with the film.
After all, when this movie was released in October, critics all over the country blasted it for its juvenile nature. I argue that the movie wasn’t made for these critics, and my kids absolutely loved it. That’s who the film is made for, after all.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD comes with an audio commentary with director Raja Gosnell, who also introduces several deleted scenes. Rounding things up is a blooper reel and a new animated short “Legend of the Chihuahua,” which gives us a look at the majestic history of this breed.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Dogs and dog people.
