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"CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated PG Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
In this sequel to the 2000 hit about super-spy dogs fighting the evil cat cabal, the dastardly and hairless feline Kitty Galore has a plan to turn all of the dogs in the world into man’s worst friend. A gung-ho police dog is recruited into the canine spy ring, and he must join forces with a group of cats to bring down Kitty Galore before she enacts her evil plan.
WHAT I LIKED
As a parent, I have to throw a certain degree of love for films like the “Cats & Dogs” flicks, mainly because they’re something that really connects with kids. Whether they’re fun films like “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” or bland renderings of a better concept like “Underdog,” they still provide the kids with a degree of enjoyment. That’s why I will always have a soft spot for the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” movies. After all, if you haven’t watched one of these talking animal movies with your kids, you really haven’t experienced them.
This film worked better on Blu-ray simply because it was taken out of the 3D mode (which was a post-conversion process that wasn’t top-notch) and because it plays better as a direct-to-video story. It’s got plenty of butt-sniffing jokes and slapstick that will keep the kids interested, and that’s really why you’ll be getting this film.
For the most part, the animal sequences are smooth, blending CGI and live-action stunts together. And while the pigeon character is a bit of a rip-off of a similar joke in “Bolt,” it’s still the funniest thing in the film.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Each studio has its own slate of talking animal films. Disney has dog movies like the aforementioned “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and “Underdog.” Fox has the “Alvin and the Chipmunk” movies. Warner Bros. has these “Cats & Dogs” films. They aren’t the best ones out there, but the production value is at least decent.
However, the story is where this movie falls apart from a grown-up’s view. It’s got an overwritten script that seems like it’s been churned out of a weekend screenwriting course. There’s a secret fear for both the main dog and the main cat to overcome. There’s a B-story with the police dog’s owner searching for him (with a phoned-in performance by Chris O’Donnell). And the logic behind the characters’ action is shaky.
Still, it’s a kids movie with dogs and plenty of fart and poop jokes, so no one wanting to see this movie is going to care about any of those problems.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
The Blu-ray comes in a combo pack that includes the DVD of the film for the kids and Digital Copy for portable devices. There’s also several featurettes, including “Dogs Dishing: Tails from the Bark Side of Hollywood,” “Mash-Up: The Best of the Best Cat vs. Dogs Animated Showdowns” from existing Warner Bros. cartoons and “Meow-Takes: Outtakes and Gag Reel” featuring in-character goofs.
Two additional features include a sneak peek at the upcoming “Yogi Bear” movie opening before Christmas and the new Looney Tunes “Coyote Falls” CGI Road-Runner cartoon, which is simply the best thing on the entire disc.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Kids who like talking animal movies.
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"LOTTERY TICKET" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ** (out of 5 stars) DVDEXPERIENCE: *1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated PG-13 Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Kevin Carson (Bow Wow) is a kid from the ghetto who buys a lottery ticket on a whim when the jackpot reaches $370 million. When he hits the jackpot, he tries to cash in the ticket but finds out he can’t until after the 4th of July holiday. Kevin tries to keep his winning a secret throughout the holiday, but when news leaks out, he finds himself the center of both good and bad attention.
WHAT I LIKED
When it comes to films like this, I may not particularly like them, but I can appreciate their good intentions. There is a lesson being given in this film, and the message is decent. This is a trite message we have seen many times before, but at least it’s nice to see a movie that isn’t too preachy or melodramatic.
The performances aren’t bad, and the cast is impressive. Bow Wow manages to play the everyman well, putting aside his rap star persona. There are some decent performances by Naturi Naughton (who needs more work in this business, in my opinion) as his would-be love interest, Brandon T. Jackson as his best friend, Ice Cube as the crotchety old dude on the block and Mike Epps as a greedy preacher.
Fellow critic Jen Yamato is quoted on the cover box of “Lottery Ticket,” saying, “It’s ‘Friday’ for a new generation,” and that’s actually how this movie plays. It’s not as entertaining as the original “Friday,” but it embodies that sort of spirit.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
While “Lottery Ticket” can be enjoyable as an ensemble piece from the hood, it has plenty of flaws. The biggest problem is that it has about 40 minutes of story and needs to be padded out to its 99-minute running time.
The movie also relies too much on racial stereotypes for its jokes. Sure, there’s plenty of funny things to joke about in ghetto movies, but this whole movie feels like a poorly delivered Chris Rock routine.
Finally, the biggest sticking point I had with this movie is how rock-stupid some of the characters are. Before they can cash the ticket, they borrow money from a gangster, which causes me to lose any sympathy for the characters, even in a humorous way. This isn’t Rooster from “Armageddon” borrowing from a loan shark because he thinks he’ll die in space. This is just dumb behavior for people who don’t even have disposable cash yet.
Then there’s the fact that the characters let the cat out of the bag about the ticket in the first place. Yeah, there wouldn’t be a movie without this plot point, but it could have been delivered a little more smoothly.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD comes with a couple deleted scenes.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of the ghetto comedy.
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"STRICTLY BALLROOM: SPECIAL EDITION" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated PG Studio: Miramax Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Baz Luhrmann’s debut film follows a ballroom dancer who has lost his partner when he relies too much on his freestyling showmanship. Searching for a new partner, he looks at one of the best dancers in the business as well as the ugly duckling dancer wannabe at his parents’ studio. Working with the ugly duckling, he soon finds a bond that goes beyond dancing.
WHAT I LIKED
It was only recently that I had a chance to start watching Baz Luhrmann’s Red Curtain Trilogy. In fact, I realized after finally watching “Strictly Ballroom” that I have now seen all of his films in reverse order, starting with “Australia” a few years back, then “Moulin Rouge!” on Blu-ray, “Romeo+Juliet” on Blu-ray and now the special edition of “Strictly Ballroom.”
Man, I’m glad I didn’t let “Australia” taint his filmography to the point of not watching anything else. (That is not to be too harsh on “Australia,” which was a decent film... just a bit of a misfire and nothing like his other three movies.)
“Strictly Ballroom” is so reserved for Luhrmann as a director, yet it is as fabulous and colorful as any other film out there. Presented in a very modest fashion as an independent Australian film, this movie has a lot of heart, energy and sweetness.
Fans of ballroom dancing should like the atmosphere, including the costumes and the dancing. Those are fine for me, but what really connected to me was the characters. There’s a message of following your dream and believing in yourself which, while done many times before, is presented with a new, fresh perspective.
I’ve heard people rave about “Strictly Ballroom” for years, and it lives up to the hype. The characters have spunk and energy, and the cute little love story makes the film very warm and inviting.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Taken against Luhrmann’s filmography, “Strictly Ballroom” seems rather mundane. It’s one of those films that I would be curious to see what the director would do with it now, armed with a studio budget, a long shooting schedule and plenty of production design money. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it for what it was, but it feels a bit in retrospect like an unfulfilled dream.
DVD FEATURES
The new special edition DVD comes with an audio commentary, a design gallery with narration and a deleted scene. There’s also a rather dull featurette called “Samba to Slow Fox” which spotlights actual dancing. But the new feature on the disc not found on previous editions is “Strictly Ballroom: From Stage to Screen” in which a contemporary Baz Luhrmann reflects on how this film made it from a small production to a highly successful independent film.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Anyone who likes a warm, sweet romance and doesn’t mind some ballroom dancing.
