Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Inspired by James Bond thrillers, this tiresome caper comedy mixing CGI and live-action is built around the existence of two secret organizations: DOGS, devoted to keeping canines dominant as humankind's best friend, and the rival spy group, MEOWS (Mousers Enforcing Our World Safety), which strives to regain for cats their long-lost supremacy. The two teams are forced to band together when MEOWS Sphinx agent Kitty Galore (voiced by Bette Midler) goes rogue, determined to wreak villainous revenge for a depilatory accident that resulted in hair loss. Ranged against Kitty on the anthropomorphized cat side are feisty Russian Blue feline agent Catherine (Christina Applegate), incarcerated Mr. Tinkles (Sean Hayes), Calico (Wallace Shawn), and their superior, Tab Lazenby (Roger Moore). Joining them is Diggs (James Marden), a dishonorably discharged San Francisco K9 German Shepherd, a Chinese Crested called Peek (Joe Pantoliano), grizzled mastiff Butch (Nick Nolte), bespectacled beagle Lou (Neil Patrick Harris), and shaggy sheepdog Sam (Michael Clarke Duncan), along with a jive-talking pigeon named Seamus (Katt Williams). While it may charm young children, director Brad Peyton's sequel to 2001's Cats & Dogs is overly familiar fluff. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the new Looney Tunes cartoon “Coyote Falls” (3 min.), a sneak peek at the upcoming Yogi Bear feature film (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are “Dogs Dishing: Tails from the Bark Side” featuring animal characters talking about their human costars (9 min.), “Mash-Up: The Best of the Best Cat vs. Dog Animated Showdowns” (5 min.), a “Meow-Takes” outtakes and gag reel (4 min.), and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)