It seems like ages since we had a good talking-dog movie, and “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” fills an important gap. How else will professional dog actors who can talk find work?
There are dogs chatting away throughout this film, which tells of the adventure of Chloe (played by a dog who sounds a lot like Drew Barrymore), a pampered Chihuahua owned by a wealthy L.A. fashionista (Jamie Lee Curtis).
The woman’s niece (Piper Perabo) dog-sits, and manages to lose Chloe in Mexico. Poor Chloe has been kidnapped by evil people staging dog fights. In her first contest, Chloe is placed in a ring with a bloodthirsty Doberman named El Diablo.
Did I mention this is a kids’ movie? When a dog trots out to the dog-fighting ring to the tune of “Bad to the Bone,” something has gone awry in the filmmakers’ approach to comedy.
However, the film quickly steers away from “Amores Perros” territory and into slapstick. Chloe falls in with a protective German Shepard (voiced by Andy Garcia) and a batch of other escaped canines.
Meanwhile, not only are Perabo and a hunky landscaper (Manolo Cardona) hunting for Chloe, but so is the landscaper’s lovestruck Chihuahua (voice by George Lopez). At this point, I realize I have never typed the word “Chihuahua” so often in one sitting.
Will Chloe and her new friends make it back to California? Will she stop being a snob? Can a rat and an iguana be partners in crime? Would opera great Placido Domingo actually lend his voice to a talking Chihuahua? (On the last question, yes — and he’s splendidly hammy, too.)
Somebody involved with “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” had an ear for crazy one-liners — presumably credited writers Jeffrey Bushell and Analisa Labianco — because some pretty funny lines come flying out of the dogs’ mouths. A movie like this could be grueling, but kids should laugh themselves silly, and adults don’t have to be completely embarrassed about being at a movie about talking dogs.
Kudos to the Disney company for placing a cautionary note immediately after the final scene ends, reminding viewers that dog ownership is a lifetime commitment not to be taken lightly. No doubt the memories of children tiring of disagreeable Dalmatians is still fresh in their minds — but in any case, it was the right thing to do.
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