Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
When a professor develops a vaccine that eliminates human allergies to dogs, he unwittingly upsets the fragile balance of power between cats and dogs and touches off an epic battle for pet supremacy. The fur flies as the feline faction, led by Mr. Tinkles, squares off against wide-eyed puppy Lou and his canine cohorts.
Cats & Dogs is a moderately inventive family comedy that blends spy-movie parody with talking-animal antics. The premise is fun and reasonably original for its era, blending live-action with puppetry and early CGI in a way that was novel at the time. However, the plot is formulaic once the spy conceit is established, hitting predictable beats with the underdog hero arc. Acting is serviceable but thin, with human characters largely sidelined and voice performances varying in quality. The cinematography is competent genre work with some amusing action staging but nothing distinctive. The ending resolves predictably with little surprise. Mr. Tinkles remains a memorable villain, giving the film some personality, but overall it is a mildly enjoyable but unremarkable entry in early-2000s family entertainment.