Cats & Dogs
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion pictures |
| Founded | July 4, 2001 |
| Founder | Lawrence Guterman (director), John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (writers) |
| Products | Spy-comedy motion picture |
| Parent | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Cats & Dogs is a 2001 American spy-comedy motion picture helmed by director Lawrence Guterman and scripted by John Requa alongside Glenn Ficarra. The cast features Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins, and Alexander Pollock, with vocal performances contributed by Tobey Maguire, Alec Baldwin, Sean Hayes, Susan Sarandon, among others.
The narrative depicts cats and dogs as competing espionage factions involved in secret missions that parallel human intelligence operations. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 4, 2001, the film grossed $200.7 million globally against a production budget of $60 million, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
During an operation to prevent cats from inducing dog allergies in humans, Buddy, the Brody family's Bloodhound, is captured by feline adversaries. To carry on Buddy’s assignment, canine agents including Butch, an Anatolian Shepherd, are deployed.
The Brodys adopt a Beagle puppy named Lou, who is inadvertently recruited by Butch into the canine spy network. Although inexperienced, Lou is assigned to thwart the cats’ scheme orchestrated by Mr. Tinkles, a white Persian cat exploiting allergy research conducted by Charles Brody.
Mr. Tinkles enlists Dimitri Kennelkoff, a Russian Blue mercenary cat, to sabotage the Brodys’ laboratory. After capturing Dimitri, the dogs uncover proof of Mr. Tinkles' plan to mass-produce a virus that triggers allergies using mice as carriers.
While Lou grows close to the Brody family, dog agents prepare for confrontation with the feline threat. When Mr. Tinkles captures the Brodys to leverage their research, Lou initially defects but soon redeems himself by leading an assault on Tinkles’ manufacturing facility.
In the climactic conflict, Lou rescues the family and defeats Mr. Tinkles, who is then subjected to humiliating treatment involving his owner’s maid Sophie.
Lou opts to live as a regular pet until ready to serve fully as a canine agent, with Butch recognizing Lou’s bravery and dedication.
Cast
- Jeff Goldblum as Professor Charles Brody
- Elizabeth Perkins as Carolyn Brody
- Alexander Pollock as Scotty Brody
- Miriam Margolyes as Sophie the Maid
- Myron Natwick as Mr. Mason
Voice cast
- Tobey Maguire as Lou: a Beagle puppy residing with the Brody family.
- Alec Baldwin as Butch: an experienced field agent and mentor to Lou; an Anatolian Shepherd.
- Sean Hayes as Mr. Tinkles: a white Persian cat leading the feline espionage faction against dogs.
- Susan Sarandon as Ivy: a former dog agent Saluki with a past connection to Butch; encountered by Lou during training.
- Charlton Heston as The Mastiff: an English Mastiff serving as leader of the dog agents.
- Jon Lovitz as Calico: an Exotic Shorthair cat acting as Mr. Tinkles' deputy.
- Joe Pantoliano as Peek: a Chinese Crested Dog operative.
- Michael Clarke Duncan as Sam: an agent of the Old English Sheepdog breed.
- Billy West as Ninja Cat #1
- Danny Mann as Ninja Cat #2
- Glenn Ficarra as Dimitri Kennelkoff / The Russian: a Russian Blue cat tasked with bombing Professor Brody's lab.
- Paul Pape as Wolf Blitzer: a wolf news anchor for Canine News Network, parodying CNN’s reporter.
- Victor Wilson as Doberman Drill Sergeant
- Charles Howerton as German Shepherd at Dog Headquarters
- Richard Steven Horvitz as Puppy at Barn
- Salome Jens as Collie at HQ
Puppeteers
- Adam Behr
- Kevin Carlson
- Alejandro Diaz
- Randi Kaplan
- John Kennedy
- Luke Khanlian
- Bruce Lanoil
- Drew Massey
- Gordon Robertson
- Michelan Sisti
- Allan Trautman
- Emmanuel Reynolds
Production
The shooting schedule spanned from June 19 to November 17, 2000, with locations in Vancouver and Eagle Creek Studios situated in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Principal sets featured Lou's doghouse on Stage 1, Mr. Mason's office alongside the interior of the tree flocking factory on Stage 2, and the international canine assembly on Stage 3. The backyard scenes of the Brody residence were captured on the studio’s backlot, while the front exterior was filmed at 1661 W 45th Avenue in Vancouver. Visual effects were crafted by Rhythm & Hues Studios, recognized for their work on titles such as Stuart Little, Mouse Hunt, and Hocus Pocus.
Release
Cats & Dogs premiered alongside the classic Looney Tunes short "Chow Hound". Debuting on Independence Day 2001, it secured the top box office position, overtaking Scary Movie 2 with a $21.7 million take from Friday through Sunday, averaging $7,140 across 3,040 theaters. The opening five-day total reached $35.8 million. In its second weekend, earnings declined by 44% to $12 million, placing third behind Legally Blonde and The Score, accumulating $58.9 million within twelve days. In the United Kingdom, it launched with $5.3 million, claiming first place ahead of Rush Hour 2, marking Warner Bros.' third-largest opening there after Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. The film ultimately grossed $93.4 million domestically and $107.3 million internationally, totaling $200.7 million globally against a production budget of $60 million.
Home video formats including VHS and DVD were released on October 23, 2001, featuring an alternate ending where Sophie brings Mr. Tinkles to a veterinary hospital for neutering. The title was later made available on Blu-ray on July 20, 2010, just prior to the release of its sequel, The Revenge of Kitty Galore.
The soundtrack composed by John Debney, issued in 2001, features Tom Jones' rendition of "What's New Pussycat?".
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, Cats & Dogs holds a 52% approval rating based on 117 critic reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10; reviewers acknowledged a compelling premise but criticized inconsistent character development and humor quality. Metacritic assigned a score of 47 out of 100 based on 26 critics’ evaluations, indicating mixed or average feedback.
Critical opinions varied: The Washington Post commended it as a clever spy parody enjoyable for both children and adults; Roger Ebert granted it three out of four stars, emphasizing its effective CGI effects; however, Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times described it as irritating and excessively hectic.
The film received nominations for the Young Artist Award in categories including Best Feature Film (Comedy) and Best Performance by Alexander Pollock. Composer John Debney earned the ASCAP Award for his musical work on this project as well as others like The Princess Diaries and Spy Kids. Notably, Charlton Heston was awarded the 2001 Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor, which included his performance in this film among others.
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010)
The follow-up film, under the direction of Brad Peyton, premiered on July 30, 2010. Returning cast members included Michael Clarke Duncan, Joe Pantoliano, and Sean Hayes, while Nick Nolte and Wallace Shawn took over roles originally played by Alec Baldwin and Jon Lovitz. The character Lou is portrayed as an adult, voiced by Neil Patrick Harris. New additions to the cast featured the voices of James Marsden as Diggs, Christina Applegate as Catherine, and Bette Midler as Kitty Galore.
Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite! (2020)
The third chapter in the series, functioning as a standalone sequel set a decade later, was released directly to digital platforms on September 15, 2020, with physical copies on DVD and Blu-ray made available on October 13. This installment introduced a completely fresh voice ensemble including Melissa Rauch, Max Greenfield, and George Lopez. Directed by Sean McNamara and co-produced by Andrew Lazar alongside David Fliegel, the screenplay was penned by Scott Bindley. Distribution was handled by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The film also saw theatrical runs in Australia beginning September 24 and in the United Kingdom starting October 2.