Story
In a battle that dates back to the beginning of time, dogs have been fighting to keep humankind from falling into the paws of cats. Unknown to humans, that battle continues today. Specialist spy dogs have been strategically placed in houses to ensure the safety of human assets.
Lou (voice of Tobey Maguire) is a typical puppy with an adventurous spirit. He’s unknowingly thrust into the middle of the battle when he’s chosen to become a part of the Brody family. With the support of Butch (voice of Alec Baldwin) and other spy dogs, Lou must protect Professor Brody (voice of Jeff Goldblum). Professor Brody’s researching a dog allergy vaccine for humans. Villainous cats want to reverse the vaccine to make all humans allergic to dogs. Their ultimate aim is to turn humans against dogs and install cats at the top of the hierarchy.
Themes
Animal distress and cruelty; kidnapping; children as victims; war
Violence
Cats and Dogs contains several violent scenes. For example:
Sexual references
This movie has some very mild sexual references. For example:
- Two dogs flirt with each other.
- A character says that a dog still has his ‘you know whats’.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie shows some substance use. For example:
- Professor Brody injects himself with his vaccine.
- The cats throw a gas canister into the family car, which makes the family unconscious.
Nudity and sexual activity
None of concern
Product placement
None of concern
Coarse language
The movie has some very mild coarse language and put-downs.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Cat and Dogs is an animated comedy showing a battle for power between dogs and cats. It explores the sacrifices made by those who choose to ‘fetch and protect’. Lou is thrust into huge responsibility – he must befriend his family, balance his duties, protect the professor and save all humans from cats. The movie has a lot of toilet jokes, scenes with fantasy violence and scary situations, which might frighten very young children.
The main messages from this movie are about balancing work and family, and dealing with the loss of a dog.
This movie could give you the chance to talk with your children about issues such as loneliness, greed and the misuse of power. You could also talk about the way the movie presents cats and dogs.