Review: ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’

Michelle:

The  enthusiastic chuckling  from my 10-yr old just  at the teaser of miniature dancing dogs guaranteed my attendance at the first of  4 upcoming  dog flicks with ‘Bolt,’ ‘Marley and Me,’ and  ’Hotel for Dogs’  soon to follow. Disney  bounds out of the  pound with ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’ or as the kids have been calling it, the BHC movie.

A froo-froo Chihuahua (think Legally Blonde), Chloe (Drew Barrymore),  is kidnapped while on holiday in Mexico and briefly thrown into  the world of  illegal dogfighting.  Once freed by her fellow canine inmates,  Chloe’s long trek back to  the life of  spas and Rodeo Drive  include  a love-sick  male Chihuahua, Papi (George Lopez), aided by an ex-police dog  German Shepherd, Delgado  (Andy Garcia), and on the run from a bad-to-the bone doberman,  El Diablo (Edward James Olmos). The comic relief comes from savy rat, Manual,  (Cheech Marin) and his  sidekick, Chico, a skidish iguana (Paul Rodriguez). The humans of the film, Piper Perabo and Jamie Lee Curtis, understandably, and probably thankfully,  have  little face time.

While on their  journey through the desert, Chloe and Delgado are rescued from ravenous mountain lions by Montezuma (Placido Domingo)  and a large pack of Chihuahuas. They, and we, are  taken to the Lost City of Chihuahuas and treated to wincing lines of “talk to the paw” and a lackluster  pooch dance number. And it’s here, where Chloe finds her true bark, her true inner Chihuahua. “No more are we just fashion accessories” they cry “!No Mas!” That’s exactly what I was thinking… no more!!

Director Raja Gosnell (Scooby-Doo 1 & 2, Yours, Mine, and Ours) does a  less than stellar  job with  this talking animal pic. Even with his experience of mixing live action with animated CGI, Gosnell  fails to make this dog Best in Show. However, Beverly Hills Chihuahua will appeal to its target  audience, kids, who  will be be howling throughout… I know my  young pup  did.

[rating:2/5]