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'Beverly Hills Chihuahua': Do We Really Have to Spell It Out?

Posted on: Friday, 3 October 2008, 06:00 CDT

By Claudia Puig

Alpo is served with a burrito chaser in Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Disney's fish-out-of-water comedy in which the fish is ... well, read the title.

And those who do will likely know at once if the movie (live action with computer-generated animal mouth movements) is for them. As for that title, everything is spelled out from the get-go.

One exception is a loopy sidelight that involves a mystical mountain Chihuahua community led by a wise old sage with the voice of Placido Domingo. But mostly, this is a pursuit picture.

A live-action Jamie Lee Curtis, who pampers her pet Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore), entrusts the latter to her shallow niece (Piper Perabo in not exactly a career-enhancing role). Perabo then takes the animal on a Mexican pleasure trip, whereupon it escapes into the urban "elements."

Because this is a Disney release, the script can't exactly have Chloe sold into Chihuahua white slavery. Instead, it takes a Michael Vick turn via villainous dogfight promoters who covet Chloe's diamond collar.

Providing voices for a predominantly canine cast are Andy Garcia (nice job), Paul Rodriguez, George Lopez and Cheech Marin.

There also is the expected grocery store wreckage scene, a possibly unexpected dog-washing musical montage and a CGI rat/iguana team of con artists.

Director Raja Gosnell previously did both Scooby-Doo features, Big Momma's House and the Yours, Mine and Ours remake, so he knows plenty about cinematic dogs. Still, the children at a recent screening laughed at this lark as much as they fidgeted.

Attached to Chihuahua is a laborious trailer for Disney's Bolt. Ticket buyers older than 8 should simply close their eyes and ponder a more stimulating concept: Beverly Hills Cujo. (c) Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

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