Cats & Dogs
All team (42)
Short description
Cats & Dogs centres on a secret war between cats and dogs that has been fought for centuries without humans ever noticing. When Professor Brody works on a vaccine that would cure people of their allergies to dogs, the discovery threatens to shift the balance of power between the two species. Fearing that dogs would become the favoured pets, the cats, led by the power-hungry Persian Mr. Tinkles, plot to stop the research. Opposing them is Lou, a young beagle puppy who is recruited by the canine agents who have long protected humanity and must prove himself in the fight against the feline army.
The film is the first feature directed by Lawrence Guterman, released in 2001 and followed by Son of the Mask in 2005. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa wrote the screenplay, and the cast mixes live action with voice work: Jeff Goldblum plays Professor Brody, Elizabeth Perkins and Alexander Pollock appear as his wife and son, while Tobey Maguire voices Lou and Alec Baldwin voices the seasoned dog agent Butch. Rounding out the credited cast is Miriam Margolyes, and the production involved 44 credited cast members and 42 credited crew.
Made for about 60 million dollars, it took roughly 201 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 5.2 out of 10 from around 65,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.4 out of 10 from about 1,800 votes. A critics' rating of 5.6 out of 10 from 116 reviews places it close to the audience scores, indicating a modest reception across the board.
What's left behind the scenes
- A significant portion of the nighttime scenes were filmed during the day because dogs generally sleep at night.
- A puppeteer participated in some of the episodes. Occasionally, he appeared in the frame and was subsequently removed using digital technology.
- The animal muzzles were animated by Rhythm & Hues Studios. The company made a name for itself in the production of visual effects and animation. Its specialists were responsible for the animation in Chris Noonan's comedy-drama Babe (1995).
- In the stadium scene, the face of the painting's artist, James D. Bissell, was pasted onto a cardboard security guard in the parking lot.
- A single cat puppet shown in the film cost the production $4,221. Director Lawrence Guterman wanted to make the entire film digitally, but that would have exceeded the approved budget.
- To get the dogs to start licking themselves on command, peanut butter was applied to their fur in the necessary spots.
- Tinkles was modeled after Ernst Stavro Blofeld's cat, the villain from the James Bond 007 franchise, and his organization was based on the SPECTRE organization led by Blofeld.
- The scene in which Sophie revives Mr. Mason by hitting his chest was filmed in reverse.
- In an alternative ending, Sophie takes Tinkles to the vet to be neutered as punishment for his desire to take over the world. The nurse at the veterinary clinic turns out to be a robot. Tinkles manages to escape when his minions seize Sophie. He then laughs evilly. Lou finds out about everything. The scene ends with a shot of Lou and his friends chasing after Tinkles.
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