FURRY foes face off once more this week in the 3D sequel Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore.
While the age old war between cats and dogs rages on under the noses of their unsuspecting owners, misbehaved police dog Diggs (James Marsden) is given the choice between rotting in kennels or joining the fight to bring down notorious (and bald) super-villain Kitty Galore (Bette Midler).
But to defeat the sinister feline, he must do the unthinkable and team up with... a cat!
Can the odd-couple work together to save humanity?
Bond with paws
As Shirley Bassey sings over James Bond inspired titles - complete with spinning bones and exploding balls of wool - it is clear the emphasis is on silly fun for the entire family.
Director Brad Peyton may not have a slew of strong films behind him, but the balance of animal focused live-action and CG enhancements required, demonstrates his skills at bringing a well-paced and demanding film to the screen.
Throwing out slapstick, quirky humour and plenty of animal orientated gags - including a side-splitting cat-nip den scene - the unlikely sequel is sure to appeal to fans of the original outing back in 2001.
Although the entire cast put in strong vocal performances to bring the plethora of animals to life, Alec Baldwin and Toby Maguire are missed despite the best efforts of replacements Nick Nolte and Neil Patrick Harris as seasoned agent Butch and dog boss Lou respectively.
Thankfully, the welcomed return of Sean Hayes voicing the dastardly Mr Tinkles marks a high point in his Silence Of The Lambs parodied stint.
Aimless adult attempts
But this also marks the problem with Cats & Dogs 2. Writers Ron J. Friedman and Steve Bencich seem overly concerned with providing enough nods to crime/secret agent films for the adults rather than concentrating on offering original laughs.
Whether it’s Roger Moore voicing cat leader Tab Lazenby or reworked lines from Lethal Weapon, the overt emphasis lacks the subtlety similar generation-spanning movies possess.
Nevertheless, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore is a film aimed at younger audiences, and with enough fur flying frolics and canine comedy to keep all ages entertained, the film’s bark just about matches its bite.
5/10 - Purr-fectly adequate sequel