Cats and Dogs
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Very cute. Really. Love those pets.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 5 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Cats and Dogs was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that this movie features several potty jokes and a great deal of comic/fantasy violence (no one hurt). Some children may be upset about an elderly character on life support, especially when his condition is used for comedy. A boy is sad when his dog disappears, and is reluctant to make friends with a replacement. The movie is mildly sexist -- although one of the spy dogs is female, she is not a part of the team, and the message that goes out to the spy dogs is prefaced with "gentlemen." A boy's feelings are hurt when he does so badly at soccer try-outs (off screen) that the coach suggests that he try out for the girls' team. Although Michael Clarke Duncan provides voice talent, the movie has an all-white Dick and Jane feeling.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the different ways that the cats and dogs deal with failure and setbacks and their ability to work as a team. Those are the keys to the resolution. Families should also talk about Ivy's comment, "Sometimes mad is just a way of hiding how sad you are." This is a very important concept for children to understand. They may also want to talk about the way that Goldblum's character gets so caught up in his work that he forgets how important it is to spend time with his son.
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More on Cats and Dogs
What’s the Story?
Back in the days of ancient Egypt, cats ruled. But with the help of dogs, humans took over, and cats have been trying to regain their position ever since. An evil rogue cat named Mr. Tinkles has a plot to foil the development of an injection that would cure allergies to dogs. If he can get the formula, reverse its effects, and expose every human in the world to it, then everyone would become allergic to dogs, and cats could take over.
Is It Any Good?
CATS AND DOGS is silly fun, a throwback to the classic Disney days of The Absent-Minded Professor and The Shaggy Dog. It moves along swiftly thanks to a brief running time (less than 90 minutes) and spectacularly seamless special effects work. It also benefits from outstanding voice talents: Tobey Maguire (Lou, the young pup called upon to save the world), Alec Baldwin (Butch, the senior agent, using some of the same world-weary courage and avuncular twinkle that he gave to James Dolittle in Pearl Harbor), and Susan Sarandon (kind-hearted canine femme fatale Ivy), as the good guys, and Sean Hayes (enjoying the role of evil villain Mr. Tinkles), and Jon Lovitz (his sidekick) as bad guys. Live action duties are undertaken with good spirits by Elizabeth Perkins, Jeff Goldblum, and Miriam Margolyes, who does a funny twist on her role as the Nurse in the Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo and Juliet.
All of this is aimed at 8-year-olds, so expect some PG-rated litter box humor, a couple of mild references to whether a male dog has been fixed and a lot of slapstick pratfalls and head-bonks. All of this was a huge hit with the kids in the screening I attended. They got a special kick out of the ninja cats (with a now-obligatory "Matrix" joke). There were a couple of good moments for parents, too, including a dog who explains that she is not homeless, just "domestically challenged," a canine news commentator named (of course) Wolf Blitzer, and having the dogs read the Miranda warnings to thousands of arrested mice. The movie comes down on the side of loyalty and families. And Mr. Tinkles' punishment is both funny and (literally) fitting.
Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros., Director: Lawrence Guterman
Run time: 87 minutes
Theatrical release: 6/6/2001
MPAA Rating: PG for peril and some potty humor
Run time: 87 minutes
Theatrical release: 6/6/2001
MPAA Rating: PG for peril and some potty humor
Our Members Say
See all 28 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
i love this movie...
i have this move on dvd and i think you should to! its a great movie! it is kinda of rude for the peaple who like cats. but it is a clasic and YOU SHOULD WATCH IT!
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Cats vs. Dogs
It's kind of rude to those who like cats because the cats in this movie act rude, mean, and evil. I'm allergic to cats, so it doesn't really matter. I have a dog and I love her so much, but that doesn't mean that I absolutely HATE cats. Anyway, it was a good movie, but kind of predictable. Most cats are scared of dogs, so oviously the dogs won. It doesn't have anything that's not appropriate, and it's good for younger kids.
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I rate this title pause for age 8 and give it
Funny slapstick
This is a good movie for 9+ kids who can accept slapstick between pets.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title off for age 0 and give it
i lost 400000000000000 brain cells
i like it but have not sceen it for 4 years what was the question again
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
good movie for 7 and older
funny movie, but violent. real animals fly through the air and are thrown about.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give itCute Animal Fun
This is mine and my 4 year old son's favorite movie. We have a beagle and are always cheering for "Lou". My son repeats parts of the movie, "Dark cloud, dark cloud? Is that what I'm calling my plan?" He just got a furreal friend that looks like a fluffy white cat and he just can't get enough! The family story line is nice and the animals are the best!
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Very cute movie
When my daughter was 3 she saw this movie. She sat and watched it 4 x's that night! I think what she wondered the most is "why doesnt my cat talk!" It was really cute when she would pet the cat and say something then look at her mouth and wait 4 her reply! It is a very cute movie and I think if u're child has never seen a movie like this b-4 and u have a pet, u could probably get an hr of free time cuz i think they will enjoy it!
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say there are good role models |
| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
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