Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (PG, 2010)

In this day of ubiquitous, unnecessary 3-D films, CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE is yet another example of why there's no need to make every kid-marketed film come with a $4 surcharge and oversized glasses. Although there are a few laughs in the movie, there's also a whole lot of eye-rolling for parents. What works best in the plot is the buddy-cop angle with Nolte and Marsden's canines. There's an obvious 48 Hours/Lethal Weapon vibe between the two dogs -- one is a wise veteran and the other an immature hotheaded newbie -- and the rapport feels genuine (albeit ridiculously familiar). And the dog and cat agent headquarters are amusing, but the overlong gags about a cat lady's brood that's "high" on catnip and the Hannibal Lecter-esque Mr. Tinkles get old alarmingly fast.

Midler is evilly delicious as the megalomaniacal Kitty Galore, although it's a bit disappointing that she didn't contribute anything to the soundtrack, which does feature a fantastically campy rendition of "Get the Party Started" by Shirley Bassey. Kids who have yet to outgrow the allure of every single talking-animal comedy will enjoy the silly jokes, but grown-ups may find the CGI and the animal lip movements a tad off-putting after a while -- not to mention the stale one-liners.