The movie is good because it really gives a good message of how sibblings take care of each other. Though quite slow but maintains its flow throught.

While there isn't anything particularly troubling about this film I didn't find it very engaging and it seemed to drag on a bit. (How many dog-related inventions can really be entertaining?) The children are living in/running from an unsavory foster home after losing their parents. There is also a scene right at the beginning in which the kids are running a scam/stealing and running from the authorities. Entertaining for the kids but just tolerable for even the most animal-loving adults.

Me and the kids were very excited to see Hotel for Dogs and we loved seeing all the different breeds of dogs but the kids got bored out a little towards the end.

I will defer to the opinions of those who feel children from troubled backgrounds would find this disturbing. But my daughter and I found it charming (my word) and funny (hers). She was not bothered by the kids' ambiguous life situation and loved their creativity and commitment. I enjoyed being reminded of the Disney movies of my childhood. I did have to answer questions about why the police "don't understand" that they are trying to help. All in all, we enjoyed it!

This is another of those treacherous adoption/foster care films. Probably fine for kids with dual birth parents, no abandonment fears, etc. Very tricky for children who've lost a parent, been adopted, been in foster care, etc. For some such children it might be a way to explore complex issues, for some it might have them sleeping in their parent's bed for the next six months. Adoptive and foster care parents and caregivers -- be careful. You may want to wait for the DVD version and then watch it BEFORE the kids.

Cute movie. My daughters, 8 and 6, liked it much more than High School Musical. Good lessons about helping others but the fact the kids run away, take shelter in an unsafe, abandoned and condemned hotel, and do illegal things caused me to have to "talk" to my kids afterwards about the difference between doing the right and wrong things and WHY. Overall, even with the questionable content, I still recommend the movie with adult supervision.

good movie, nice message and dogs are adorable, saw with 13 yo, 5 yo and parents and we all enjoyed it =] the kids lie and steal but they learn their lesson and whatnot.

I work at my local theater, so I went to see this movie just because I could for free, and it was the last choice besides The Last House on the Left... and honestly, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It doesn't really push the limits of the PG rating besides a boy kicking a man in the crotch, some cleavage-exposing tops, and discussion of poop and pee (but what do you think is going to happen when you leave dogs alone?). Still, I recommend you make this movie a DVD rental, unless you are devoted to one of the actors/actresses, you really love dog movies, or are an animal rights activist.

took a troubled eight-year-old... she adored it, I thought it was okay. She seemed really tense for a lot of the movie and started crying at one point, but when it was over she declared it was the best movie ever. The Westie (main dog) Friday was definitely both of our favorite part of the movie.

My kids and I just finished reading the book together, so this movie was a HUGE disappointment. The only similarity were the names used. After the movie I asked my 6 yr old if he liked it. He said "The book was Waaaay better!"

I work as an advocate for children who are coming from homes of Domestic Violence and I often take children to the movies when there is no school. After viewing the trailer the children decided it would be a fun movie to see (ages 8 & 12). I took them thinking it would be a silly pointless movie, only to find it was full of things that are all to real in my line of work. The children I had taken to the movies were recently removed from their mother and placed with grandparents, but have easily been those kids on the screen. I think the movie would have been great for "normal" happy children, but I wish somewhere in the previews I would have known the plot....now I know to check this site!

My kids want a dog really bad, and think all pets are cute. Watching the dogs run around, play & interact with the kids was thrilling enough for them. So, did we really have to go "there"?! What's up with kids stealing & being taken to jail? Why show unfit parents mistreatment of the foster kids? The social implications of those scenarios go beyond what I care to explain to my 4- & 5-year old. Then there's the fact that, although we would not really have wanted our kids to watch two of the kids in the movie develop a romance, "couple up" & kiss, even our kids turned away & groaned in disgust when the movie showed two of the dogs licking each other in the mouth. This was an especially grotesque addition to the movie that was unneccessary to improve it's entertainment value.

I took my 8 year old and 13 year old to this today. It was marketed as a comedy and let me tell you, it was no comedy. Adults (except predictably sappy social worker) are not to be trusted, are cruel, and kids must lie, cheat, and steal to interact with them. My 13 year old announced that she really liked it, but she was terribly tense and upset during most of the movie. The scenes where the siblings are separated are terrifying for anybody who knows anything about adoption or foster realities. I am sooo angry for having gone by the trailers for the movie and not researched it first here. Very disturbing movie, and NOT for kids, unless we assume they just don't get the disturbing parts...

I took my 4 year old (who was dying to see it) and my 7 year old (who didn't want to see it). The 4 year old was completely bored and kept asking why it was so long. The 7 year enjoyed it but didn't love it. I thouht it was mildly amusing.

My kids enjoyed this movie, and I found it mildly entertaining as well. The dogs are very cute as are the inventions that 12 y/o boy character makes. While it's mostly innocent, there were some parts that gave me pause, that I wanted to share in case others find it relevant. * Stereotypical characters -- the boy's the clever one who does all of the work and the girl's the cute one without many skills. * The main character -- Emma Roberts -- spends much of the movie flirting with various characters, including several older men, in an attempt to get what she wants (e.g. a police office, a dog catcher) I found it kind of creepy. * The parents use the word "crap" several times. * In general, I felt like the movie really played up the sex appeal of 16 year-old Roberts. There were many close up shots of her giving bedroom eyes at a range of people, most often her teenage love interest. This might sound like I'm reading too much into it (and perhaps I am), but it just struck me as strange, unnecessary and inappropriate. * The kiss at the end could have been a lot more innocent. I almost felt more comfortable with my 4 y/o seeing it than I did with my 7 y/o because I felt like some of the parts that I didn't like were over my 4 y/o's head.

Pretty lame story, kids seemed to enjoy watching and talking about the dogs.... but didnt really understand why everyone was chasing eachother. I didn't like the treatment of authority figures in the movie.

It was unrealistic and sappy, but we all loved it. I have two kids, 4 & 6 and I cringed at some of the stuff in here (the dishonesty in selling fake cell phones, the foster situation, etc), but the kids didn't. When all the dogs went back to the pound, my 6 year old was "Mom, this is a SAD movie - why did you bring me to a SAD movie", but then she was okay. I know everyone's child is different, but I consider my kids pretty sensitive to everything and they didn't come out asking a million questions (may also be because we got out at their bedtime). I'll edit this review if it changes over the next few days. My husband and I both loved this movie and ended up crying and laughing...

My girls were excited about the dogs and contraptions shown in the previews but we didn't get to that until about 45 minutes into the movie. And when you get there the fun only last for about 20 minutes. That 20 minutes was the only time my 6 year old wasn't saying her stomach hurt and that she was scared. In fact the first 30 minutes of the show are filled with negativity, deception and poor-treatment of others. CSM says that this doesn't get too emotional but my daughter was crying when she saw the brother and sister separated and sent to different orphanages. She was still teary about this scene as we drove home. She also didn't understand why the foster parents would offer to take care of children but then padlock their cupboards, feed them gruel that even the "dogs wouldn't eat", and generally be mean to the kids. This was a little bit beyond grade-school topicality as was the budding romance and high-school party that the lead character goes to. My 6 year old's question in regards to this scene was, "Why do people care so much about what they look like to go to a party?" I didn't feel this was the appropriate time to explain that Andi was dressing up to impress the boy she liked so I tried to divert the conversation. As for recommending this movie, I probably wouldn't. My girls just didn't get anything positive out of it. I mentioned my 6 year old's reaction but even my 8 year old said she was scared at times. Yeah, it was fun for that 20 minutes in the middle but the rest of the plot was about deception, lying, sneaking, stealing, and working the system. Those elements combined to be more powerful than the movies intended message about finding homes for all strays, humans and dogs.

I took my 4yr old son to see this movie and I'm not sure who laughed more and harder! I don't understand those adults who rated it as boring or ho-hum. It was so nice to see a movie (not animated) that was clean, funny & very entertaining. I have recommended this to all my friends for their pre-schoolers as well. Loved it & will definitely be getting the DVD.

I thought that movie was cute. Of course I had my "yea, right" moments, I had to remember this was a movie geared for children. It really was cute and we had the "warm fuzzies" at the end.

We would totally recommend it to anyone. It was sad ): and had a happy (: ending.

I've only seen it once but I think it's good and bad.

I loved hotel for dogs it was a great family movie and it was also a great animal movie it was humorous and fun it was a cute movie

dont see it

i just want to whach it okay

Pretty good movie. [:

good for the little ones

It's cute. It's not my ideal movie considering I'm 11 yrs old but it's entertaining and leaves you smiling. Parents should know that there really isn't anything inappropriate except for some crude humor, like dogs pooping and stepping in poo and pee.

This dog film is okay and funny at times, but it just kinda falls flat.

i loved it except that there were two parts that were sad. one was when they got seperated by foster care. and when the dog appears to be put asleep. that killed me

It's a very good movie but sad a cried in the middle of it but on the other hand very very funny

Very sad.

THAT WAS A GREAT MOVIE!!!!!!!!

I love this movie and they have great actors such as Jake T. Austin. Good for everyone

Very funny, goofy,(and sometimes a tiny bit gross). A must see for the whole family.

Very funny, goofy,(and sometimes a tiny bit gross). A must see for the whole family.

well i think the right age is 5 so if you think i am rong then i am ok with that

well i think the right age is 5 so if you think i am rong then i am ok with that

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My daughter says, "Watch it! Go ahead. It is lots of fun. It will make you want to have a dog. p.s. - Did I mention it rocks! lol" I say, "Sweet. Funny. Tear-jerker. I really enjoyed it. It also made me want to get a dog." ps- The cat won't let us get a dog.

Hotel for dogs is all about two orphan children who have been moved several times throught foster parents- mainly because of there behaviur. As the film goes on you the two meet other kids who help them make and run the hotel for dogs. The film is a family friendly with only mild language throughout and barely any violence.