BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA
US, 2008, 92 minutes, Colour.
Piper Parabo, Jamie Lee Curtis.
Voices of: Drew Barrymore, Andy Garcia, Placido Domingo, George Lopez, Cheech Marin.
Directed by Raja Gosnel.
It turned out much better than expected – unless you really wanted to spend 90 minutes sharing the experiences of a wealthy, spoilt LA fashion mode poodle named Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore), over-cared for by a deliriously doting Jamie Lee Curtis (who could have played this kind of eccentric dog-devotee character in her husband, Christopher Guest's Best in Show).
Once Jamie Lee has gone off to Italy (and off her mobile phone) to promote perfumes and has entrusted Chloe to her flibberty niece (Piper Perabo) who takes Chloe off on a trip to Mexico where she is abducted by a bunch of crooks collecting a variety of pooches for their illegal dogfights, it gets more interesting. Needless to say, Rachel is frantic and joined by her aunt's gardener, hispanic Sam, (whom she does not like) and led (though they can't understand the doggy dialogue which, fortunately, we do) by the gardener's pet, Papi (voiced by George Lopez), who has a thing for Chloe, the film gets going.
It is 'little dog lost' but she is helped by a sage old ex-police sniffer (voiced by Andy Garcia), though they get into a lot of adventures, including Chloe having her jewel-studded collar stolen by a comic rat and an iguana (that's right), and she eventually arrives at the ancient Aztec ruins of the state of Chihuahua and, helped by the mighty little leader, Montezuma (voiced by of all people, Placido Domingo), she learns about her heritage, even discovering her bark when confronted by the abducter's black dog, Demon (voiced by Edward James Olmos).
Chloe, Puppy, Rachel and Sam all end up back in Beverly Hills more down-to-earth than they used to be.
Actually, now that I think of it, I must have enjoyed it more than I thought.
1.The popularity of dog films? Talking dogs? The strength of the voice cast?
2.The title, the picture of Beverly Hills, fashion, wealth, pampered pets, owners and their idiosyncrasies, the shops? The doting owners?
3.The LA mansions, the gardens, the gardener? Papi and his friendship with the gardener? Viv, her background, her perfumes, with her dog, going to Italy?
4.The focus on Chloe, Drew Barrymore’s voice? Pampered, her way of talking, her relationship with Papi? Not liking Rachel? Loving Viv? Being entrusted to Rachel, the trip to Mexico, Rachel going out, Chloe going out, being abducted, the vicious dogs, the men and their plans for dogfights? Talking, her inexperience, meeting Delgado? The journey, getting out? The encounter with the rat and the iguana, losing her jewelled collar? On the train, the leap from the train and her sense of achievement? Chloe and the other dogs? Learning, finding Montezuma, going to Chihuahua, learning about her ancestry, her bark? The confrontation with Demon? With the men? Trapped – and Papi and Rachel and Sam coming to her rescue?
5.Viv and her style, Rachel and her job, friends, Sam and his work in the garden, Hispanic background?
6.Rachel discovering Chloe was missing, her worry, the police, Sam and Papi arriving, the information, joining forces, the search, the leads, travelling around Mexico, the man with the collar and his honesty, finding Chloe?
7.The abductors, nasty, Demon and the flashbacks for the clash with Delgado, Delgado losing his sense of smell, having confidence, locating Chloe?
8.Delgado, good, his past as an officer, resuming his work with the police?
9.Papi, stray, with the gardener, the search, his dialogue, his tracking down Chloe, heroics?
10.Monty, Montezuma, the Aztecs, Chihuahuas and their pride?
11.Demon, fierce dog, the villain, savage?
12.Rachel and Sam, the other stray dogs, the old lady taking one, the other going for security, finding a home?
13.The comedy with the rat, the iguana, the collar, their being pursued, their conscience, their comedy and heroics?
14.Chloe, her experience, being more down-to-earth when she returned home? Viv and her pampering? Rachel rehabilitating herself? In love with Sam? Chloe and Papi?
