Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)

"Graced with unusually expressive and seamless voice work by Drew Barrymore and George Lopez, the best of its kind since "Babe."  Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
"...its spirited voice cast delivers the whole enchilada.  Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter

Editor's Note In Disney's unabashedly silly talking-dog movie BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA, Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore), the ridiculously spoiled title pet, is swept away from her comfortable 90210 existence, when the impulsive niece (Piper Perabo) of her wealthy owner (Jamie Lee Curtis) combines dog-sitting with a vacation in Mexico. When Chloe gets lost south of the border, her scrappy Chihuahua admirer, Papi (voiced by George Lopez), embarks on a mission to bring her back home. While Chloe's pint-size dog in shining armor searches for his posh crush, she must contend with the rough-and-tumble side of life, learning a few important lessons along the way. Directed by Raja Gosnell, who is no stranger to dog-themed live-action/CGI flicks (see SCOOBY-DOO), CHIHUAHUA is an amusing diversion that is custom-made for canine lovers. Barrymore and Lopez are pitch-perfect in their vocal performances, and they are ably assisted by a bevy of Latino talent, including Andy Garcia, Edward James Olmos, and Cheech Marin. Although the film doesn't give its human actors a lot to do, it doesn't matter much, since the dogs are the reason for the entire show. In fact, the more the movie concentrates on its furry protagonists the more giddily entertaining it gets, as exemplified by a fun, fantastical doggie musical sequence that serves as CHIHUAHUA's undeniable highlight.

	Piper Perabo
	Manolo Cardona
	Eugenio Derbez
	Jamie Lee Curtis
	John Jacobs - Producer
	Luis Guzmán - Voice
	Steve Nicolaides - Executive Producer
	Cheech Marin - Voice
	Jeff Bushell - Screenwriter
	Todd Lieberman - Producer
	Phil Meheux - Director of Photography
	Drew Barrymore - Voice
	Paul Rodriguez - Voice
	Analisa LaBianco - Screenwriter
	Heitor Pereira - Composer
	Andy Garcia - Voice
	George Lopez - Voice
	Piolin - Voice
	David Hoberman - Producer
	Jeff Bushell - Story
	Placido Domingo - Voice
	Edward James Olmos - Voice
	Raja Gosnell - Director

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "CHIHUAHUA is essentially a class-war parable told from the winning side. A state-of-the-art kid-pleaser for sure..." 02/01/2009

Premiere
3 stars out of 4 -- "The voices are very good....It highly encourages dog adoption, so at lease kids are getting a message while being entertained." 03/02/2009

Reel.com 5 of 10
Of all the misguided movie genres, the modern family film is the most disingenuous. While it argues that it's merely providing "quality" entertainment to those underserved by Hollywood's obsession with sex and violence, the truth is that most G- to PG-rated fare is far more insidious. Applying a sugar-coated Saturday morning superficiality to what's supposed to pass for pleasantries, the Hollywood machine still finds a way to manufacture out all the fun. Disney's disappointing live-action comedy Beverly Hills Chihuahua can be accused of a great many faults--indirect racism, single digit IQ writing, past-tense pop culture awareness--but one thing it cannot claim is an ability to reach beyond its typical tween demographic...When one sees the phrase "A Film by Raja Gosnell" on the credits, it's usually time to abandon most, if not all, hope. After all, this is the mediocre directorial mastermind behind the Scooby-Doo debacles, as well as other surefire stinkers like Big Momma's House and Yours, Mine, and Ours...Talking-animal films have been around since the beginning of cinema, and they can usually be counted on for providing a mindless smile or two. Beverly Hills Chihuahua doesn't stray from that sense of familiarity. It will delight those whose aesthetic is still under construction, while providing the more gullible in the adult audience a few giggles. There's even a post-modern message about responsibility thrown in for good measure. But if you want true family film value, look elsewhere. This is a shallow cinematic shill at best. - Bill Gibron