Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
(G), 160 mins 3/5

If you’re stuck with a few hours up your sleeve these school holidays, then the adventures of the canines, felines and friends in the Cats And Dogs sequel will get you through with more giggles than tears.

I know this because we were surrounded by littlies whose amusement with the talking animals was at an all-time shrieking high.

The Revenge of Kitty Galore is squarely aimed at the kiddy crowd with not a lot to offer the grown-ups except a couple of hours of mindless peace as the antics of a crime-busting quartet get stuck into stopping the evil plan of the star of the show.

Kitty Galore, a slippery sphinx with a magician for a human master, is out to turn all the dogs of this world into “mad dogs” – a plan that would see them all put in dreaded kennels.

With the help of star voices such as Nick Nolte, Christina Applegate, James Marsden and Katt Williams, the unlikely team has just hours to stop her.

Diggs, an unwanted police dog, Butch, the wily veteran, a pigeon called Seamus and a cat called Catherine track down Galore (Bette Midler) by working together and facing their fears.

Adults be warned not to look too far into the storyline – there’s simply no explanation for how the animals take their collars off and then have them on again in the next scene.

Let alone how they manage to find jetpacks to help with their plan.

The plot may be slight but it’s cute as can be and compelling to kids.

And who can ask for more than that in the school holidays?

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“Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” is a clever, funny movie that will entertain kids and adults.

I KNOW. I was as surprised as anyone. The idea of adorable animals (well, Kitty herself is pretty ugly) “acting” out a movie sounds as dumb as pretty much every other movie that fits that description.

Except that this time, thanks to a script with enough funny references to other films and a few homegrown laughs of its own, it works, at times pretty well. It’s like a James Bond movie acted out by house pets (the title is a Bond reference; kids, ask your parents), and it’s better than the Timothy Dalton ones.

Having Roger Moore on hand as the voice of a cat only makes it all the better.

Granted, it’s not a “Toy Story” movie, and it’s not “Inception.” But the sequel to the 2001 “Cats & Dogs” is a good-enough movie to hold the attention of both your children and you, and as anyone who frequents children’s movies knows, that’s gold.

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