“Strays” REVIEW
“Dog’s Journey” Continues
Show Dogs Review
“So what you’re a cop?” –Daisy
“I am undercover as a show dog.” –Max
Max, the Rottweiler must learn what it means to truly be a show dog if he is to discover what happened to the baby panda, Ling Ling, even if it means learning to trust the bozo FBI agent who is helping him.
In a somewhat twist of Mission Impossible meets Hotel for Dogs, Show Dogs has something for everyone. Kids will enjoy the talking dogs who essentially poke fun at the humans that they are with, while there is a deeper message for the adults. The message centers around what it truly takes to be a show dog as well as the trust that comes with it. It’s something that everyone has to deal with and at an hour and a half, the movie does somewhat succeed.
Show Dogs stars a long list of celebrities as the voices of the dogs as well as the companions and the interesting thing, though the dogs are talking, is not whether the characters can understand them word for word. Let’s get to our main character Max, voiced by Ludacris along with his FBI partner, Frank (Will Arnett). This relationship is interesting because when we first see Max, he is all alone, tracking down the culprits who kidnapped the baby panda. At the same time, he encounters Frank, in a somewhat hilarious manner, chasing him down when he thinks he is in on the whole case. Right away, there is an uneasy feeling between the two of them that gets even more interesting in the NYPD police station when the chief pairs them together to go undercover at a dog show.
Funny from the start, the pairing of Ludacris with Arnett is ideal as the two, though Arnett is dealing with a voice-overed dog, it meshes well in the finished package and credit thus also goes to the dog handler offset as they were able to perfectly match the dog’s movements with that of the voiceover. I’m always a fan of voiceovers done the right way with live action animals as I know animals’ mannerisms are not easy to control.
Subsequently, the film also stars voices including Alan Cumming as Dante, Stanley Tucci as Phillipi, Shaquille O’Neal as Karma and Jordan Sparks as Daisy. All of these voices ring out of the dogs they are portraying. The director, Raja Gosnell, did a great job working with the stars to match each breeds’ temperament. For example, O’Neal’s peace and love rings out of Karma as being a big dog with a soft heart, and Tucci’s spunky temperament as a Papillion did justice as well.
As a whole, the film flowed quite nicely as it opened with a kind of spyish quality, mirroring that of Mission Impossible or a 007 parody. The camera angles paid off as they perfectly captured both animal and humans, blurring reality and CGI. The wise cracking pigeons were one element that did leave me short, as the editors could’ve very easily used CGI on real pigeons for an extra level of authenticity.
Shot on location in Las Vegas, it was refreshing to see various elements of the Las Vegas strip superimposed with dog like qualities, such as the runway for the dog show smack dab in the middle of Caesar’s palace. Though Show Dogs may not be for everyone, especially if one doesn’t like dogs, it is a quite enjoyable ride. It’s refreshing to see the difference in dialogue between the dogs as opposed to their human counterparts and yet in the end, the dialogue mirror each other as the heart of the situation is to rescue the baby panda. The writers did an adequate job of developing the storyline and appealing to all ages as a whole.
At an hour and thirty minute run time, Show Dogs will take you on an adventure with Max and Frank, as the matter of trust is put to the ultimate test. Recommended for kids and dog lovers at heart, it is truly an enjoyable film for all who wish to let the dogs take control.
Show Dogs came out in theaters May 18 and is currently playing near you.
29th Annual Pet Expo In Costa Mesa
Celebrating 5 years of Pets in Pomona
26 Years of Animal Fun in Costa Mesa
On the second weekend in April, hundreds of pet owners and enthusiasts showed up in Costa Mesa at the Orange County Fairgrounds for the 26th Annual America’s Family Pet Expo. This is the largest pet expo in the area and includes over one thousand dogs, cats, birds, fish, pot belly pigs, goats, rats, reptiles, rabbits, and miniature horse to name a few. There were also lots of different animal demonstrations including therapy animals, police dogs and more.
Watch the video below to see more about what what was at this year’s expo including an exclusive interview with the authors of a dog book called True Tails From the Dog Park.
Pet Expo 2015 in Pomona
Hosted this year in Pomona by media sponsor Pet Life Radio , the So Cal Pet Expo welcomed all types of animals over the course of two days on February 21 and 22 as people roamed the fairgrounds looking for a variety of pet services and needs for their furry friends. There were local animal hospitals that offered free nail trims and low cost vaccines as well as homemade dog food. In addition, local authors came out to promote books such as, Cat Calls, about the adventures of the pet sitting business in addition to a dog behavior book called Bark and Lunge.
Watch the video below to see and hear more about what was attracting pet lovers to this year’s expo and the entertainment that kept them happy.
World Fest is Back For Another Year
As previously reported last year, at Woodley park residents came out to experience the vegan lifestyle with sample foods, great music and more.
Watch the video to see what was new at this year’s festival.
Pet Expo 2014 in Costa Mesa, Calif.
On the last weekend of April, So Cal Residents came out to the America’s Family Pet Expo, the largest Expo dedicated to all types of animals located in Costa Mesa Calif. There was nearly every breed of dog, including Chihuahuas, Great Danes, Collies and even the American Pitbull breed and residents could learn just a little bit more about their favorite breed. Leading up the largest pet adoption weekend, there were also local shelters and groups offering an opportunity to adopt one or more of the dogs or cats. In addition to dogs and cats, there was also a variety of donkeys, llamas, alpacas, reptiles of all shapes and sizes, brightly colored birds and even Baxter the potbelly pig, who made his appearance known at the Expo.
Watch the video below to see more of the exhibits at the largest expo in So Cal and remember to comment below.
Service Animals- How noticeable are they to the public?
Over the past months, service animals have been a topic of discussion especially in determining what type of service animals should be aiding the disabled community.
As we’ve previously reported, service animals have long history in the United States beginning with the soldiers in the Civil War. Now there are a wide variety of animals that people claim are aiding the disabled community in many different ways.
Take this survey now and answer the question how many service animals have you seen in your area…
Stay tuned in the months to come, as we further explore all aspects of service animals and determine if a therapy cat can be as affective to a person in need as a Guide Dog…