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Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Movie Review

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Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Movie Review
Directed by Raja Gosnell
Voices by Drew Barrymore, Andy Garcia, George Lopez
Review by Eli Manning

SYNOPSIS:

While on vacation in Mexico, Chloe, a ritzy Beverly Hills chihuahua, finds herself lost and in need of assistance in order to get back home.

REVIEW:

I've watched over 100 movies that have come out of Hollywood this year and reviewed almost all of them. But I've never been more at a lost for words than Beverly Hills Chihuahua. I'm still wondering what the filmmakers were trying to say in this film. And why the heck they made it.

What was the point to this film? That the spoiled dog, Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore), who goes through a series of conflicts and adventures can find perspective in themselves? And to perhaps make the other dogs out there better for the experience of hearing her story? I mean dogs really can't watch this movie and us humans can't relate to a live-action dog. Or maybe we can and I completely missed it!

Beverly Hills Chihuahua simply doesn't work. What does our dog Chloe really learn? And why does Papi (voiced by George Lopez) the garder's dog from the "other side of the tracks" like her and want to save her. She treats him like crap and looks down on him like he's trash. Just because Chloe 'is Beverley Hills Chihuahua' beautiful, does that mean that Papi immediately would like her no matter how she treats him?

What does this teach the kids who watch this film? That people will take care of you because you're beautiful and privileged? Not the greatest lesson for children and adults is it.

In many ways this film reminded me of the 1994 film Reality Bites (a film directed by Ben Stiller of all people). A movie that still bothers me being a kid raised in that generation. The lead chooses the obnoxious, deeply insecure, unmotivated, elitist, who has no life prospects at all --- over a guy who seems to get life. She should of chosen neither guy and moved forward to know more about herself, but that statement the movie made has still left a bad taste in my mouth.

That's what Beverly Hills Chihuahua did. Our lead 'dog' chooses the wrong pooch and really sells out in the end so she can go back to comfortable Beverly Hills. It's like her journey meant nothing at all. So why the hell did we watch this film in the first place?

Watching a close up of a Beverly Hills Chihauhua over 100 times in a span of 100 minutes takes any cuteness away too. I mean enough was enough. I and many others in the screening audience had too much of these pooches and just wanted to hear actual human beings speak.

The screening of Beverly Hills Chihuahua I had was one for the ages too. An audience full of kids and their parents really lost focus after we heard the sad tale of the German Shepard's (voiced by Andy Garcia) psychosomatic problem with his sense of smell. Many of the kids began to run up to the front of the screen to dance. So while trying to watch the movie, many of us couldn't help but be more entertained by the dancing of the children. Not a good sign that the movie was good.

I did love Cheech Marin's character of the Rat Con-Man who dupes our charming Beverly Hills Chihuahua Chloe. Him and his Iguana sidekick were the most entertaining characters in the film.

And I do have to give director Raja Gosnell a lot of credit. This must of been a hell of a shooting experience. Mixing Animals with CGI effects in almost every shot while also trying to keep things interesting for the audience is a tough thing to pull off. I mean his main characters are dogs and dogs aren't always the most predictable bunch, no matter how good their trainers are.

There is no reason to watch this film. So please stay away and do not take your kids!!!!

1/2 star out of 4!

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