SHOW DOGS

Will Arnett     Natasha Lyonne     Omar Chaparro     Andy Beckwith

Voices of:  Ludacris     Alan Cumming     Stanley Tucci     Jordin Sparks     Shaquille O’Neal     Gabriel Iglesias

     Show Dogs, directed by Raja Gosnell and written by Max Botkin and Marc Hyman, is one of the rare animated films that will appeal to children and adults equally.  There is a little pandering to adults in the romantic theme, and to children in a fart joke; but for the most part, the film models good messages about the importance of friends and family and respect for individual and cultural differences.  

     Max (voice of Ludacris) prides himself on being a police dog who is street-wise and disdainful of offers to be his back-up by his feathered admirers whose motto is, “Birds of a feather fight crime together.”  He takes pride in his abilities, and enjoys elite status in the New York Police Department. But he is suspicious when an FBI agent, Frank (Arnett) appears on the scene to solve an animal trafficking problem.  It seems that a baby panda has been taken from his mother, and Max makes a promise when he gets a glimpse of the child that HE will return him to his mother.  But when Max is ordered to partner up with the FBI agent to investigate the crime, still in the planning stages at a dog show, he continually tests Frank’s capabilities, giving him more than a few nips. Frank is just as unhappy as Max, and clearly knows nothing about dogs.

     When he seeks out an expert in Animal Control, Mattie (Lyonne), she realizes right away that Frank (who has lost Max) is clueless about dogs; but she is a patient and kind person, so tries to help him. 

What follows is a combination of a thriller (finding the perps), comedy about poor Max having to become an “undercover” show dog, and gratification for dog lovers who get to see all the breeds primping up for and competing for the prize of Best in Show.  

     Creativity abounds in this unusual pairing of a thriller within a dog show that is animated and also a comedy.  Beyond that, it is more than simply entertaining; it has truths about our world and current issues we’re grappling with. Heitor Pereira’s music enhances and offers further entertainment in its puns, and David Mackie’s cinematography meets every challenge with artistry and skill.  

An animated film like few others, offering thrills, chuckles, and truths to live by.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

FRESNO

Natasha Lyonne     Judy Greer     Aubrey Plaza     Fred Armisen

Fresno is a pretty preposterous wannabe comedy about two sisters who have lasting conflicts.  Martha (Lyonne) is the “good” sister, who has a job as a maid at the Fresno Suites and has managed to buy a house.  Her sister Shannon (Greer) has a slew of problems as a result of pathetically poor judgment.  She has just gotten out of rehab (sex addiction), and Martha is trying to help her get back on her feet.  Shannon is hostile to just about everyone and makes a point to voice her opinions, no matter what they are.  This characteristic is one of the many faults with the film; that is, how does this angry person pick up so many sexual contacts?  Not that she spends any time getting acquainted with her contacts; she proposes sex at the drop of a hat—or anything else.

Shannon is supposed to be helping Martha clean rooms, but the first chance she gets, she slips away for a quickie with a hotel guest.  Martha discovers her, and the encounter ends up very badly with a dead body on their hands, and the rest of the film is an absurd story about the various ruses they use to get rid of the body, strategies usually thought up by Shannon. 

This involves visiting the deceased’s sister, getting the body out of the hotel unseen, keeping ice on it to keep it from smelling, finding a place to bury it, stealing or raising enough money to bury it, and so on and on and on.

The works of writer (Karey Dornetto) and director (Jamie Babbit) have primarily been in television.  I found the script to be sorely lacking in coherence and got the impression ideas were simply strung together without much regard to logic.  For instance, Shannon has not demonstrated an ounce of empathy at any time, and we’ve mentioned her poor problem-solving skills; but suddenly she shows empathy toward two people and gives them good advice!  The script also has her sleeping with her therapist and his helping her in a matter he shouldn’t, both of which would get his license revoked.  The character could have been anyone—why make him a therapist?

The four main actors—Lyonne, Greer, Plaza, and Amisen—are good in their roles, and this is just about the best thing I can say about Fresno.

An attempt at comedy without much coherence.

Grade:  D- By Donna R. Copeland