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Cats and dogs

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

The fur will fly.

In this hilarious, edgy, fun comedy, we discover that without the knowledge of their human companions, dogs have been fighting for thousands of years to keep mankind from falling under the rule of cats. When a rogue feline, Mr Tinkles (Sean Hayes), initiates a plan to strategically place cats in world dominance and leave humans and dogs defenceless against his tyranny, a crack team of dog agents and a loyal puppy named Lou (Tobey Maguire) are all that stand between mankind and slavery.

Also starring Jeff Goldblum as Professor Brody, Elizabeth Perkins as Mrs Brody, Alexander Pollock as Scott Brody, Miriam Margolyes as Sophie, Alec Baldwin as Butch, Michael Clarke Duncan as Sam, Jon Lovitz as Calico, Joe Pantoliano as Peek and Susan Sarandon as Ivy. Written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, directed by Lawrence Guterman.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film action animation cat dog

Cinematic intelligence sources

See also Cats & dogs 2: The revenge of Kitty Galore
Studios and distributors:

Warner Bros * Roadshow Films

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Speciesism.

Feline domesticus is degraded all for the purpose of making canine domesticus look good. Sure, the only way that dogs can look good is when every other animal is made to look bad, but that's no excuse. Cats have a much greater intellectual level than dogs. Cats come house trained. Cats are more affectionate than dogs. Cats are friendlier than dogs (Who ever heard of a guard cat eating a baby?). Cats are warmer and fuzzier than dogs. Cats and dogs is a propaganda piece by speciesist dog lovers with no understanding or appreciation for the inherent grace and beauty of a cat.

While it is certainly true that dogs have masters and cats have servants, it should be remembered that cats are the aristocrats of the animal kingdom and thereby deserve such a superior position. Who's the King of the jungle? The lion is, not the carrion-eating hyena, that's for sure! Any idiot can teach a dog to do tricks (like, how spectacular is rolling over?) because dogs have a low IQ and are weak-minded co-dependents. Cats are immune to all forms of brainwashing and will only roll over because they feel like it. What kind of a moron animal would stay with a master who beats it? What kind of a moron animal would stay with a master who trains it to attack other masters? Try getting a cat to bite the hand that feeds it. Won't happen!

Anyway, despite the clearly biased nature of Cats and dogs there are some genuinely funny moments, both slapstick and camp. The two working parents with one under-loved child and one pet is a cliché, especially with Jeff's "Absent father as forgetful scientist" and Alexander's "Boy who loves dogs in lieu of absent parents", but for the target demographic (pre-teens) they can serve as comforting reminders of their own crap life at home.

FYI: Slapstick refers to a form of entertainment popular in the Middle Ages and very similar to modern circus clowning: there was tumbling, juggling, mime, bawdry and a big stick which was used both as a prop and to slap the performers when they were naughty. 20th century humourists such as Charlie Chaplin, The Marx Brothers and The Three Stooges have continued the tradition. See also Commedia dell'arte.