Hotel For Dogs Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Two kids secretly take in nine stray dogs at a vacant house.
| Jake T. Austin | Bruce |
| Lance Bruyette | Cyclist |
| Don Cheadle | |
| Georgie Del Junco | Kid |
| Kevin Dillon | |
| Eric Edelstein | Max |
| Troy Gentile | Mark |
| Thomas Kijas | Mack |
| Ajay Naidu | Jake |
| Johnny Simmons | Dave |
| Arne Starr | Storeowner |
| Omi Vaidya | Social Worker #2 |
| Kenny Vibert | Jason |
| Andre Ware | Officer Jeff |
| Brendan Wayne | ACO Tanner |
| Thor Freudenthal |
3.80 out of 10 (1960 votes)
Visitor Reviews
An okay family film
posted on 28 Aug 2009Guaranteed to provoke a sophisticated film-goer's inner W.C. Fields, "Hotel for Dogs" may have a case of artistic mange, but it's commercially foolproof: The kids are cute, the dogs are cuter, the dogs outnumber the kids and the adult world is defeated by truth, justice and Don Cheadle, who apparently never heard Fields's prohibition about working with children or animals. Cheadle escapes with his career intact, if not necessarily his dignity. This comedy, starring perfectly pleasant up-and-comer Emma Roberts (Julia's niece), is about kids, not parents. Andi (Roberts) and Bruce (Jake T. Austin) have been parentless for three years, smuggling their dog Friday from foster home to foster home, always getting evicted after infractions, violations or minor criminal acts. Their social worker Bernie (Cheadle) is so desperate that he has placed the kids with Lois and Carl Scudder (Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon), married rockers who appear to have more fleas than the entire four-legged cast. Deprived of affection, guidance and decent nutrition, Andi and Bruce stumble on an abandoned hotel in downtown Los Angeles and decide to turn it into a home for unwanted pups. For all the latent social criticism of "Hotel for Dogs," it's a candy-coated romp through death and abandonment. Like some grim "Peanuts" strip come to life, none of the young people in the film ever has anywhere to be, or anyone to answer to, outside of one another and the hotel, where Bruce rigs up automatic feeders, toilets (yes!) and a virtual amusement park for the growing number of dogs that wander into the place. The obvious questions of hygiene are answered in loving detail, and if you know kids who respond more positively the higher a movie's yuck factor, they'll be delirious by the end of "Hotel for Dogs." On the upside, the movie could do something really positive for the cause of homeless pets: If audiences respond the way they should, dog shelters could be emptied in a week.
Good movie for the family
posted on 24 Aug 2009This is a great movie for the entire family from a 6 year old boy to a 12 year old girl, oh yea Mom and Dad don't mind watching it too. It has been a long time sense I have seen such a well rounded movie. There is no "bad" words, no crude content, at worst you might have to answer some questions from the younger kids about a kiss. There is some petty theft in the movie but this is your roll as a parent comes in. Cute dogs and kids trying to solve a problem. This is your typical kids movie,the adults come across a little goofy and the kids rule! You can't ask for a better FAMILY movie! This movie was made for kids big and small yea sure some of the ideas (most) in this movie are a little far fetched but what kids movie isn't. The gadgets in this movie are pretty cool, movies like this allow kids dream up some ideas of their own. My kids are already asking when we can get the DVD.
Can be enjoyed for what it is without becoming overly adolescent.
posted on 18 Aug 2009With so many children's movies of Hotel for Dogs' nature, the film-makers inevitably fall for aesthetic trappings that alienate any adult viewers who may be accompanying their younger counterparts to the theatre. It's something that makes my job as a critic a little awkward and trivial as I can't rightly make claim to what the movie's target audience may or may not enjoy. Yet once in a while (and this is becoming more common during recent years) there comes along something a little more bearable and compelling that the average fare; something that won't necessarily leave adult audiences with something profound, but will nevertheless lightly amuse through a variety of means. Hotel for Dogs with its more heart than brains appeal, larger than life whimsical flamboyance and cutesy -but not overly so- premise is something of a rare treat that most members of the family will have a hard time resisting. Sure, it's targeted at children still within their single digits, and a large portion of the feature revolves around canine stunt scenes—but it's still a fun and light-hearted piece of fluff that can be enjoyed for what it is without becoming overly adolescent in nature.Adapted from the children's book by Lois Duncan, Hotel for Dogs tells the tale of two orphans as they settle down with their new foster parents in a brand new town with their pet dog who must stay a secret to the incompetent parents. Forced into finding a new home away from home for their pet dog, Andi (Emma Roberts) and Bruce (Jake Austin) accidentally stumble upon a derelict hotel where two other dogs are taking shelter. From here, the story of course divulges into a sort of wild, somewhat zany myriad of gadgetry and dog antics revolving around the two siblings and their friends who help run the "hotel" to which houses the thirty-odd canines that they accumulate from various spots around town. It's hardly a tangible plot by any means, and adults may find the movie's middle act which feature's the most overt doggy-farce, yet there remains a morally compelling emotional core to the whole thing that ties the whole ordeal up rather well.The true core to Hotel for Dogs' ability to transcend the hammy premise and adolescent fantasy never lies within the movie's plot entirely, but instead within the characters themselves. Andi and Bruce aren't just refreshing in the manner to which they are written as intelligent, dynamic human beings but also due to the fact that the performers playing them are consistently engaging and compelling to watch. Particularly impressive is the young star of the feature, Jake Austin who makes his character his own here; often highlighting the raw emotional core to Bruce and Andi's story and relationship whilst also managing to pull off all the more traditional silly children's scenes. Yet taken as a whole, despite the movie's tendency to go off on surreal angles during middle portions and ending, it is this duo and their personal vendetta against the local dog-pen that provides something tangible for both adults and children to cling to in amongst all the dog poop jokes.And one cannot rightly offer up a discussion on the film without mentioning the somewhat derivative, but nevertheless tonally perfect score penned by John Debney that seams together the feature as a coherent whole enough to fully sell that whimsical tone inherent to Duncan's classic book. It's sweet, uplifting and tugs on the heart strings at all the right moments in all the right places—but then, the same can be said for Hotel for Dogs as a whole. In the end, the entirety of the experience comes down to one of mild enjoyment and candy-floss cutesy farce combined with a truly moving but nevertheless airy and light character story delivered by two very impressive and promising young actors. It's not going to knock you off your seat for sure, but there's still something to be said for movies such as these that will no doubt manage to keep the whole family entertained without succumbing to tired clichés and cash-cow formula.- A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)
Mildly entertaining, by the numbers heart tugging comedy
posted on 06 Aug 2009Hotel for Dogs is the story of two foster children who adopt stray dogs and find a place for them, as well as filling their need for family, in an abandoned hotel.This is not a terrible movie, but the viewer has seen it all before. There's not much originality here in its typical underdog makes good, love conquers all kind of story.It has some amusing parts, the acting is reasonable, the dogs are cute and the pacing is decent, but there's really nothing exceptional in it.It's worth a watch if you like this kind of sappy family comedy, but there's not a lot of substance and nothing that you'll remember in five years.
Simple fun, a few bad messages
posted on 06 Aug 2009I saw this with my family including two children ages 6 and 9. We all liked it. I generally try to avoid movies such as this but ended up liking it in spite of myself.I object to the depiction of animal control officers as jack-booted thugs intent on harassing animal lovers. In real life, animal control officers enforce important animal laws including those for anti-cruelty. Animal control officers investigate every report of mistreatment of animals, taking appropriate action that may include impoundment to protect an animal's health and safety, owner education, arrest and prosecution, inspections to ensure compliance with the law and assistance with spay/neuter or veterinary care.I also object to an element in the "happy ending" in which some of the strays have puppies. These strays should have all been spayed or neutered. By making sure that your pet can't have puppies or kittens, you'll have peace of mind that his or her offspring won't be euthanized in an animal shelter. Nationwide more than 3 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters each year.
It's OK to break the law if you do it for cute animals
posted on 27 Jul 2009Tried to talk the kids out of this one but got stuck seeing it anyway. This is another in a trend of kids movies where morals go right out the window. Now, I like cute dog tricks as much as the next person, but this movie takes the cake. A building is broken into, stuff is stolen, numerous laws are broken, a work truck is repeatedly used without permission, adults are physically assaulted...but hey, they saved some dogs so all that stuff is cool and the kids "did the right thing" in the end.The acting is cardboard grade. And how on earth could a movie mess up pee pee and poop jokes in a movie aimed at children? I don't know, but this one sure did. In a crowded theater full of children, only a couple of them actually laughed at the toilet humor. That's a sad commentary on the movie itself...when even the poop jokes aren't funny to little kids.As numerous comments have already pointed out, the only thing this movie had going for it was the dogs. I will give it three out of ten stars out of respect for the dogs. If the dogs were gone, the only thing stopping this movie from getting negative ratings would be the fact that you can't do that on IMDb.Parents, if your kids love dogs, I'm sure there are better ways to let them see a movie about them than this movie.
The dogs were amusing, the people less so
posted on 25 Jul 2009I saw a preview of this film with kids 6, 7 and 12. We are a dog-loving family, so perhaps we were biased to enjoy the film. That said, we were split on our review. The adults and 12 year old were bored; the two youngsters were thrilled! Hence the score of 6.Overall, this was a harmless movie featuring a few humans and many trained dogs. It was sugary and nice - there was no real threat anywhere in the film of something bad happening (thus it is kid-safe for very young kids). And they've reduced the idea of foster homes down to a concocted McNugget of a concept. My younger kids didn't even follow that theme at all.What they did follow, and what I found most redeeming, were the numerous cutesy dog tricks and toys. The creators of the film did a nice job inventing clever ways to mechanize the caring for dogs (think the breakfast scene in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). That was fun. And the dogs were cute.For me the drawbacks were these: Slow start, unfunny 'comic' characters - like the foster parents and dog catchers, and a lame plot.But ultimately - we had a nice outing, and you will too. And you will emerge from the film MORE likely to go get a dog of your own.
A good laugh for the kids
posted on 21 Jul 2009A brother and sister live with their umpteenth set of foster parents. They hide their pet - a small dog - because the foster parents don't want to know about it. When the dog runs away they follow it and find their way into an old abandoned building. To their surprise it is not completely abandoned but actually lived in by a number of dogs. Soon after that an idea comes to life.And from there the story rolls on in a typical Disney style children's film where evil is evil and good is good and anything else is easily forgotten. As as adult I wasn't overly impressed with the film but the kid I took to see it loved it - and that's good. The target audience for the film must be kids in the age range 6 to 12 or so. The things that happen are fun to watch (at least the very most of the time) and although the acting capabilities of the younger players leaves something to be desired it is not bad enough to turn the film into a complete waste of tape.All in all, it features a good number of laughs, a few tear drops and surely a lot of hard work - and a cast that is clearly liking to play the roles they were cast for.5 out of 10 dogs barking in the night
Nice concept; few suggestions for possible sequel however
posted on 09 Jul 2009I'll admit it while I'm writing my review that I'm an animal lover. Who isn't, right? Especially where the main characters are dogs."Hotel for Dogs" tells the story of two young siblings who are orphans moving from place to place and having foster parents. The siblings are Andi (Emma Roberts from Nancy Drew) and Bruce (Jake T. Austin from Wizards of Waverly Place) who are up to no good as they deceive a pawn shop owner of a box displaying a brand new phone when inside its a rock while their dog, Friday, tries to get something to eat while being tied up. The kids are eventually caught and picked up at the police station by their foster aid Charlie (played by Don Cheadle) who likes them and vouches for their behavior but doesn't know if he can put up with them any more after their stunts.The kids foster parents are no help either. Lisa Kudrow (Friends) and Kevin Dillon (Entourage) play the dead beat foster parents whose dream gig are to be singers and perform in front of a large audience and live off the rock n' roll life instead of worrying about the kids and being like "normal" parents and give them their needs.Things change for Andi and Bruce after their dog has gone in the streets later to be taken to the pound where the animal control treat both the kids and their dog with disrespect before freeing the animal after Andi bribes the head guard. They later run from the cops in fear of being frame for a crime they didn't commit where their dog hides inside an abandoned hotel building where other dogs occupy the place. And then it hits the siblings that a hotel should be created for the stray animals just before recruiting a few more people including a guy that Andi has a crush on and yet he doesn't know her secret about being an orphan.I liked the concept of "Hotel for Dogs" where stray dogs can stay inside a hotel without wondering the streets; the innovated gadgets are a riot showing the techniques for dogs to use the restroom along with recreating a dining room for both the humans and dogs to eat. It's harmless fun and something for the family to enjoy. If you're an animal lover, you should love this too.As I mentioned, if ever a possible sequel were to take place or a spin off, how about "Hotel for the Homeless Humans?" Huh? Sounds catchy where two young siblings use an abandoned hotel to help homeless people find shelter rather than live the streets or having a time limit in other shelters to kick out the old and bring in the new homeless people, and they don't even have to leave where the cities are clean and safe and the kids running the joint might place that in their college application.Nice suggestion, huh? Just a quick thought.
hilarious
posted on 05 Jul 2009This was a truly funny movie that was obviously aiming for the younger set, but just about everyone will find much to like. Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, and Don Cheadle were perfectly cast as the kids and social worker assigned to their case. The kids are orphans living with a foster family, and they continuously run scams (which is running them out of options and pushing Cheadle to the limit) and can't let their families know that they have a dog. They go to great lengths to hide it, which often get hilarious. After finding a bunch of strays and an abandoned hotel, well, you can probably guess what happens next. Some teenaged employees at a local pet store (and Cheadle too) get involved and wind up helping. This was a funny and fun movie that will appeal to just about everyone, and I recommend it. You will not regret watching this.*** out of ****
A Wonderful Dog Movie, Full of Great Dogs
posted on 03 Jul 2009Attention all dog lovers! This film is full of terrific dogs, all doing cute things, and a very amusing story (a fantasy, of course, but fun). Cat lovers even might learn a thing or two, such as how superior dogs are to those slinking creatures with sharp claws whom some people mistakenly prefer. In this tale, we first have two human waifs, Andi and Bruce, who are brother and sister orphans, played engagingly by Emma Roberts and Jake Austin. They avoid being too sugary sweet and insipid, and manage to be convincing normal kids (i.e. kids who love dogs, since all kids who don't love dogs are clearly seriously abnormal and need counselling). Don Cheadle is excellent as a social worker who tries and tries to find them some acceptable foster parents. Andi and Bruce have a pet dog whom they have to sneak in through a window in their present foster home because the foster parents don't like dogs. One dog leads to another and before long there are other dogs, and a large vacant old hotel which has been condemned and boarded up becomes their secret refuge. Other kids join in and struggle against the baddies of the film, who are the dog-catchers, and the kids go around saving all the stray dogs who are destined for the dog pound and take them to the 'hotel for dogs'. The food for all these dogs is obligingly provided by a boy who works in a pet shop. There are lots of vicissitudes, the dogs are seized, the police are summoned, the kids are sent to reformatories, and things are tough. Then things improve and the dogs are rescued from the dog pound in a hilarious dog crowd scene where hordes of dogs charge down the streets interfering with all the traffic while the public watch and cheer, and the story continues. There are many, many dogs in the film, not just a few. It is sheer Dogageddon. The film is delightful, amusingly done, treated as a lark, not too sentimental, and most enjoyable for people who love dog films. The people who made the recent failure 'Marley and Me' (see my review) should take lessons from the people who made this one. There's no use making a bad dog film, all the dogs and dog-lovers will just hate you. Dog films require a lot of love and care, just like dogs themselves, should never be too sentimental (after all, remember, 'it's a dog's life' out there), and the humour needs to be treated with discretion. Dogs are sensitive, and so are dog-lovers. In this film, there were some nervous moments for all dogs and dog-lovers when certain derogatory remarks were made about certain substances that some clumsy humans stepped in. As all dogs know, humans should be more careful. There are certain dogcessities, which must be respected and not made the butt of jokes. So what with cute dogs and cute kids and everybody hating the dog-catchers (as is only right and proper), and a sympathetic social worker whom we might honour by renaming Dog Cheadle, this film is woofing good fun all round and cannot be recommended highly enough to those of us adhering to the highest canine standards in entertainment.
A Nutshell Review: Hotel For Dogs
posted on 29 Jun 2009Being Man's best friend, I understand the slew of movies that are made these days in honour of our canine friends, from the chihuahuas in Beverly Hills Hollywood or the Labradors in Miami, to the Roadside Romeo in Bollywood, I guess you just can't put a good dog down, as they continue to endear even through the most cliché of stories.For dog lovers, the appeal here is the whole range of dogs being put on screen, coming in all shapes, sizes and attitudes, trained of course to execute those stunts meant to show their intelligence beyond the heels, stays and roll overs. The other draw of course is how makeshift technology in the form of contraptions made using almost everyday objects, can be used to keep the dogs occupied and entertained. Unfortunately, almost every mechanical device has been shown in the trailer, leaving nothing new nor surprising, talk about letting all the cat out of the bag. Wait, make that almost every plot device shown that you can sleepwalk through the film and still know what it's all about.Andi (Emma Roberts the Wild Child) and Bruce (Jake T. Austin) are two orphans who have in the last few years gone from foster family to foster family, because they happen to be two misunderstood kids who find it almost impossible to live with their new foster parents whoever they are, especially if they come in the form of would-be performers completed with lack of intelligence and inflated egos like the Scudders (Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon hamming it up in full camp regalia). They find it increasingly impossible to keep the fact that they are keeping their pet dog Friday (a terrier similar to Milo in the Mask) from the Scudders, and in one night time escapade, find themselves with Friday and a couple of strays hiding in an abandoned hotel from the authorities.So begins their very slow starting mission of saving abandoned dogs from around their city, with the help of pet shop employees Dave (Johnny Simmons) and Heather (Kyla Pratt) and a friendly neighbour Mark (Troy Gentile from Drillbit Taylor), who is mostly underutilized and in it like a sideshow extra. And with any typical dog movie, the enemies are always the folks who operate the dog pound, who according to stereotype just cannot wait to imprison dogs and then put them to sleep when their lease expires under their charge.To add certain gravitas here, there's Don Cheadle whose Bernie the social worker works at having Andi and Bruce find proper homes, and to serve as that Deux Ex Machina mouthpiece toward the end, exposing director Thor Freudenthal's weakness in wrapping this up naturally. And there were a couple of moments which I thought could have been brilliantly explored and not left at just a fleeting and passing remark, where Andi realizes that their inexplicable assistance rendered to stray dogs, happens to be a mirror reflection of their own predicament in being passed from place to place, longing for a perfect, functional home that they could never have, and as such relying on her brother's technical wizardry to make it all complete and worthwhile for the dogs under their charge. Like adoption, very rarely do people want to take on anything but a puppy, if not for its cute factor, but for the reason that they can be nurtured, versus the adage that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks.Hotel for Dogs, being a Nickelodeon movie, has to subscribe to the same old feel good and feel safe formula to make it suitable for all families. In that you can't find anything that will rebel against the established order of the genre, so much so that you're inclined to go along with the formula as dictated. Like a good pet dog.
these children are cheats, liars and thieves!!!
posted on 23 Jun 2009The worst thing about this film is that the main children are complete cheats, liars and thieves!!! It starts with them being fraudulent with a stone in a mobile phone box that they then shrink-wrap and sell for $27 - supposedly for dog food - burgers!. They steal a lot of stuff from their foster parents, and even lie to their friends!!!! They pile lie upon lie when they could easily have told the truth about their parents. I had to try to explain to my children that their behaviour was wrong and naughty - no excuses!!! None of it is really plausible - the abandoned hotel with all the stuff in it etc. Can't believe I paid good money and wasted time on this!!!I truly cannot believe so many people condone this type of behaviour - it shows what a sorry state our morals really are in.
Hotel for Dogs Movie Review from The Massie Twins
posted on 13 Jun 2009Hotel for Dogs plays it very safe and sticks to a tried-and-true children's movie formula. For a great many viewers the best thing about the film will be the cute and cuddly dogs that perform various tricks – their training is easily more impressive than the humdrum story, based on a hopefully more consequential Lois Duncan book. The dialogue lacks flair, the acting is expectedly simple, and the characters provide only modest entertainment in comparison to their canine costars. Adults will probably find it difficult to withstand the sickeningly sweet conclusion or the impossibly artificial mechanics behind the inner workings of the dog hotel, but the target audience is likely to be pleased. 16-year-old Andi (Emma Roberts) and her 11-year-old brother Bruce (Jake Austin) have bounced back and forth between orphanages and foster parents (five in the last three years) without finding comfort or satisfaction. Bernie (Don Cheadle), the kindly social worker who governs their placements tries to reason with the children, who aren't content with their newest family of quiver-inducing wannabe rockstars (Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon) who conduct obnoxious band practice in their apartment nonstop, and compulsively lock up the cupboards and cabinets in their home. The brother and sister team have also been secretly keeping a pet dog, Friday, who uses automated gadgets constructed by the mechanically inclined Bruce to get food and to remain hidden.Before school starts up, the troublemaking duo (they get money for dog food by pawning fraudulent goods) comes across an abandoned hotel with several canine occupants. Deciding to look after their newfound family of dogs, Andi and Bruce join forces with two employees from the nearby pet store (Johnny Simmons and Kyla Pratt) along with nosey Mark (Troy Gentile), to build an elaborate self-maintained shelter for unwanted, abandoned and stray dogs. Initially it seems they've bitten off more than they can chew, especially when cruel dog pound troops, nagging foster parents and pesky cops begin to take notice of the incredibly large gathering of dogs at the dilapidated old building. The target audience probably won't be asking the questions that popped into my mind: How can an 11-year-old kid build such intricate mechanical contraptions? Is it really that easy to train dozens of dogs to use said electrical gadgets? Is it simply luck that none of the dogs need medical attention? Is it really okay for children to commit crimes such as breaking and entering, trespassing, and even assault, as long as it's done with the intent of saving stray animals? Clearly this film wasn't designed for me, but the trite dialogue (Kevin Dillon mutters the stale line, "We're in deep doo doo," after falling into an enormous animal waste bin), the predictability of Bernie's role, the sappy ending and the Kill Bill music montage (Tomoyasu Hotei's instantly recognizable "Battle Without Honor or Humanity") are huge distractions – especially when one just wants to see some adorable dogs running amok. - Mike Massie
Hotel For Dogs is Fun for EVERYONE!
posted on 07 Jun 2009I'm obsessed with these dogs. They seriously are so fun and adorable and I loved seeing this movie. I went and saw it with my cousin and she was freaking out...couldn't wait to go see it and she loved every second of it. Friday, the main dog, was her favorite. Anytime he did something fiesty she would laugh hysterically. I loved the bulldog, cooper. The scene where he has a vending machine full of old shoes is genius. I really liked all the smart and quirky inventions that were used. This was a great family film...really honest, fun, enjoyable and totally entertaining. I would definitely recommend this film to someone who wants an easy, carefree, good time!
a plausible children movie ..
posted on 05 Jun 2009Hotel for Dogs plays it very safe and sticks to a tried-and-true children's movie formula. For a great many viewers the best thing about the film will be the cute and cuddly dogs that perform various tricks – their training is easily more impressive than the humdrum story, based on a hopefully more consequential Lois Duncan book. The dialogue lacks flair, the acting is expectedly simple, and the characters provide only modest entertainment in comparison to their canine costars. Adults will probably find it difficult to withstand the sickeningly sweet conclusion or the impossibly artificial mechanics behind the inner workings of the dog hotel, but the target audience is likely to be pleased.16-year-old Andi (Emma Roberts) and her 11-year-old brother Bruce (Jake Austin) have bounced back and forth between orphanages and foster parents (five in the last three years) without finding comfort or satisfaction. Bernie (Don Cheadle), the kindly social worker who governs their placements tries to reason with the children, who aren't content with their newest family of quiver-inducing wannabe rock stars (Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon) who conduct obnoxious band practice in their apartment nonstop, and compulsively lock up the cupboards and cabinets in their home. The brother and sister team have also been secretly keeping a pet dog, Friday, who uses automated gadgets constructed by the mechanically inclined Bruce to get food and to remain hidden.Before school starts up, the trouble making duo (they get money for dog food by pawning fraudulent goods) comes across an abandoned hotel with several canine occupants. Deciding to look after their newfound family of dogs, Andi and Bruce join forces with two employees from the nearby pet store (Johnny Simmons and Kyla Pratt) along with nosey Mark (Troy Gentile), to build an elaborate self-maintained shelter for unwanted, abandoned and stray dogs. Initially it seems they've bitten off more than they can chew, especially when cruel dog pound troops, nagging foster parents and pesky cops begin to take notice of the incredibly large gathering of dogs at the dilapidated old building.The target audience probably won't be asking the questions that popped into my mind: How can an 11-year-old kid build such intricate mechanical contraptions? Is it really that easy to train dozens of dogs to use said electrical gadgets? Is it simply luck that none of the dogs need medical attention? Is it really okay for children to commit crimes such as breaking and entering, trespassing, and even assault, as long as it's done with the intent of saving stray animals? Clearly this film wasn't designed for me, but the trite dialogue (Kevin Dillon mutters the stale line, "We're in deep doo doo," after falling into an enormous animal waste bin), the predictability of Bernie's role, the sappy ending and the Kill Bill music montage (Tomoyasu Hotei's instantly recognizable "Battle Without Honor or Humanity") are huge distractions – especially when one just wants to see some adorable dogs running amok.Evren Buyruk,Tx
I approve
posted on 28 May 2009I admit that I was obligated to take my children who are 7 and 10. Yes I along with many other parents dreaded the thought of wasting my $25.00 on this trite silliness. But after a while I began to enjoy my children's involvement in the movie and reaction to this which was no less than enjoyable. It's a silly sloppy dog film with a good heart. It's loaded with predictable outcomes, suspense and fantasy clichés. Not bad for innocuous entertainment. So adults need to sit back, cut your losses, lighten up and accept the 2 hours of kids laughing. What I find most humorous is to see has been stars reduced to B-movie level as the likes of Lisa Kudrow and Mr. Dillon. That was the most enjoyable aspect for me. So in essence adults can find the inside joke to movies like this.
A nice family movie
posted on 24 May 2009Hotel for Dogs is a movie that tells the story of a two orphan brother and sister with a dog. One day they found a abandoned hotel and decide to transformed it on a shelter for dogs. The movie is good, it has some funny moments and also some dramatic ones. The plot is good yet predictable and with some flaws. The cast is decent Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin aren't bad but I think they were a little weak, Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon were very good as a couple, both were very funny and Don Cheadle in a very different role that we have seen him lately more headed to comedy than to drama. In conclusion, Hotel for Dogs is a enjoyable and entertaining movie for the whole family and for those who love dogs.
i think it was average
posted on 18 May 2009well, i have went to watch this movie with my friends and her family. i think it was pretty good but i think this movie could have been better. maybe the director should have put this movie a little bit longer. my friends has cried in three scenes. the parts are: 1. when the orphan had to live in separate places. 2. when the when one of the dogs was all alone (the beagle). 3. and when the black guy was calling all the dogs and they all came out. This is a movie that people wishes to actually happen and not to be fiction but i think this will never happen where dogs can end up working in a hotel. There might be a smart person out there that is willing to do this.
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Not so bad..
posted on 28 Aug 2009It is what it is. It's pretty mindless and plays on the viewers affections for dogs. But really, should that surprise you? And yes, it's about as believable as O.J.'s alibi. Kevin Dillon and Lisa Kudrow are mostly wasted and even the great Don Cheadle doesn't seem to mesh well. But all that being said, the movie does have some creativity and does the whole "look at how cute the dog is" thing well. Kick back, suspend belief, and the movie is entertaining enough. I have seen the same kind of kids movie done a lot worse. And hopefully, after "Hotel Rwanda" and "Hotel for dogs", Don Cheadle is working on "Hotel Rwanda for Dogs" as we speak...