Cat and Dog dropped into French theaters on Valentine’s Day and Netflix earlier this week. It’s another entry in the proud tradition of talking animal movies. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is the most blatant source material. Unfortunately, it’s an absolute mess, along with some of the worst comedy on Netflix. The French production comes from a singular creative mind with some unique cultural differences. Somehow, Cat and Dog is currently the fifth most popular film on Netflix internationally.
Cat and Dog Marks Its Territory on Netflix
Cat and Dog is packed with constant missteps of modern family comedies. It follows the eponymous animals as they try to return to their owners. The cat is a social media star with a helicopter owner. The dog is a stray who mistakenly consumed a priceless gem. Both pets fall off an airplane luggage rack and slide through a dozen absurd scenarios to bound in a vaguely homeward direction. The cat’s beleaguered mom teams up with the jewel thief, keeping tabs on the puppy for the ruby in his belly. The premise is fine, though overdone. The problem is in the execution. I can’t watch Cat and Dog without thinking of the garbage YouTube’s algorithm feeds to three-year-olds. It’s wall-to-wall violence, screaming, fast-paced movement, and awful slapstick. A bizarre vein of cruelty aims at nearly every character. I wouldn’t recommend it for kids, but it’s a nightmare for adults.
Cat and Dog is primarily the work of one Reem Kherici. She directed, co-wrote, and starred in the project. Her last film in the same three roles was Wedding Unplanned (Jour J in French,) a charmingly familiar romantic comedy. I can’t imagine this was a passion project for her, but I sincerely believe she could do better than this. Cat and Dog reached its high point on Netflix through the help of several nations. I’ve seen many strange Netflix top tens, but this is a rare example of the United States getting a hand on the ball. Cat and Dog doesn’t have a Rotten Tomatoes score. The only review available comes from Roger Moore’s Movie Nation, which awarded it one star. A grand total of five audience reviewers hit it with a 40% positive score. That’s three 1/2 star reviews, one five-star, and one boldly indecisive three-and-a-half stars.
Cat and Dog is awful. The hottest topic surrounding the project is its CGI animals. They look atrocious, but they are significantly preferable to real animals. I wouldn’t recommend researching Homeward Bound’s behind-the-scenes circumstances, but they’re extraordinarily unpleasant. I’m fine with CGI dogs and cats for the same reason that I’m okay with CGI muzzle flares on firearms. After watching Cat and Dog, the only solace is knowing that no talking animals were harmed in its creation. Not only were all real cats and dogs spared the peril of slapstick comedy, but they were spared the humiliation of appearing in this film.
