Hotel for Dogs (2009)

User Rating:

4.6/10   

Director:

Thor Freudenthal

Writers (WGA):

Jeff Lowell (screenplay) and
Robert Schooley (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 January 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Tagline:

No stray gets turned away

Plot:

Two kids secretly take in stray dogs at a vacant hotel.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Foster Home | Abandoned Hotel | Orphanage | Orphan Girl

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Nov. 10	12:00 PM	HBO
Tue. Nov. 10	9:00 PM	HBO

Cast

Emma Roberts	...	Andi
Jake T. Austin	...	Bruce
Don Cheadle	...	Bernie
Johnny Simmons	...	Dave
Kyla Pratt	...	Heather
Troy Gentile	...	Mark
Lisa Kudrow	...	Lois Scudder
Kevin Dillon	...	Carl Scudder
Ajay Naidu	...	ACO Jake
Eric Edelstein	...	ACO Max
Robinne Lee	...	Carol
Yvette Nicole Brown	...	Ms. Camwell
Maximiliano Hernández	...	Officer Mike (as Maximiliano Hernandez)
Andre Ware	...	Officer Jeff
Jonathan Klein	...	Evan

Also Known As:

Das Hundehotel (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG for brief mild thematic elements, language and some crude humor.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #44727) | UK:U | Ireland:G | Australia:PG | Switzerland:0 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:0 (canton of Vaud) | Finland:S | Singapore:PG | South Africa:PG | New Zealand:PG | Portugal:M/4 (dubbed version) | Portugal:M/6 (original version) | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Sweden:Btl | Netherlands:6 | Peru:PT | Hong Kong:IIA | Mexico:A

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

It took a long time to teach the dogs to use the feeding machine. Indeed, the first dog in line had to learn not to throw himself onto the fifty bowls of food passing in front of him, and so on.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bruce first checks in Henry near the beginning of the movie, he writes Henry's name in green. Later when Bernie is reading from the check-in book, Henry's name is in red.

Quotes:

Bruce: If you look at it, dogs have three basic needs. That's- that's eatting, sleeping, peeing and pooping.
Andi: That's four.
Bruce: No, I think peeing and pooping is one.
Heather: Uh, I've stepped in both and I have to disagree.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hotel for Dogs: K-9 Casting (2009) (V)

Soundtrack:

Reason Why

Hotel for Dogs Movie Review from The Massie Twins

Hotel 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