pamperedpuppy // luxury lifestyles for dogs

Beverly Hills Chihuahua Reviewed

Chloe, the deer faced, fashion hound heroine of the runaway smash hit Beverly Hills Chihuahua at one point during the movie laments how tough it is to find a male that isn't "fixed." In this Disney bow-wow adventure pic, we obviously are looking at Sex and the City going utterly and completely to the computerized-mouthed dogs. Do these K-9 shenanigans have a very distinct air of the absurd and the ridiculous? Yes. Do we care? Not one dangling, sparkly and glittery diamond dog collar charm.

That's the spirit of this review. If you aren't prepared to accept that Beverly Hills Chihuahua ain't supposed to be no cinematic masterpiece, if you aren't ready to open your heart, roll over and bark for this incredibly fun romp, then we feel muy, muy sorry for you because you're only cheating yourself out of a gourmet doggy treat that is bueno to the bone.

Chloe is a Beverly Hills princess spoiled just absolutely rotten by cosmetics tycoon Vivian (Jamie Lee Curtis). When Viv has to travel on business, she gives her niece Rachel (Piper Perabo) the supreme honor of Chihuahua-sitting Chloe. Rachel, alas, considers the princess a "bossy, arrogant, manipulative" bitch. Because none of us have, or have ever seen or even heard of a dog with any of those deplorable qualities, we know Rachel must be either a hopeless cat person or a jerk. We meet Papi, a dusky, well-furred Huahua mix, who is 1) in love with Chloe ("I'll lick inside your ears," he vows), and 2) the helper dog for Sam the Landscaper (Manolo Cardona, woof). Rachel decides to vacation south of the border in Mexico with friends, taking Chloe along. Thinking it acceptable to feed Chloe canned dog food, (so funny we forgot to laugh), Rachel alienates the princess, who then escapes the nasty downscale hotel room only to get dogknapped by a Mexican dog fighting ring.

Entrapped, Chloe meets Delgado (Spanish for Slim, voiced expertly by Andy Garcia) and then in the dog fight arena, El Diablo himself, a blood-thirsty Doberman. Delgado breaks loose from his cage to rescue Chloe, but El Diablo's human, Vasquez by name, having learned that Chloe sports a Harry Winston diamond collar, charges El Diablo with recovering the escaped Chihuahua princess so she can be ransomed.

Thus the chase is on, all over Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Aztec Ruins and the Sonora Desert. If it weren't a talking dog flick, it could be a National Geographic special, and yes, we are saying that some of these locations are totally, out-and-out wag-your-tail gorgeous. A computer generated rat and iguana get in on the act, trying without success to make off with the Harry Winston diamond collar. Yada yada yada, or as they might say in Mexico, nada nada nada. In the end, Chloe is united with Vivian in Beverly Hills, where she accepts, finally, the amorous advances of Papi.

Now about those Aztec Ruins. They are, turns out, the Lost City of Techichi. Techichi's adorable, all Chihuahua populace is led by the long-haired Huahua Monte, short for Montezuma (voiced by Plácido Domingo, finally realizing his potential). Monte tells Chloe "When a Chihuahua comes home, it is time for celebration." Here, we are sniffing right at the very philosophical core of this canine-centric work of art. ¿Donde está la casa verdadera de Chloe? (Where is Chloe's true home?) Is it in Techichi, the land of her forechihuahuas, or in Beverly Hills, where, close to a lotus pond and a gazebo, she lounges poolside in a bikini with her Yorkie, Pug and Poodle friends Biminy, Sebastian and Delta?

If the truth be revealed, this is a no-brainer. Think of it this way. George Washington's ancestors came from across the pond in Purleigh, Essex, England, but there's no way you'd say his home was in the British Isles. No. Just as Washington's true home is Mt. Vernon, Chloe's true home is Beverly Hills. The Spanish Steps at Rodeo Drive. The Golden Triangle. And just as Washington's image is carved into Mt. Rushmore, Chloe's countenance must (we didn't choose the word lightly) one day be carved high up into the Hollywood Hills. Not even Old Yeller brought the bacon home to producers the way this courageous, outrageously fashion-forward Chihuahua has done. That isn't to say that Chloe shouldn't be proud as all get out, of her Mexican roots. She should be. But she should be proud of them in the spoiled style to which she has become, rightfully and fittingly, accustomed.

We love the adopt-a-dog message conveyed by the movie; three dogs are placed in the course of the plot. Another message we approve, with four paws way up, is that brushing a dog's teeth promotes a dog's health. Witness Delgado's pal Chucho after his first encounter with a toothbrush, smiling and exclaiming "Minty!"

It's reassuring to know that the American Humane Association monitored the production and that all animals were treated well. Behind-the-scenes, Chloe had stunt doubles for her swimming scene. A Shepherd named Samson was the "face" dog playing Delgado, while four stand-in police dogs were at the ready to relieve him if he got tired of all the running around. Papi, whose real name is Rusco, was rescued from a shelter to perform in the movie. Afterwards, he got adopted by his trainer, and now, he lives on a ranch outside L.A. And rumor has it that Chloe, real-life name Angel, will be acting in the upcoming release Hotel for Dogs.

For pet parents who spoil the heck out of their dogs, there's plenty here to love. There's a scene where Vivian calls from overseas to speak with Chloe, and while in public in a glamorous movers-and-shakers location, makes all kinds of kissee-kissee, lovey-dovey noises over the telephone, ostensibly at her beloved Chihuahua princess. I'm sure most of our readers can recognize something of themselves in that scene. And why not? We've all got our own princes and princesses at home.