Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua: Kids will like it.  And dog-loving adults will like it.  This is a pretty good movie featuring some adorable talking dogs. 

Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore) is a spoiled-rotten white Chihuahua, living in Beverly Hills with her owner Viv (Jamie Lee Curtis).  Chloe would never get her little paws dirty, as she lives the pristine life of the overly-pampered pup - dressed in the finest doggie outfits, and attending various pup-related society events.

She is adored by all, especially the landscaper's brown Chihuahua, Papi (voiced by George Lopez), but of course, Papi is so far "beneath" Chloe, she doesn't give him the time of day.

When Viv has to leave town, niece Rachel (Piper Perabo) is charged with taking care of Chloe.  But Rachel is as spoiled and irresponsible as Chloe, herself.  Thus it's not long before Chloe is lost in Mexico, then dog-napped and tossed into a dog-fighting ring.  (Do dog-fighting rings really showcase Chihuahuas?  I'm thinking not, but in this movie, that's exactly what happens.)

While Rachel, the gardener (Manolo Cardona) and Papi try to find Chloe, she is being helped by her new friend, German Shepherd Delgado (voiced by Andy Garcia).  Delgado helps Chloe escape from the dog-fighting ring, as well as the mean Doberman Pinscher Diablo (voiced by Edward James Olmos).  Diablo has been ordered by his master to find this obviously valuable dog, who surely must be worth some nice ransom money, given the fact that she wears a diamond collar.

That's the plot.  Two dogs trying to find their way home, and stay safe, while being chased by some greedy people, and one mean dog.  Meanwhile, a few humans, Papi, and a couple of strays they pick up along the way, are trying just as hard to find them.


The dogs were adorable.  And the special effects were quite good.  The dogs were capable of showing extremely clear expressions.  Joy, sadness, anger, and fear were all very readable in their faces.

The messages in the movie were pretty good, too.  After all, this is a Disney production, so you would expect some clear messages to come through, especially to the intended kiddie audience.  So you have a spoiled dog who learns all about her ancestors while in Mexico, and gains an understanding about how "other" dogs live - homeless, hungry, and even in fear of their lives as they're forced into a fighting ring.  It's an eye-opener for this little doggie, that's for sure.

Then there's the spoiled human girl, who learns quite a bit throughout the movie, as well.  Initially dismissing the gardener as someone who obviously can't speak a word of English, and who's barely worth a nod in his direction, Rachel eventually learns to look beyond his nationality to see the good man inside. 

There's some pretty good character development, too.  Especially in the case of Delgado - you get to see exactly how he came to be alone in this world, and why he seems overly wise, yet clearly sad.

And, finally, you have two other characters with small roles, but they deliver some of the cutest scenes in the movie.  I'm talking about a rat and an iguana.  Con artists out to make a quick buck with their various scams, they deliver some of the funniest lines.

So, you can see that there's plenty to like.  However, this movie is by no means perfect.

For the most part, there's very little in this movie to laugh at.  There are several "Oh - that's cute" moments, when the dogs do something particularly clever, but not too many laugh out loud moments.  Kids might enjoy some of the one-liners like "Talk to the paw", but adults are just going to groan.  Mostly, while watching this movie, the audience was fairly silent. 

While I liked most of the choices for the voices, I did not like Drew Barrymore for Chloe.  She sounds way too whiny, and became downright irritating after a while.  On the other hand, casting George Lopez for Papi was brilliant.  Sadly, Papi doesn't get too much screen time, mostly we have to listen to Chloe.

Overall, there are more positives to this movie than negatives.  Kids and dog-loving adults will all enjoy it, even if there are a few flaws.  While there are a few scary and sad scenes, they are turned around very quickly.  Therefore, for the most part, I think even little kids can handle seeing this movie.  Four paws out of five, for me.

Recommended: Yes