Take that, 'Chihuahua' haters
I got some mild grief from readers about my mixed-to-positive review of "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." In fact, I had an odd email from someone from Omaha (!) who suggested I might have been adding a little whiskey to my dog food. (Turns out that my review ran on the wire and got picked up by the Omaha World-Herald. Maybe Sarah Palin read it when she was in town?)
Turns out that "Chihuahua" crushed the competition at the box office. For once, I am on the side of popular opinion! (I know, it has to happen sometimes.)
So for all those who caught the film over the weekend: What did you think? Was I too kind? Or did it make you bark with delight? (And was Delgado the German shepherd cool, or what?) Post a comment and let me know.
Comments:
This was an US/Mex immigration story told via Chihuahuas for a Disney audience. Um, scary.
Posted by: Chihuahua at October 7, 2008 6:10 AM
My roommates gave me a hard time this summer when i said the movie didn't look that bad. I haven't seen it and I'm not going tp pay to see it in theaters but I'm not surprised at all to hear BH Chihuahua has done well.
Donald, what are your thoughts on Bolt so far?
Posted by: Kevin B at October 7, 2008 6:49 PM
Donald replies: I do agree, Mr./Ms. "Chihuahua," that there is a US/Mex immigration story told here. I write in my review:
"There's a whole ethno- political reading you can make of the film, of course, with Chloe's dominant "whiteness" put to the test in "exotic" Mexico (which mostly looks like it was shot in the local Pier One store) as she's helped out by animals voiced by Latino actors (including George Lopez, Andy Garcia and Cheech Marin). We also get the cute parallel cross- cultural human subplot involving the white niece and the ethnic landscaper (Manolo Cardono), and there are jokes sprinkled throughout that wink at immigration issues. (The "coyote" smuggler that arranges to get Chloe back across the border is, you guessed it, a real coyote.)"
One observation: I saw the film at a screening sponsored by a Spanish-language radio station, and many of the audience were Spanish speakers. The majority of them seemed to love the "immigration humor." I didn't find the silliness at all offensive, and in fact thought several times that it was a clever way to make light of a hot-button issue.
To Kevin B: I've seen two full scenes of "Bolt" in previews, and I have to say that what I've seen so far seems a little slow to me. Also, I'm not sure that John Travolta's voice works for such a young and energetic leading character. Maybe it's that I can't get the vision of Edna Turnbladd from "Hairspray" out of my mind?
Posted by: Donald Munro at October 8, 2008 11:50 AM
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