Down with pussy cats, down with pussy cats

Picking up where Babe left off - cats, dogs and mice are all given a voice in this comedy spy caper.

Nigel Bell

The Cold War might be long over but the world of spies is still big business in the cinema. 007 continues to reign supreme and with Mission Impossible and Charlie's Angels it's clear the genre has much to offer.

Now espionage exploits are being taken to the kids. Already this year we've had Spy Kids, now the latest big children's release is Cats and Dogs.

Cats and dogs? Spies? You'd better believe it. Man's best friend is not only working undercover but is about to save we humans from a fate worse than death - feline domination.

"You're in big trouble cat" "I think not puppy"

Leading the forces of evil is a white Persian cat, direct, it seems, from the lap of Donald Pleasance's Bloefeld in Bond's You Only Live Twice.

He seems truly nasty until it's revealed his name is Mr Tinkles and he's often forced to dress in baby doll clothes!

There's also a gadget laden Russian cat and Siamese ninjas!

But enough of me. Here's the review that really counts. A child's eye perspective from Holly Bell, aged 10.

"The film was about the cats trying to take over the world and the dogs trying to stop them.

At the start of the film the boy's dog Buddy is kidnapped by the cats and a beagle puppy called Lou is brought in in place of him.

"Oh no, they're playing "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window" again"

Soon Lou meets Butch and becomes a secret agent to guard the house of a scientist, who's trying to make a cure for dog allergies, from "cat attack."

My favourite bit in the film was at the end when Mr Tinkles, the leader of the cats, had failed to take over the world and was taken to see nurse's friends (they had all made dresses for him!)

My worst bit was when they had just messed up the living room of the house and when the mother came in it was tidy. I didn't really understand it then.

My favourite character was the nurse (Margolyes) that looked after Mr Tinkles because she was funny."