'Hotel for Dogs'

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - The Year of the Dog on the Chinese Lunar Calendar won't come along until 2016, but you wouldn't know that from the last six months at movie theaters.

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua" showed real bite against the big dogs of summer. Then the animated "Bolt" sniffed out good box office totals. "Marley & Me" was the fetching hit of the holidays.

And now there is "Hotel for Dogs." This tale of siblings who come up with some clever ways of taking care of a pack of homeless canines is fun for both movie-going pups and their old-dog parents.

Andi (Emma Roberts) and Bruce (Jake T. Austin) have been bouncing around the foster care program for years. The only connection they have to their parents is a scruffy looking dog named Friday. The siblings must keep Friday a secret from their latest foster parents: '80s throwback bad musicians Lois (Lisa Kudrow) and Carl (Kevin Dillon).

In a last-ditch effort to find a safe haven for Friday, the siblings stumble into an abandoned hotel. The only residents are a pack of dogs, each with a personality more defined than the average action-movie star.

The simple canine housing solution becomes complicated as the pair of humans, with the aid of a few teen allies from the neighborhood, begin to rescue stranded canines. Eventually the hotel reaches capacity. Bruce, a wizard of wacky machines, comes up with some automatic ways to tend for the canines when they are away. This works until their pooch plan is revealed.

"Hotel for Dogs" continues Hollywood's current passion for pups, but the movie is more. All of the canine antics are just a backdrop for a strong story about family. Director Thor Freudenthal finds a balance between the fun story of the dogs and the touching story of the brother and sister.

It helps that Don Cheadle plays the social worker who shows as much interest in the brother and sister as the siblings show for the homeless dogs. Cheadle's presence gives this movie a weight that doesn't normally come with such lightweight material.

Roberts and Austin turn in solid performances. Too often foster children are portrayed as bitter or broken. These siblings come with baggage but they are willing to put that behind them to focus on being together.

Kudrow and Dillon, on the other hand, try a little too hard to be the wacky foster parents. They needed a tighter acting leash.

No matter what the Chinese say, 2008-9 has been a year of the dog in Hollywood. And it has been successful so far. "Hotel for Dogs" keeps that winning streak going with a family-friendly effort that actually has some emotional bite to go along with its fun bark.

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HOTEL FOR DOGS

Grade: B

Rated PG. Stars Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle. Directed by Thor Freudenthaled. Running time 1 hour 29 minutes.

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© 2009, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.).