Chihuahua: The Movie (2010)

This movie. was. terrible. It's like a bad student film. I imagine a professor being like "Here is a cheap camcorder. Produce a movie with an obvious moral. Oh and it has to have a dog." and BAM some student popped this out. Horrible camera angles? check. Looks like a bad home video? check. Horrible script? check. Bad acting? check. Weird 10 seconds of viewing disgusting teeth way too close? check. Awkward moments? check. Bad voice-over? check. The dog had the best acting. The good part about this movie? The main character got changed into a dog and her body was in a coma, so we didn't have to watch her struggle through her parts.

Earlier reviews stated that this was a Disney movie, but it's not. It is a lower budget movie so if you can get past the setting and rookie level acting, then sit down and watch it with the kids. Bella the chihuahua is cute and very well trained. Her outfits were cute as well. This is a great movie for young children with a great message about the treatment of other people. Sondra is a self absorbed medical consultant who switch places with Bella. Sondra gets a whole new perspective on herself while being Bella. She also learns more about people around her that she never took the time to get to know. Peanut who plays Bella did a very good job of acting. My kids thought Peanut was the cutest thing ever. I would recommend this a good watch for kids. My 12 and 8 year old enjoyed it.

Recently, I had the rare privilege of coming across the unrated of this film, and I must say: the director's cut is one of the more subtle additions to filmmaking's canon. The opening scene sets the tone as a gritty, emotional psychological thriller, as the main character Sondra sits in a colorless room as an anonymous doctor speaks her worst fears to her, in a suitably dark psychological metaphor for the ill feelings the main character has for herself. These themes flow throughout the film as Sondra faces the true question of life: how do I define my identity? If I am a dog, am I still myself? Sondra comes to terms with not knowing the answers to her questions and decides that whoever she is, she is going to be better than she was. And by God, with the help of an uplifting and catchy original score, she succeeds. The film is magnificently acted, joining Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and Orson Welles' Citizen Kane as Oscar's greatest omissions. In fact, with such glaring absences, such as this masterpiece, in their roster, I'm surprised the Academy Awards retains any credibility at all. Anya Benton's scene where she first discovers and subsequently comes to grips with the fact is now a chihuahua is pure Oscar bait. I hate to keep going about this, but I can't believe the Oscars overlooked this gem.In conclusion, Chihuahua: the Movie was smartly written, sharply acted, and inspirationally directed, providing an intelligent allegory for our tumultuous economic and political crisis. Ten stars.

This movie is a great family film with a wonderful message. There was no profanity or violence of any kind in the film. The cast appeared to play very well off of each other. It was a good cast without the big names. But do not let the lack of big names sway you from seeing the film. It didn't need them. I even found myself with a tear rolling down my cheek at one point during the film. Bella, the Chihuahua, was cute as could be and appeared to have soulful eyes. It was also great to have a film show a bit about therapy dogs and the visits they make to children at a hospital. A little side fact: the Chihuahua playing Bella is a much loved family pet in real life and this was the pups first film.