Like Cats & Dogs

Didn't think this would be any good at first glance, but the title hooked us as we gave two cats and we love dogs too...just not in the same house. Didn't think we were going to like this movie, but it got better and better and the interplay between Frank the dog and Mozart the cat was wonderful. I liked the two leads, didn't know anything about them, but I thought they were good together. The male lead was a little stiff, but he loosened up and built a character with the female lead. I don't read reviews until after I watch a movie because I don't want any preconceived ideas or negative reviews to alter my feeling of the movie. Glad I waited till after I watched the movie because as fun as the lead female was, I see where she got it...her mom and dad. Enjoyed this movie.

This wasn't a bad movie, actually. I really liked the premise, where a character named Laura Haley (Cassidy Gifford), an up and coming photographer, gets to spend 2 weeks in a summer house with her dog, Frank but she realizes that the house was double booked by writer Spenser (Wyatt Nash) and although they're two personalities that can't live in the same house, things get even more complicated when Spenser brings his cat, Mozart. The rest of the movie has some quirky dialog. Loved the filming location and the rest of the characters. Singer/songwriter Hayley Sales (Susan) has one of the best scenes in the entire movie. I watched this part over and over again. Gwyneth Walsh is a great supporting actress.

Must admit I had no idea who Cassidy Gifford or Wyatt Nash were, I bought this movie on a Hallmark box set because there was a cat in it. Turned out to be quite an enjoyable little romp with two good looking and competent leads, but for me Mozart ,The cat and Frank ,the dog were the real stars, only downer is we should have seen more of them, still, nice little film, refreshing in that there was no foul language or crude scenes, which seem to be the norm these days, worth it for that alone!

Have absolutely nothing against Hallmark, quite the opposite. Have made it clear too at how many have left me pleasantly surprised. 'Like Cats and Dogs' is the third 2017 Spring Fever film after 'Love at First Bark' and 'Moonlight in Vermont'. Didn't care for the former, liked the latter quite a lot despite foibles. What drew me in to seeing this, as well as it being part of the completest sake quest, was the premise, which was actually intriguing.

Unfortunately, it is a premise that is not handled very well. 'Like Cats and Dogs' has good things, but on the whole it didn't work. Due to primarily not caring for the characters, not believing in the chemistry and finding that the premise was not handled tastefully. It is not one of the worst Hallmark films, but as far as 2017 Hallmark films go 'Like Cats and Dogs' is a lesser effort and my least favourite of the 2017 Spring Fever films. Did want to like the film but it was not executed well in my view.

'Like Cats and Dogs' is not all bad. Cassidy Gifford does her best bringing charm and energy into her role, a spirited performance that deserved much better character writing. Mozart and Frank are absolutely adorable, fun to watch and basically steal every scene they're in.

It looks good, especially the scenery (which Hallmark often delivered on even in the misfires). The music isn't too loud and didn't feel too much.

Wyatt Nash on the other hand is very wooden and overdoes his character's uptightness to the point that he becomes very cold and detached. Didn't care for either of the two lead characters, she being pushy and borderline creepy (character writing, am not blaming Gifford) and he being uptight, with neither of them really evolving that much. The chemistry also isn't there between them, it is very flimsy in development and too close to antagonistic. Also any growing romance came over as improbable, didn't buy how two polar opposites could ever gel and especially considering how they behave towards each other.

The script is mundane at best and has a lot of awkwardness and cheese, while the initial scenes are so over-written it made me feel really doubtful that any romance would blossom believably (and it doesn't). The story is predictable throughout, any conflict is forced, there is little charm or heart (other than with Mozart and Frank) and the ending is very anti-climactic. The direction is workmanlike at best.

Concluding, not a complete waste but does not work. 4/10.

Two strangers are double booked in a nice house. The far fetched and cringe aspect is the female lead seems to be immediately flirting and in the guys personal space when he was typing an email. Then her friend offers her a room in the house but she says no, she's rather stay in a house with a complete stranger even though her whole trip was to see her friend and would that not be the most ideal to hang out with her.

The way the female lead flirts with the random guy despite knowing he has a gf and not knowing about their relationship really made me cringe.

The plot has also been done before, however a little more realistically as in the other film the female lead didn't have somewhere else she could stay.