Dogs, man’s best friends, have long been the subject of our fascination. The family dog is often just as much a member of the family as are the parents or the kids, enjoying sleeping rights on any of the finest couches and beds in the house and receiving similar treatment when it comes to food. Because of the love that we have for dogs, there have been plenty of stories that focus around our canine companions. Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows are two stories revolving around dogs and their connection to their owners and, consequently, both are quite able to make even grown men cry. Another dog story that is slated to be released in 2008 is Beverly Hills Chihuahua, starring Drew Barrymore as a Chihuahua that gets lost in Mexico during the family vacation and must find her way back before an evil dog catcher gets a hold of her. Created by Raja Gosnell and Walt Disney Pictures, the movie is sure to be a hit with the whole family.

Simply saying the words “Beverly Hills” conjures up the imagery of a life that is far removed from the rest of the country. Glitz and glamour are the norm, shopping for expensive clothing and accessories is a popular hobby, and everyone drives around in a luxury convertible on the way to house parties in humongous mansions. Although this may or may not be the case for everyone, there is certainly plenty of wealth to go around in Beverly Hills. Another stereotype that is associated with the Beverly Hills lifestyle is that each and every middle-aged woman has a small dog which goes everywhere with her, usually carried in an expensive purse. The dog is usually an appropriately coifed poodle, one with a name like Fifi or Toodles, and the dog is expected to receive the amount of respect that the average person would receive from everyone that the woman passes on the street or in the marketplace.

If you were to tell a story in the perspective of this pampered pooch, you would not be far off the plot of Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Chloe is a diamond-clad Chihuahua that has never had to fight for scraps of food with other dogs or sleep outside; rather, she eats luxury dog food and sleeps on a bed of much higher quality than the average American sleeps on. Life is good for Chloe, whose lifestyle is one that is devoid of stress or worry, and her owners make sure that all of her needs are taken care of. In fact, her life is so luxurious and perfect that she hardly has time to notice Papi, a tough, streetwise Chihuahua that is head over heels in love with Chloe. His love is rather unrequited; even if Chloe were to notice Papi, chances are she would never deign to associate with a dog that does not know the magic of taking regular baths and eating expensive human food. When Chloe’s owners go on a vacation to Mexico, they take Chloe with them. All is well until Chloe gets lost in the streets of Mexico. Separated from her owner, she has no way of fending for herself – her lifestyle is one in which everything is handed to her.

Chloe’s only hope is to team up with a sly German Shepherd, one that teaches her the ropes. All hope is not completely lost for Chloe, but the situation looks dire. Making things especially dangerous is the evil dog catcher, one who is constantly chasing Chloe. He is not chasing her to get her to a safer place, however; this dog catcher wants to use Chloe to start up a fur factory, a fate that Chloe definitely wants to avoid. When Papi notices that Chloe has not returned from her trip to Mexico, he decides that he must do what any lover would do for his loved one: rescue her from her horrible situation and return her to Beverly Hills. He does not have to do this alone, though, because he eventually comes across an unlikely group of helpers. These include two humans, a mischievous rat, and a nervous iguana, and together, this motley crew heads south of the boarder in order to rescue Papi’s one true love.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua features the voice talents of a star-studded cast that is sure to make the movie enjoyable for adults and children alike. Acclaimed actress Drew Barrymore is the voice for the ritzy Chloe, and comedian George Lopez lends his voice to Papi, the tough Chihuahua. Andy Garcia is the voice of Delgado, Chloe’s German Shepherd companion, and Piper Perabo and Manolo Cardona are the voices for Papi’s human companions. The visual effects for the film have been created by Cinesite, which used its specially developed technology in order to animate the muzzles of the dogs in order to create the illusion of talking dogs. Heitor Pereira is responsible for the music to Beverly Hills Chihuahua, a Grammy-winning musician whose musical talents will certainly enhance the film experience. The first teaser for the film was shown with The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, so the film has been on the scene for a long time. The film was originally slated to be released in late September, but the date has since been pushed back to October 3.

Another interesting fact about Beverly Hills Chihuahua is that all prints of the movie will feature the short film Destino, which was created in 2003, appended to the beginning. The short film is unique because its production actually began 58 years prior to its release. Artist Salvador Dali storyboarded the film along with Disney studio artist John Hench, but the project went dormant because of financial concerns. In 1999, the project was unearthed, and work began again on Destino the following year. It is a fascinating bit of history both because of its connection to acclaimed artist Salvador Dali and the fact that it was only released so many years after work began on it, something which does not happen often in the film industry. Beverly Hills Chihuahua may not be an attractive prospect for adults that pride themselves on their film tastes, but the short film Destino is certainly something that should be interesting to see.

All in all, Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a movie that the kids will love to see. Many movies that are intended for kids are actually quite amusing for adults as well, which is great in the situations when the kids just have to see the latest movie and cannot go without adult supervision. With a star-studded cast including Drew Barrymore, George Lopez and Andy Garcia, Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a fun take on the dog adventure story that has been done so well in Homeward Bound and The Adventures of Milo and Otis, and may eventually stand aside those movies as a film that every dog lover must see at least once. Walt Disney Pictures has been releasing family friendly movies for decades, and if you want a film that the entire family can go out and see, Beverly Hills Chihuahua is as a great a choice as any. The movie will hit theaters around the country beginning October 3, 2008.