Show Dogs

A New York police dog (voiced by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) enters a Las Vegas dog show with his reluctant human partner (Will Arnett) to nail a gang of animal smugglers. Written by Max Botkin and Marc Hyman and directed by Raja Gosnell (who did much better with Beverly Hills Chihuahua—but then again he had a better script), this dreary time-and-talent waster seems to have been aimed at undemanding three-year-olds whose parents have more money and less sense than is good for them. Arnett and Natasha Lyonne (as another dog trainer entered in the same show) gamely go through the motions, forlornly resigned to playing second and third fiddle to a lot of semi-cheesy talking-animal effects and stale fart jokes. Supplying canine voices are the likes of Alan Cumming, Stanley Tucci, RuPaul and Shaquille O’Neal.