I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

An unsettled pair of siblings, without parents, make a plan to save the homeless dogs, whilst struggling to keep a roof over their own heads. A great tale for kids and can be enjoyed by all the family.

Emma Roberts, Don Cheadle, Kevin Dillon, Lisa Kudrow and Don Cheadle all star in one stupid film. 2009 has had some fantastic children's entertainment. We had Up and Where the wild things are, both made my top three for the year. We also had Night at the museum 2, which wasn't art but was still decent. But before all of these good films, we had Hotel for dogs. Trust me, don't check into it. You can see what the hell is going to happen in this film once all of the characters are introduced.The plot is simple stuff. A brother and sister(Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin), who are living with their stupid foster parents(Kevin Dillon and Lisa Kudrow) decide to open up a hotel for a bunch of stray dogs. Them and their friends help also.While watching the film, you can definitely see where the hell it is going. You know that eventually the hotel for dogs will become a big thing. They will try to keep it a secret from the adults. They will get new foster parents. A lot of this film is unfeasible also. How would they get the money to make all of this crap? Where would they get the money for the dog food? They are kids. All I can really say about this movie that is good... well, not that much. Not even the dogs could save it. Well, perhaps they do a little bit. The dogs in the film are very cute. But besides that, the film is kind of like dog crap. It's not a total mess, but it's one of the worst films of the year. Predictable, cheesy, and a ton of other things, please be sure to stay away from this film.Hotel for dogs:*1/2 out of ****

A few basics first! Kids will like this! There is little for adults. We have become so used to 'films for kids but written for adults' that it is nice to see something just for the kids again. A parent may be useful with very young kid for the slightly 'spooky' bit. The kids and dogs all act well and Emma Roberts is a great anchor. Don Cheadle is giving his time competently but Lisa Kudrow is miscast. Now the important news. This has very, very little to do with Lois Duncan's book! You can be sure that the book is better and a perfect read for any dog lover. Buy both or buy the book! With only 5 dogs, 2 kids and a family life there is much more depth of character in the book. This film is a good one off. The book will be a favourite reread :)

Attention all dog lovers! This film is full of terrific dogs, all doing cute things, and a very amusing story (a fantasy, of course, but fun). Cat lovers even might learn a thing or two, such as how superior dogs are to those slinking creatures with sharp claws whom some people mistakenly prefer. In this tale, we first have two human waifs, Andi and Bruce, who are brother and sister orphans, played engagingly by Emma Roberts and Jake Austin. They avoid being too sugary sweet and insipid, and manage to be convincing normal kids (i.e. kids who love dogs, since all kids who don't love dogs are clearly seriously abnormal and need counselling). Don Cheadle is excellent as a social worker who tries and tries to find them some acceptable foster parents. Andi and Bruce have a pet dog whom they have to sneak in through a window in their present foster home because the foster parents don't like dogs. One dog leads to another and before long there are other dogs, and a large vacant old hotel which has been condemned and boarded up becomes their secret refuge. Other kids join in and struggle against the baddies of the film, who are the dog-catchers, and the kids go around saving all the stray dogs who are destined for the dog pound and take them to the 'hotel for dogs'. The food for all these dogs is obligingly provided by a boy who works in a pet shop. There are lots of vicissitudes, the dogs are seized, the police are summoned, the kids are sent to reformatories, and things are tough. Then things improve and the dogs are rescued from the dog pound in a hilarious dog crowd scene where hordes of dogs charge down the streets interfering with all the traffic while the public watch and cheer, and the story continues. There are many, many dogs in the film, not just a few. It is sheer Dogageddon. The film is delightful, amusingly done, treated as a lark, not too sentimental, and most enjoyable for people who love dog films. The people who made the recent failure 'Marley and Me' (see my review) should take lessons from the people who made this one. There's no use making a bad dog film, all the dogs and dog-lovers will just hate you. Dog films require a lot of love and care, just like dogs themselves, should never be too sentimental (after all, remember, 'it's a dog's life' out there), and the humour needs to be treated with discretion. Dogs are sensitive, and so are dog-lovers. In this film, there were some nervous moments for all dogs and dog-lovers when certain derogatory remarks were made about certain substances that some clumsy humans stepped in. As all dogs know, humans should be more careful. There are certain dogcessities, which must be respected and not made the butt of jokes. So what with cute dogs and cute kids and everybody hating the dog-catchers (as is only right and proper), and a sympathetic social worker whom we might honour by renaming Dog Cheadle, this film is woofing good fun all round and cannot be recommended highly enough to those of us adhering to the highest canine standards in entertainment.