DOGGED 'HOMEWARD BOUND II' COMES UP SHORT.Byline: Steven Rea Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire In this post-"Babe" world of ours, a filmmaker has to be pretty brave to attempt a live-action adventure in which animals think and talk and act with human voices. Pretty brave, or pretty certain that a sequel to 1993's peripatetic pets tale, "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey," is a sure thing. And maybe "Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco" (alternate title: "I Left My Heartworm heartworm Species (Dirofilaria immitis) of filarial worm that parasitizes mammals, especially dogs. Up to 500 adult heartworms, which can grow to 6–12 in. (15–30 cm) long, live in the dog's heart, and the microfilariae (embryonic larvae) pass into the blood. in San Francisco") will make some money at the box office, but it pales by comparison to the magical barnyard fable from Down Under. "Homeward Bound II" reunites canines Chance and Shadow and the feline Sassy - of the '93 family film, which was itself a remake of a 1963 Disney title. This time, the scrappy American bulldog, the sage golden retriever and the catty cat·ty 1 adj. cat·ti·er, cat·ti·est 1. Subtly cruel or malicious; spiteful: a catty remark. 2. Catlike; stealthy. Himalayan are en route with the Seaver family to a camping trip in Canada, when they break free of their pet carriers on the tarmac of San Francisco International. The Seavers (Robert Hays, Kim Greist and kid thesps Veronica Lauren, Kevin Chevalia and Benj Thall, all of them saddled with unbelievably syrupy dialogue) fly on to Canada, to discover too late that their dogs and cat have vamoosed. And wouldn't you know it, the weather up there has turned so nasty that the family is stuck at the airport and can't return home to track the pets down. Meanwhile, Chance, Shadow and Sassy point their respective snouts toward the Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Bridge, across the Golden Gate from San Francisco to Marin Co., W Calif.; built 1933–37. Its overall length is 9,266 ft (2,824 m); its main span across the strait, 4,200 ft (1,280 m), is one of the longest bridges in the world. Joseph B. , across which lies home. On the way, they meet up with a gang of rough urban strays (the un-motliest, shampooed mutts imaginable) and a pair of dognapping Dognapping is the crime of taking a canine from its owner, it is one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK [1], as well as being very profitable. Dognapping usually occurs in purebred dogs, the profit from which can run up to thousands of dollars. knuckleheads (Max Perlich and Michael Rispoli). If you're expecting a lot of wonderful postcard shots of the animals riding cable cars and scampering down precipitous San Francisco streets, don't blink: Most of "Lost in San Francisco" was filmed in the generic urbanscape of Vancouver, British Columbia, with only a few minutes of San Francisco footage there to add a semblance of authenticity. Michael J. Fox, Ralph Waite and Sally Field lend their voices to Chance, Shadow and Sassy, respectively. Chance is a wiseacre wise·a·cre n. Slang A person regarded as being disagreeably egotistical and self-assured. [Alteration by folk etymology from Middle Dutch wijsseggher, soothsayer , Shadow is just wise, and Sassy is full of snippy snip·py adj. snip·pi·er, snip·pi·est Informal 1. Sharp-tongued; impertinent: shocked by his snippy retort. 2. Occurring in pieces; fragmentary. asides, looking down her whiskers See metal whiskers. at the silly shenanigans of her pals. THE FACTS The film: "Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco" (G; pet urination urination Process of excreting urine from the bladder (see urinary system). Nerve centres in the spinal cord, brain stem, and cerebral cortex control it through involuntary and voluntary muscles. The need to void is felt when the bladder holds 3. , dogfights). The stars: Robert Hays, Kim Greist and child performers Veronica Lauren, Kevin Chevalia and Benj Thall. Behind the scenes:Produced by Barry Jossen. Directed by David R. Ellis. Written by Chris Hauty and Julie Hickson. Photography by Jack Conroy, music by Bruce Broughton. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Running time: One hour, 29 minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Two Stars. |
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