We all know that cats and dogs don’t get along. But does that mean they can’t get along — even if the fate of the world is at stake? This is the question at the heart of Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. I got a chance to see the new movie at a preview last weekend, and I’m here to share some thoughts.

The movie is about, you guessed it, cats and dogs. When an evil cat named Kitty Galore threatens to brainwash all dogs in the world, threatening all life as we know it, secret (and totally separate) groups of dog and cat spies need to work together to stop her.

Here are a few observations about the movie:

1) It’s (mostly) live action. With so many talking animals running around, you’d think this movie would’ve been more easily made if they’d just animated it. But no. Other than a few computer-generated characters here and there, the filmmakers used real animals interacting with live human actors throughout the entire film. It’s pretty impressive how the trainers can get animals to interact and show emotion.

2) It’s a parody. It nods and winks at all sorts of police and spy movies, and some of the references are pretty funny! But, strangely enough, most kids won’t know many of the movies it’s parodying. This could have one of two effects: it could seem fresh and fun to moviegoers, or it could seem strange. The jury is out!

3) It’s another movie that didn’t need to be filmed in 3-D. This has become the big story of the summer of 2010 (for me, at least!). Almost every movie we’ve talked about this summer has been available in 3-D, and almost none of them used it very well. As they did for The Last Airbender, the 3-D effects here just made the picture darker. Not a good thing!

Overall, I thought this movie had some funny parts, and it was quite a bit of fun to see the dog and cat actors take centre stage. There’s lots of action, too, so if you’re looking for silly, fast-paced summer fun, this one might be right up your alley.

Talk to you next week!

Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com

Who’s up for some ART? Better yet, who’s up for some Reader Art of the Week? I know I am, especially since we missed last week’s edition.

Today’s art comes to us from blog reader Tia, a several-time RAotW photo contributor (click here and here to see her past contributions). Check out her latest entry:

Cool, huh? Also: cool in the refreshing sense of the word!

Tia tells me she took this shot at an artificial waterfall in Calgary. I like how she framed the photo to focus our attention on her subject. The greenery even provides a natural border. Nice stuff!

Many thanks to Tia for sending in her art. If you want to see your drawings, photos, crafts, poems, or stories on the blog, just send them to me at the email address below.

Talk to you soon!

Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com

Hi all. The week’s winding down here at the OWL office and I finally have some time to spend on the blog. (Yay!) To thank you for all the questions you’ve been sending lately, I will now answer them. Good deal, huh?

On to the questions!

Q: Ever though I am 13, is it okay if I get OWL next year? Please answer any time!
— Marissa

CB: Hi Marissa. Thanks for the question. My answer is “Of course!” I know I’m biased, but I love reading what we come up with for OWL every month, and I’m a lot older than 13! I mean, who doesn’t like reading cool comics and fun facts? Who doesn’t like awesome puzzles and contests? Nobody!

Q: Craig, have you ever worn a dress??????
— Lorena

CB: Yes. On Halloween once a few years back. Suffice to say, it was pretty tough finding something in my size!

Q:  I was wondering if you could do a movie review about The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and/or Charlie St. Cloud?
— Madeleine

CB: Your wish is my command, Madeleine! I don’t know too much about Charlie, but I’ll try to see The Sorcerer’s Apprentice this weekend so I can talk about it next week!

In other news, I’m also seeing a preview of Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore tomorrow. Here’s the trailer:

Early thoughts? Anyone?

Q: What do you do during the summer?
— Midori

CB: Great question! As you can see by the last questions, I see movies! I also like to get a lot of reading done and play a lot of outdoor sports — Ultimate, softball, basketball, you name it.

Q: How often do you check the OWL blog? And what if you’re on holidays or somewhere where you can’t check it… what do you do?
— Mary

CB: Hi Mary. Great question! I check the blog almost as often as I check my email, which is a lot! When I’m on vacation I don’t get to check it as much as I’d like, but that’s when OWL’s assistant editor Kendra jumps in to help me out. By the way: thanks, Kendra!

Q: Craig what time do you wake up? Also, are you a night or morning person?
— Mara

CB: Hi Mara. On work days I usually get up around 7:00. That gets me into the OWL office early and ready for whatever comes up! As for whether I’m a night or a morning person, it really depends on the day. Sometimes I’m both!

What about you guys? Night people? Morning people?

–

And that’s it for me, all! Thanks as always for the questions, and make sure to keep them coming. Have any questions about OWL? Want to make a suggestion? Drop me a line in the comments or at the email address below!

Also, don’t forget to take our annual Back Talk survey. You could win a cool prize!

Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but let’s recap: it’s hot out. But not to worry: blog reader Sophia (thanks, Sophia!) recommended a YouTube video that’s sure to cool you down — and chill your bones!

A warning, though: this video features photos of fearsome leopard seals and penguins in peril. If that sounds like it’s not your thing, click here to play a cool game recommended in the OWL Calendar instead.

Check it out:

Incredible! Also: weird! I can’t imagine a) swimming in the Antarctic, or b) swimming with deadly leopard seals. As the photographer mentions in the video, the leopard seal’s head is twice as wide as a grizzly bear’s head. Yikes!

OWL talked about leopard seals in the December 2007 edition of “Animal of the Month.” Here are some facts from the article (written by Maria Birmingham):

1. The leopard seal is found only in the cold waters surrounding Antarctica.
2. It’s named after the leopard because it has a spotted coat and is a skilled hunter.
3. This super-sized seal can grow up to 4 m (13 ft.) long. And it weighs in at about 410 kg (900 lb.). That’s as much as five adults combined!

Like I said before: incredible! Many thanks to Sophia for tipping me off to that video. Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.

Talk to you soon.

Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com

Well, it’s official: it is a great week for reader art. On Monday we posted a poem that got mentioned on another blog, and today I’m finally posting some OWL award-winning drawings. Nice!

In the March issue of OWL, we challenged you to draw yourself as a superhero. We got tons of entries, and published the grand-prize winner and runners-up in OWL’s “Cool Summer” issue (out now!). (Have I said that before?)

Unfortunately, we couldn’t print the honourable mention entries in OWL. Fortunately, we have a blog! Feast your eyes on the three worthy entries below.

1. Lollipop Girl (Stacey Robinson, 12)

2. Duncan Scott (Duncan Scott, 11)

3. Earth Girl (Niki Wright, 14)

Great, right? Definitely!

Sifting through contest entries and picking winners is so much fun, but it’s also one of the hardest parts of my job. They’re all so good!

Which ones do you like best, and why? Let me know in the comments below!

Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com