BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA 2

There's something about settling in to watch Beverly Hills Chihuahua that's inherently funny.  It makes you feel like you might be an idiot, and at first it's pretty hard to keep a straight face.  But suddenly a strange thing happens: it all becomes very charming and believable and the next thing you know you're having a great time.  Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 is no exception.

The sequel kicks off with a doggie wedding for Chloe and Papi, hosted by the fabulously rich Aunt Viv (now played by Susan Blakeley in lieu of Jamie Lee Curtis).  I may have been rolling my eyes and making snarky comments during the ceremony, but by the time we flashed forward a few months to meet the couple's first litter of puppies, I was sold.  They're so cute!  And tiny!  And they have these adorable voices, and one of them is always saying that things are scary!

While Rachel (Erin Cahill stepping in for Piper Perabo) and Viv are away on an exotic vacation, the dogs go to stay with Rachel's nice boyfriend Sam (Marcus Coloma).  Drama ensues when poor Sam learns that his parents are about to lose the family home.  Soon the whole gang is in action, trying to figure out how to raise enough money to save the house.  Hold onto your hat as they battle evil mortgage bankers (a cat person!) and enter themselves in the Beverly Hills Dog show in a bold attempt to help Sam's family.  They even enlist the help of their police dog pals, which means an appearance from that hot, manly German Shepherd from the first film. 

No, I can't explain it, but somehow the Beverly Hills Chihuahua franchise manages to anthropomorphize the dogs to the point where there are totally heartthrobs, heroes, villains, cuties, prima donnas, and every other human character type you can imagine.  Embarrassing as it may be to admit, these movies are a heap of fun for the whole family.

DVD extras include the music video "This Is My Paradise" by Bridgit Mendler and blooper faux paws.  The Blu-Ray combo pack includes the above extras as well as the "Beverly Hill's Chihuahua Challenge", an interactive game show hosted by our pal Papi.