Hotel for Dogs

It doesn’t matter if the plot is unrealistic and makes no sense, as long as the leading dogs are extremely cute. That seems to be rookie director Thor Freudenthal’s philosophy with this adaptation of Lois Duncan’s children’s novel. Orphan siblings protect orphan canines from the big, bad dogcatcher by turning an abandoned hotel into a shelter that magically offers electricity, running water and inventive gadgets to suit all needs. Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon embarrass themselves as ’80s rock star wannabes, while Don Cheadle appears to be in another movie altogether: a serious, credible one.