'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' (PG)(out of four)

For the lack of better words, the new family comedy "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" is for the dogs.

But in this case, that's a good thing. Sure, the main plot is predictable, but the intended audience -- which would be kids -- won't care. It's a slickly-produced, expertly voiced acted romp with canines galore that should inspire laughs not only from its younger audience members, but from dog lovers of all ages.

Drew Barrymore provides the perfect voice for Chloe, a dainty, diamond-clad, bootie-wearing Chihuahua living a pampered lifestyle in Beverly Hills, Calif., thanks to tender love and care of her dog-centric owner, Viv (Jamie Lee Curtis). A social butterfly, Chloe enjoys the company of her ritzy dog friends, but virtually ignores Papi (George Lopez, who also shows off some singing talents), a lovelorn, scrappy Chihuahua-mutt mix who belongs to Viv's landscaper, Sam (Manolo Cardona).

Chloe's fantasy lifestyle turns into a nightmare, though, when Viv's irresponsible niece, Rachel (Piper Perabo), is given dog-sitting duties while her aunt is out of the country. Taking the dog on a party run with two of her friends to Mexico, Chloe is stolen by a dog-fighting ring. Facing certain death at the jaws of Diablo (Edward James Olmos), a vicious Doberman, Chloe is spared by the heroic actions of Delgado (Andy Garcia), a reluctant German Shepherd.

Horrified that she won't be able to find Chloe, Rachel, Sam and Papi scramble to recover the vulnerable pooch before Viv gets home and worse yet, before Diablo -- who's been let loose by the dog-fighting ringleader -- finds her.

The best thing going for "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" is director Raja Gosnell, who, with a pedigree in making dog-themed films like "Scooby Doo" and its sequel, has the wherewithal to handle the enormous technical challenges involved in putting a "talking dog" movie together.

It's impressive enough that he's assembled a visual effects team to make the dogs appear as though they're actually talking; but the way he enables the canines to engage viewers emotionally with their facial expressions and actions is an entirely different animal. It's an amazing achievement, which is punctuated by impeccable voice turns by Barrymore, Garcia, Lopez and Olmos, and in supporting voice roles, Paul Rodriguez, Placido Domingo and Cheech Marin.

But while Gosnell hits the mark with his dog, voice and human actors, he ends up trapping himself by driving the narrative along with conventional movie tricks -- like using all-too familiar pop tunes to set up the film. And while the main path of story is predictable, the director knocks it out of the park with an unexpected -- and hilarious -- rally of hundreds of Chihuahuas and some poignant messages about homeless pets.

On a serious note, Gosnell also gingerly approaches the horror of dog-fighting rings, which was a smart move considering the young kid audience. Still, there's just enough of the stark realities of dog-fighting in the film to start a dialogue -- which effectively gives "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" a little bite.