When I reviewed 2008’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua, I correctly predicted it would produce a sequel. That doesn’t make me Kreskin; Disney produces sequels to movies that bomb, so the $94 million take of Chihuahua meant a second flick would be a sure thing.

However, the format surprises me. Given the first movie’s good box office, I’d expect a theatrical release, but instead, 2011’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua goes straight to video. Is this a sign that the sequel is inferior to original and the studio had no confidence it’d warrant the expense of theatrical exposition? Probably.

Our two canine heroes from the first movie, Chloe (voiced by Odette Yustman) and Papi (George Lopez) get “married” and immediately set to having pups. While Papi copes with the new responsibilities of fatherhood, the humans deal with their own problems. The dogs’ guardian Sam (Marcus Coloma) finds his parents on the verge of eviction, as their landscaping business faltered after his dad (Castulo Guerra) threw out his back. The dogs strive to do what they can to help Sam’s family keep their house, a task that involves the Beverly Hills dog show and other capers.

While the first film offered only minor pleasures, it came with more entertainment that you’ll find in this tedious sequel. I think the original existed as little more than product; it felt like a flick that was generated as the concept of “Beverly Hills dogs” and then had a story built around it.

Given that most sequels also came to being for reasons more financial than creative, that ups the “product” element exponentially and means that Chihuahua 2 really has no reason to exist other than to make money. Yeah, I realize that movie studios are in business to earn bucks, but it’s nice when there’s something at work that at least flirts with the notion of creative expression.

This doesn’t occur with Chihuahua 2. It barely bothers with a story. Sure, it tosses in themes related to family and whatnot, but those are there just to pretend that the movie has a purpose beyond the sight of cute dogs.

As a dog lover, that’s occasionally enough, as Chihuahua 2 packs in plenty of adorable pooches. It’s a particular bonanza for those of us with an affection for smaller dogs, but it provides a nice variety of breeds, so fans of all dogs sizes will be happy.

Unfortunately, they might be so bored with the tired story and plotting that no number of cute pups can keep them involved. Actually, I wouldn’t mind the predictable tale if the movie explored it better. It comes with some of the clunkiest development on record; you can practically see EXPOSITION!!! flash on screen when they discuss story elements.

Don’t expect to find many of the original cast members here. George Lopez reprises his role as Papi, but other carryover characters get recast. Yustman replaces Drew Barrymore, while hskdkdhjsad and Susan Blakely take over for Piper Perabo and Jamie Lee Curtis, respectively. Other voiceover actors fail to reappear as well. It’s usually a sign of rampant cheapness when a movie leaves out so many original cast members.

It’s also a bad sign when even my dog doesn’t care about the film. Maybe that’s the ultimate judgment of Chihuahua 2: when I watched the original flick, my pooch Biscuits sat in rapt attention, but this time, she ignored it and slept.

Good for her – I was tempted to join her. Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 delivers a thoroughly bland and forgettable comedy. Whatever minor spark we got from the original disappeared completely for this dull piece of product.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie came with a consistently fine transfer.

At all times, sharpness looked solid. The movie exhibited strong definition, with virtually no instances of softness on display. I saw no signs of jaggies or shimmering, and edge haloes remained absent, but a little artifacting cropped up on a few occasions. Those instances were minor, though, and source flaws remained absent.

Colors became a highlight. The movie’s setting boasted a wide range of peppy hues, and they came across with nice vivacity and liveliness. Blacks were deep and dense, while shadows showed nice clarity and smoothness. Across the board, I felt quite pleased with the presentation.

As for the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it seemed pretty competent. The soundscape didn’t boast a lot of pizzazz, but it occasionally provided signs of life. Because this was a light comedy, it didn’t often get a chance to do much. Still, we got a few mild action scenes and some set pieces that used the side and surround speakers in a reasonably satisfying manner. Nothing stood out as memorable, but the soundscape showed decent involvement.

For the most part, audio quality was good. My only complaint came from the lack of low-end, as the mix seemed thin when it came to bass response. Otherwise, the track worked fine. Speech was consistently concise and crisp, while music appeared clear; it just lacked the depth I’d prefer. The same came with the effects; they were distinctive and clean, but they needed more low-end. Overall, this was enough for a “B-“.

The disc skimps on extras. We open with a Beverly Hills Chihuahua Challenge, a quiz that asks about parts of the sequel. This had some minor fun involved, but it also could be a bit glitchy, as some of the questions didn’t display correctly.

A music video for Bridgit Mendler’s “This Is My Paradise” runs two minutes, 37 seconds. Mendler presents the kind of Disney-friendly like pop-rock that you’d expect from Hannah Montana. Mendler also looks a ton like Taylor Swift, which I suspect helped her get a contract. The song’s totally inoffensive – and completely forgettable. The video just mixes movie clips with shots of Mendler as she lip-synchs on the beach. It probably cost about 27 cents to shoot.

Blooper Faux Paws three minutes, 23 seconds. This presents the usual assortment of goofs and giggles, though with an emphasis on the furry actors. Given my love for dogs, that makes this collection more enjoyable than most; as tedious as gag reels are, the pups are cute enough to deliver amusement.

The disc opens with ads for Bambi, Cars 2, and Tangled. These also show up under Sneak Peeks along with promos for SpookyBuddies: The Curse of the Howlloween Hound, The Lion King, Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, Dumbo, Secretariat and The Incredibles. No trailer for Chihuahua 2 shows up here.

A second disc offers a DVD Copy of Chihuahua . This appears to be the same version available commercially, which adds to its appeal.

If you enjoyed the original movie, you might like Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, but I doubt it. No number of cute dogs can redeem this sub-mediocre piece of video product. The Blu-ray comes with excellent picture quality, acceptable audio and a minor set of supplements. Even the most dedicated dog lovers probably won’t take much enjoyment from the forgettable Chihuahua 2.