Nancy Drew’s Emma Roberts turns her hand to dog-sitting in this canine comedy aimed squarely at kids. She’s Andi, a supposedly naughty foster child who shares a secret pet with her younger brother Bruce. When the two stumble across a disused hotel, they turn it into a refuge for the city’s strays.
Cue a parade of breeds who delight in playing with Bruce’s elaborate inventions (what mutt wouldn’t enjoy a fire hydrant in their urinal?). It’s all harmless enough, but the plot is slow and the characters undercooked; parents will bay for more of the siblings’ foster parents, who happen to be deluded rockers. Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon: what a waste.