Millionaire Dogs (Hot Dogs: Wau - wir sind reich! in German, lit. Hot Dogs: Wow - We're rich!) is a 1999 animated film. Originally produced in Germany by producer Dr. Michael Schoemann, the film was packaged in the United States by Doug Zwick of Pop Twist Entertainment (Los Angeles).
Five irresistible dogs and a zany parrot live together under the protective roof of Miss Lilly's House of Pets. These scruffy but adorable dogs are the best of friends, a real team. Who needs money when you've got your friends ... and the security of Miss Lilly's mansion? But then a sudden mega-inheritance turns these pups into a pack of pampered Millionaire Dogs.
Not to be confused with Slumdog Millionaire.
Tropes found in Millionaire Dogs:
- Actor Allusion: Quack the goose doctor is voiced by Jimmy Hibbert doing a German accent. Which is exactly what he did in Count Duckula as Dr. Von Goosewing.
- Ambiguously Gay: Ronnie, who wears purple lipstick.
- Anti-Hero: The motorcycle gang are all Type I due to the case that they like to watch underground dog fights, but when they find out Sherman is trapped in there, they immediately rescue him from harm and were the ones to carry Miss Lilly's coffin during her funeral.
- Creepy Twins: The nephew and niece, Ronnie and Hannie.
- Cool Old Lady: Miss Lilly
- Curse Cut Short: "Of all the nights, why do you pick this one to be such a pain in my..." "But, Hannie!"
- The Determinator: JD's rescue of the other dogs when he rides a motorcycle across an ocean to save Bella.
- Dirty Coward: Ronnie
- Disappointed in You: JD says as much in the letter he leaves for his friends when he can't stand their stuck-up behavior anymore
- Drives Like Crazy: Ronnie and Hannie. After they find out that they aren't getting Miss Lilly's inheritance they're shown driving on the sides of buildings.
- Feather Fingers: Both varieties. The dogs' paws normally don't have thumbs, except when they suddenly do, but they have no trouble manipulating objects either way.
- Finishing Each Other's Sentences: Ronnie and Hannie do this frequently.
- Four Legs Good, Two Legs Better: Zigzagged: The dogs stand or walk on their hind legs about half the time and on all fours the other half.
- Furry Confusion: The dogs and parrot have an owner, yet we see a goose as a vet and also a motorcycle gang consisting of a chimpanzee, a vulture, and a wildcat.
- Furry Female Mane: Bella has a big red one, and Velvet a blonde hairdo.
- Genius Loci: A fairly mild example, given that the only sign of her presence is her disembodied voice, but in a
strange, yet heartwarming turn of events at the end of the film, Miss Lilly's spirit reveals herself to have become one with the house, having loved both it and her pets to such a degree that she refuses to abandon them, even in death. - Gentle Giant: While mischievous at times, Sherman comes off as this.
- Gratuitous Spanish: Emmo the parrot speaks this.
- Groin Attack: Sherman delivers one to Ronnie with a ball.
- Herr Doktor: Dr. R.R. Quack the goose.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Sherman and Velvet.
- Inadequate Inheritor: Ronnie and Hannie.
- Jerkass: Both of the twins and most of the dogs, except JD, when the money goes into their heads.
- Killed Off for Real: Miss Lilly dies immediately when attempting to finish reading Little Red Riding Hood, and it's completely on-screen.
- Lovable Rogue: JD
- Never Say "Die": Instead of trying to kill the pets to claim their aunt's fortune, the twins tried to make sure the pets would stay out of her home for two whole days so they would invoke an old law that states that, if a pet who inherits something stays out of their home for forty-eight hours in a row, the inheritance would go to the benefactor's/benefactress' next of kin.
- Though it's also averted since the dogs say kill and dead a few times
- No Romantic Resolution: It's unknown if Velvet comes to return Sherman's feelings.
- On One Condition: Justified. The pets lose the inheritance if they leave Miss Lily's house for more than 48 hours in a row, but the condition wasn't imposed by her will but by law.
- Only Sane Man: JD is the only one who doesn't let the fortune go to his head.
- Passed-Over Inheritance: Miss Lily's nephew and niece.
- Pet Heir: Miss Lily's pets.
- Race Against the Clock: If the pets leave the house, they must return within 48 hours or their late owner's nephew and niece get the inheritance.
- The Smart Guy: Chuffie.
- Title Drop: At the end of the movie, the cast refer to themselves as 'millionaire dogs'. Emmo adds "And parrot!"
- Toothy Bird: Made very noticeable with Emmo.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Miss Lily is only around for two or three scenes before she dies.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Dr. Quack, after getting most of the dogs back, disappears when Bella is rescued and is not seen again for the rest of the movie.
