From left, Robert Duvall, Lucas Black and Bill Murray are shown in a scene from "Get Low."ASSOCIATED PRESS

Robert Duvall looks great as a grizzled old coot, while Bill Murray makes a mighty fine funeral director. Surround them with sharp old-timey details of the Depression-era boondocks and the roles fit them even better. That's the lowdown on this very old-fashioned comic drama whose charm comes more from the characters, performances and rich period feel than from the story itself, which is inspired by real events but strains at the reins a bit in its fictionalized elements. Duvall is perfectly cast as a rural hermit who abruptly ends 40 years of seclusion to arrange a "living funeral" so he can hear what people might have to say about him while he's still around. With terrific support from Murray, Sissy Spacek, Lucas Black and Bill Cobbs, the film marks a rosy feature debut by director Aaron Schneider, whose 2003 tale "Two Soldiers" won an Academy Award as best live-action short film. The main gripe, and it's not a loud one, is the overly literary artifices the filmmakers concocted to wrap the story up so tidily. PG-13 for some thematic material and brief violent content. 103 minutes.

GRADE: 3

½ (out of 5)David Germain, The Associated Press

Dogs and cats, living together ... mass hysteria? Maybe not. While these animals were resourceful and well-equipped enemies in the original "Cats & Dogs" from 2001, now they must band together to fight a common foe. As you can tell from the name, this is a spy send-up, specifically of James Bond movies — the opening titles alone are super clever, an indication of the kind of eye for detail that's in store throughout — and from there, the jokes fly fast and furious along with the fur. Surprisingly, most of them work. But as directed by Brad Peyton, the 3-D sequel is a mix of live action, puppetry and computer animation, and the jumbled look is its chief weakness: The animals are cute, but the visual effects that suggest they're talking too often look jumpy and fake. You want your talking-animal movies to be realistic, don't you? Still, it's a delightful idea that cats and dogs not only enjoy a rich interior life while humans are away, but also function as highly trained super spies, complete with elaborate gadgetry. Bette Midler is deliciously over-the-top as the voice of the diabolical Kitty Galore, with James Marsden, Christina Applegate and Nick Nolte among the vocal cast. PG for animal action and humor. 87 minutes. <B>GRADE:</B> 3<B>½</B> (out of 5)Christy Lemire, The Associated Press