The Cat Returns (2002) is a fantasy adventure comedy from first-time director Hiroyuki Morita, who had previously worked as an animator on such films as My Neighbors the Yamadas, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Akira.
Before we get any further, it’s time for another of my patented Introductory Tweet Screencaps™: |
So there you have it — this movie is indeed delightful, from start to finish. Calling it a “spinoff” isn’t exactly accurate, though.
This movie was born from the apparently very popular fantasy sequences in Whisper of the Heart. You may remember that those fantasy sequences are only there to show us what’s happening in the book that Shizuku is writing, but people loved the Baron, so work began on an animated short that eventually was spun into an entire feature-length film, albeit a short one at just an hour and 15 minutes. That run-time suits the breezy, fun-loving nature of the film, which is a cinematic candy bar if there ever was one. Perhaps it’s most impressive quality is how effortlessly it bounces from scene to scene and even from genre to genre. |
We begin with Haru, a high school girl voiced (in the Englsh dub) by Anne Hathaway, who essentially reprises her Princess Diaries role from just a few years prior. We see Haru wake up late, skip breakfast, not be confident enough to talk to the boy she likes, and basically be a gangly mess of a teenager. Hathaway absolutely nails it, and it only takes a few lines to be charmed by the intensely relatable Haru.
After Whisper of the Heart’s lack of true fantasy elements, I wondered if The Cat Returns would go the same way — and after the first few delightful minutes, I was completely ready for that to be the case. However, things change for Haru when she rescues a cat crossing the street. The cats of the world begin to “repay” her for this kindness — mostly with gifts like mountains of catnip and live mice. Just like there could’ve been a whole movie about Haru’s normal high school life, there could easily have been a whole movie about talking cats intruding on her normal life — but The Cat Returns is just getting started. There’s still a miniature magic detective agency, a Narnia-esque hidden fantasy world, an extremely skeezy king, and some full-on Alice in Wonderland surrealism. A lot of the joy of this movie comes from how it never stands still. With Anne Hathaway’s charming Haru as an anchor, the dizzying blur of scenes, settings, and situations bring to mind one of those roller coasters where actors from the original IP follow you through the loops and dives. |
Hathaway doesn’t do all the lifting, however — Cary Elwes reprises his role as The Baron, unflappable and endlessly cool, and Peter Boyle, Kristine Sutherland, and Kristen Bell all also deliver great performances in supporting roles. Of course, they’re all working with great material, as The Cat Returns boasts some of the funniest Ghibli dialogue to date. In fact, this might be the first movie I’ve reviewed for this blog that I’d classify as a straight-up comedy.
Now. Would I call this a substantial film? Or an essential film? No. It doesn’t have a particularly emphatic or poignant message. But it’s whimsical, funny, charming, beautiful, clever, and fearlessly strange. Even if it does get just a bit bogged down in the 3rd act (in a literal maze, fittingly enough), I can heartily recommend this movie to anyone who’s in the mood to be delighted. Up next: Howl’s Moving Castle! I love the book this movie is based off of (and the rest of Diana Wynne Jones’ books), so I am very excited to watch this one. Alternate Titles:
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