User reviews

After the wild but fully justified furore surrounding Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli's next production is a much lower key affair, clearly aimed at a younger market. Having said that, this cynical thirty-something loved it to bits. Ghibli purists seem to be somewhat snobbish about the studio's output, but If this is an example of one of their films designed more for harmless family entertainment, I can stand to see a lot more of it.

This is a wonderful fantasy film, cute and funny, and full of remarkable and memorable characters. The animation is solid and detailed, occasionally even breathtaking, and the soundtrack is gorgeous. The brisk running time ensures the light story doesn't outstay its welcome. In fact, I could easily have watched more, and I'm already looking forward to Ghibli's or Miyazaki's next flight of fantasy.

Short but sweet- is probably the best way to describe this movie. Unlike other epics created by studio ghibli, such as Nausicaa of the valley of the Wind and Spirited Away, this movie has a very simple story and feels more like a really long episode of a TV show rather than a movie. The characters are somewhat developed but there just wasn't much time to do so since the story felt rushed. However, this is still a very entertaining film full of subtle humor.

The only gripe i have with this film is that the Disney DVD is DUBTITLED. Disney forgot to translate the movie and tries to pass the script for the English dub as the translated subtitles.

I wish, I really wish I liked it better. I mean, I know from the synopsis that it's not that much original or innovative storyline but yet I still have hope for it. It is still good because of the duration, it's not dragging... but I think it could be better.

The elements are just way too "familiar" and therefore I felt like nothing new is presented by the movie, I must say it feels a little bit of "Alice In The Wonderland" and then some other fairy tales at the other scenes, like... 'hey, it reminds me of...' moments keep happening to me. I thought at least there'd be anything new. But there's none...

The characters also, are not so memorable... , I mean I can get a grasp of their personalities but there is nothing like, impressive... it's like each character personality are adopted from some other characters produced before in another movie.

I'm sorry, but I really think it could be better. Or, I'm just not the target audience for this movie. Maybe...

Haru is down on her luck. She feels picked on at school, unable to get her life together or even talk to the boy she likes. When she sees a cat crossing the road and stuck in the path of a lorry, she acts quickly to rescue it only for it to stand up and thank her! Haru assumes she has just gone mad but when she tells her mother she is reminded of a similar incident in Haru's childhood where she maintained she was able to understand what a kitten was saying. Regardless, Haru tries to just forget the whole thing but later that night she is visited by the King of Cat Kingdom, The Cat King. Apparently the cat Haru saved was the King's son Lune and she learns that she has been rewarded with marriage to Lune – not that she wants it. Her only help is the Cat Bureau managed by the dashing and debonair Baron.

It is a problem that I bet we wish that we all had in our jobs – the problem that our "normal" standards are so high that anything less than brilliant is perceived as being disappointing. This appears to be the case with Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli simply because it is not as poetic and epic as Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky and others. For those that consider that "it is not perfect" is the same as "it is not any good" then by all means avoid this film but personally I found it an enjoyable little fantasy that I can only imagine children will love. True the story lacks the emotional depth that I wanted it to have but it makes up for it with a good narrative, imagination and some nice humour. All of these combine to produce an enjoyable little fairy tale set in the real world and the cat kingdom. It is very short but then that suited the material.

The animation does not compare to the sheer magnificence to be found in some of Ghibli's finest films but it is still wonderfully cute – although I gave a copy of this to my girlfriend, I avoided watching it with her so that I wouldn't have to cope with her screams of delight at each individual cat on the screen. The English voice cast is also good and they bring out the fun in the dialogue. Hathaway is a good lead – as cute as her character and not labouring under forced depth. Ewles is a perfect Baron and his voice is smooth as you can imagine. Likewise Boyle is a great bit of casting and Gould is a welcome presence even if he has comparatively few lines. Curry is a bit of a disappointment considering how his voice is usually very distinctive but others in the support cast are solid enough.

Those looking for something that can stand alongside the beauty and depth of some of the best films from Ghibli will be disappointed but that is not the same as the film being rubbish. Rather it is a breezy and entertaining film with a fun adventure plot. The animation is very cartoony but this shouldn't matter as it is likely that children will love it. The characters lack depth but work on the level they are drawn while the important ones of Baron and Haru are engaging. Not everything has to be a classic – this isn't but it is fun which was enough for me.

'The Cat Returns' is yet another treat produced by Studio Ghibli, the company which brought us masterpieces such as 'My Neighbour Totoro' and 'Spirited Away'.

The story of this film is much simpler than previous Studio Ghibli productions/epics with a typical modern teenage girl Haru as the heroine. When walking home from school one afternoon, Haru rescues a cat from being ran-over by a lorry only to discover she is responsible for saving the life of Prince Lune, the heir apparent to the Cat Kingdom. Lune's father, the King of Cats, promptly decides the best way to repay such a favour is for Haru to marry his son. Naturally, our heroine is horrified at the prospect and must seek protection from enigmatic Baron, founder of the Cat Bureau, for help before she is carted off to the Cat Kingdom by the very determined cats.

As a cat-lover, I found this film utterly adorable. The scene where the cats from Cat Kingdom descend on Haru's street in the middle of the night was had a very wondrous aura to it and the scene where the cats try to make Haru laugh at her feast was hilarious. The characters, as always, are solid from the refreshingly normal teen-aged Haru to the grumpy Muta to the suave Baron (even though he's an animated cat, the charisma of the character will leave many females empathising with Haru's little crush on him!).

Although the plot of 'The Cat Returns' is a simple affair so it will easily appeal to young children, there is much humour in the film that will keep older kids and adults amused. Also, those who love cats can't help but fall in love with the many feline characters we come across in the film. Now, I'm off to track down 'Whisper of the Heart', which is a 1995 Studio Ghibli film that features the character of Baron.

I watched this for the fourth time today, and enjoyed it just as much, maybe more than the first. For the best experience, I recommend watching in Japanese, with subs if you need them. The original script and voice talent doesn't need the Hollywood treatment.

Such a beautiful story! I'm a cat lover, and I'm sure that helps me enjoy the movie more, but it's just great as a tale and you could apply any animal to the basic plot and get a similar result.

Every time I watch it I have a big pile of hankies nearby, as it never fails to move me. If you like the emotional feed-off you get from a nice sentimental feel-good film, you should really give this a go! Probably my favourite animated film ever.

(This review focuses on the English-dubbed version of the movie)

What do you immediately think of when the words "Studio" and "Ghibli" are said together? For most, it's overall the works of "the Japanese Walt Disney" himself Hayao Miyazaki, who brought us such modern animated classics such as the delightful "My Neighbour Totoro", the imaginative and enchanting "Howl's Moving Castle" and of course Ghibli's Western-market breakthrough, the Oscar-winning "Spirited Away". For some others, the name "Isao Takahata" comes to mind too, who brought us films such as "Grave of the Fireflies" and "Pom Poko" (those two films I'm still yet to see). Of course, every now and again, a new director comes along and contributes to Ghibli's colourful and increasingly popular catalogue of animated classics. Sadly, not all of their movies are noted as much as the more widely-known Miyazaki or Takahata movies before them and what a shame to say that a movie like "The Cat Returns" has to be one of those lesser-known movies in question. The director Hiroyuki Morita, who worked on well-known Japanese "anime" titles such as 1988's "Akira" and "Lupin III", started his career at Ghibli as an animator for "My Neighbours the Yamadas" and boy, what a great directorial debut he's made with "The Cat Returns"!

In a nutshell, the story is about a girl named Haru who quickly manages to save a purple cat just as a truck was about to run over it as it was crossing the road. The cat then turned out to be Prince Lune who's Prince to a place called "The Cat Kingdom" and in light of this, cats rewarded Haru with gifts of catnip and mice and she eventually gets taken to the kingdom herself to marry Lune. The two prominent cat characters from "Whisper" return in this movie, the overweight, grumpy white cat Muta and the dashing and charming Baron who is the cat that the title says has *returned* in the first place.

The animation and artistry of the movie is exceptional and arguably one of the most enchanting efforts in animation and artistic direction you'll see from most non-Miyazaki Ghibli movies. Why? Because it may be really simple but everything still enchants you greatly on a subconscious level. You just watch the movie and it feels like a really wonderful dream but unlike most dreams which never come again, you can go back to it many times over on home video. In short, the artistry is so incredible that if your dreams were like that, you'd be excited to go to sleep every night! Well, I would think that anyway.

Most of the characters are well developed, even though a few of them still should have needed better character development, Prince Lune himself is a good example. They've made Haru into a wonderful, truly believable character and Baron and Muta are perfect as her trusted feline companions.

The English dubbing of the movie is perhaps one of the strongest and most entertaining dubs for any anime film so far, let alone any of Disney's previous dubs of Ghibli's films. Cary Elwes portrays Baron with such perfect charm and charisma that suits Baron even more than perfect. Anne Hathaway delivered a surprisingly terrific portrayal of Haru, making an already-believable character even more believable in what I feel is her best role yet! The late Peter Boyle delivered a hilarious and suitably grumpy performance as Muta. But the real surprise came from Tim Curry , an already well-known and highly respected actor who simply just re-invented The Cat King, it was a terrific performance and I'm really happy Tim Curry was chosen!

However, even with all the positives, there is only one big flaw with the movie: the movie was shorter than it really should be! I'm serious here, the movie was only about 1 hour and 15 minutes long and this slightly harmed the development of the story and the development of some characters (is the word "Lune" a clue?). This is a movie that deserves the full 90+ minutes so it's a real shame to see such an enchanting movie end so soon, though once you get over how soon the movie ends, you'll still enjoy the movie anyway.

So overall, "The Cat Returns" is a hilarious and enchanting movie from Studio Ghibli and a promising start for first-time director Hiroyuki Morita. Weather you're a fan of Studio Ghibli, a cat lover or someone who just loves animated films, this movie will blow you away in new and unique ways that are still rare in animation today. Trust me, you will not regret it!

I rate it, 7 out of 10!

• Eric B.

Delightful and charming - these two words sum up this film perfectly. My only gripe is that the story takes a little bit to kick into gear, but when it does you find yourself utterly drawn into the magical world this tale inhabits. And an utterly bizarre tale this is, with enough laughs, emotion and poignant moments anyone could want.

With beautiful animation, appealing character design and a wonderfully fitting score, Neko no Ongaeshi is now amongst my favorite animated pieces. For anime buffs, animated film buffs, ANYONE - I can't recommend this highly enough.

"The Cat Returns" tells the story of teenaged schoolgirl Haru, who saves a cat from being run down by a truck. To her shock and amazement, the cat rises onto its two hind feet and thanks her. The cat turns out to be the prince of the Kingdom of Cats, an alternate universe ruled and inhabited entirely by cats. As a sign of his gratitude, the King offers Haru his son's hand in marriage. The rest of the movie deals with how Haru initial attempts to fend off her prospective feline father-in-law's subjects and how she is brought to the Kingdom of Cats. The animation is splendid, like any other Studio Ghibli production. "The Cat Returns" also sees the return of two characters from "Whisper of the Heart", Baron the Baron Cat, and Muta, the grumpy "stray", who's fatter then ever! The movie is light-hearted and funny, though lacking the depth and grandeur of Miyazaki's films (Think "Laputa: The Castle in the Sky" and "Spirited Away"). "The Cat Returns" is an enjoyable and relaxing watch which combines fantasy and adventure. A treat for cat lovers. 7 on a scale of 10.

Let me start by saying that The Cat Returns is not the best of Ghibli and Miyazaki had almost nothing to do with it. If Miyazaki had directed or even written it, the film would have been as great as Totoro or Kiki. This movie is pretty much Whisper of the Heart as a Spirited Away style fantasy.

The story is as follows: A normal girl named Haru is transported to the world of cats to marry a cat prince who she saved from a speeding truck. That's basically all that I can tell without giving away the film. For those of you who loved Whisper, Baron is back big time. It was great to see Baron have a much larger role as a hero. The `stray' cat from Whisper is also back and fatter than ever.

Though some Ghibli fans will be disappointed, those who are cat-lovers will fall in love with the film. The film's flaw lies in that the story moves along a bit too fast for my taste. Just don't go expecting a film on the same level as Spirited Away or Mononoke and you'll have a great time. Grade: A-.

Rated PG for frightening scenes, brief sensuality, and language. Suggested for ages 10 and up.

"The Cat Returns" doesn't stand very high on the Studio Ghibli masterpiece scale but there's a sort of crazed whimsy at the heart of all of this. A young girl, whisked away to the cat kingdom by the (somewhat) deranged Cat King to marry his son, only to be rescued by a noble baron and his portly sidekick. It's a trip down the feline rabbit hole, to be sure, but not a boring one. Simple, but entertaining. It's a Ghibli, so it looks great, although the U.S. voice cast is a bit tame (Peter Boyle is the standout here).

It's brisk and rambunctious, good fun for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

6/10

Up to this point all of Studio Ghibli's productions where pure gold. However this film lacked everything that made all other Ghibli films a success. Believable and lovable characters, real situations in a fantasy world, and a balance between black and white.

I take this film as the exception of the rule. The rule that everything studio Ghibli creates is pure magic.

I hope the Studio corrects finds and corrects what went wrong before producing another film as this and thus downgrade its image.

I will be harsh with the rating to set this as an example for avoidance: 05/10

Mr Miyazaki you better teach a thing or two to the people working in your studio. And if they don't learn give them the bag. I don't think there is an animator in this world not dreaming of working in your studio.

Not their best work. The story gets pretty boring halfway through, despite the fantastical world that it is set in. The source material "The Whisper of the Heart" is more interesting than this one despite having a more mundane setting.

The animation was decent, the story was decent, and it was completely fun to watch the movie with my cat curled next to me. Other than that, though, this film feels like it is inspired from a lot of stories and animes, but not surpassing any.

The plot is very much like Alice in Wonderland, only with a lot of cats. The hero character is the Baron von Ginkkiken from Whisper of the Heart, while Muta is also present. The moral of the story is to be yourself, which was lost to me in this particular movie. Whisper of the Heart was inspirational, this was just a pale reminder; at one time I thought this is the story that the girl from Whisper wrote, but it's not.

It is fun, if you are in the mood, but not spectacular.

Releasing after Spirited Away as a faster and lighter film in the Ghibli catalogue, The Cat Returns is a about a 17-year-old girl who rescues a cat who's almost harmed from an incoming truck and gets involuntarily engaged to a cat.

As my description implies, it is quite bizarre even for a Ghibli film. The film boasts great animation, an easy to understand and effective story and mostly likeable characters.

When it comes to faults I think the runtime was too short, the length prevents the film from fully developing some of the characters (especially the ones from outside The Cat Kingdom) and it makes the pacing a little too fast. Since it's very light-hearted and fast moving the stakes here feel low and it's not a film that will emotionally resonate with most viewers.

Despite it's faults, The Cat Returns has enough redeeming values to make it worth a look for cat lovers and fans of animated movies. Children will likely adore it and older audiences will likely be satisfied but could be a little underwhelmed.

"The Cat Returns" is a beautiful film as one would expect from Studio Ghibli. It is probably their lightest film to date and certainly the shortest of the ones available on DVD in the west. I don't think this is a fault though sometimes that is just what I want in a film.

The plot suggests that it is the sort of film that would only appeal to children: A girl rescues a cat who turns out to be a prince among cats, in return she is invited to marry him and turns to The Cat Business Office for help. While it is obviously ideal for children, it is rated U by the BBFC with the customer advice that it "Contains mild peril" it is also a lot of fun for the older viewer, I laughed out loud several times when I watched it.

People who enjoyed "Whisper of the Heart" may be pleased to see the return of the Baron in a much larger role.

This is director Hiroyuki Morita's only film to date but on the strength of this I'm hoping he will be directing further Studio Ghibli projects.

Ambitious, beautiful and charming - it may not quite teach you any lessons, but it's a delightful adventure that will make you want to get up and go nowhere in particular.

I wouldn't be sure that The Cat Returns would have an appeal to audiences as wide as Miyazaki's directed films would, since as a family film it is mostly amusing or curious for adults (with the good laugh or two at the American voice work if one is inclined to listen to the new English dub). But for children it's just about one of the best in the anime field, a work that provides that great dose of fantasy and enjoyment while sticking to those tried and true themes with kids movies that only work so often (such as here). While "believe in yourself" is in fact such a cliché that it may eventually turn back around and become an original notion at some point in movies, in the Cat Returns it has that fresh perspective of a little girl, a genuinely caring and generous soul who's doesn't have many friends, who contemplates from time to time becoming a cat.

In the Cat Returns, where young Haru saves a kitty from certain death while crossing a street and in the process is picked to become the wife to the Prince of the Cat Kingdom somewhere far, far away, there's even a slight Fantasy Island ala Pinocchio aspect to the piece (which goes without saying the obvious comparison with becoming a cat by thinking or acting like one). It's all in good fun, but would one really want to be in a kingdom of cats presided by a Cat King who loafs about in total splendor? Well, maybe, which is part of the conflict. But for kids this is just a core for the rest of the joy to spring out of. After the whole individuality-good aspect is covered, the rest of the picture has to entertain, and this is where Studio Ghibli works their usual best again.

It's a gorgeously animated film, directed by Hiroyuki Morita from a somewhat original concept, delivering a wide variety of cats- small, cute, tall, proper, fat, fuzzy, shrill, sweet- and a great design of the Cat Kingdom itself with that shifty maze and giant towers. Morita almost disappoints with the running length: at 75 minutes, a few of those for credits, the Cat Returns could actually benefit from having more detail and bits of comedy and excitement. But it's then a backhanded compliment at the same time; one has many memorable characters to pick from, like the big sidekick/bodyguard Muta, the King himself, Natoru the lackey for the king, and the Baron who is about as formal as a royal British officer.

For children most of all it's the kind of treat they'll want to revisit many times, and a good point as well is the new English dub. It wouldn't be bad if the Japanese cut got some attention, which is the original and fine enough, but the voice-work from Anne Hathaway, Peter Boyle, Cary Elwes, Tim Curry, Eliot Gould, and Andy Richter is fantastic for sometimes so small or repetitive a performance (as Hathaway points on the DVD, lots of screaming, varieties of yelling and yelps for Boyle) that it's never less than delightful. The little kid in me, as well as cat lover, was very pleased. The only minor drawback is that some adults may feel a little left out of the simplicity of the piece on the whole as it isn't as all inclusive a masterpiece like Totoro.

First, I feel sorry for first-time director Hiroyuki Morita. As one of Ghibli's younger talents, everything he does will be compared with Miyazaki and Takahata, both of whom are giants in animation.

Just the same, this movie is worth a view.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I liked the storyline a lot. It was imaginative, and full of clever ideas and twists in the story. If you're expecting a sequel to the close-to-real Mimi wo Sumaseba, you'll be disappointed. This is puffy, silly, set largely in the world of cats (or in the world of cats talking to the protagonist, Haru). However, the animation was disappointing. It was quality work, but nowhere near the level of Mononoke or "Spirited Away".

In all? 7/10.

I have this anime on DVD, and for me it is just stunning. i have also enjoyed Princess Mononoke and Castle of Cagliostro, but what makes this movie stand out for me is that it is so relaxing to watch.True, it is one of the weaker Ghibli efforts, but I think some of the criticisms are a little unfair. The only problem is that it is a little too short, only 75 minutes, but you'll love it anyway. the animation is beautiful, some lovely colours in the ballroom scene. The music was gorgeous, and being a singer I look out for this in every movie. The storyline while simple, is surprisingly well told, and is also fast-moving. The voice talents is where I have to make a confession. I have only watched the version with the English voices, which were a delight. Anne Hathaway voices Haru wonderfully, and there was a lot of screaming, I noticed. Likewise with Cary Elwes as the Baron, who was a sheer delight as the Baron, just perfect for the character. Peter Boyle and Elliot Gould were really funny, and their tongue-in-cheek dialogue was just inspirational. The Cat king isn't Tim Curry's finest voice over, but he was still delightful and at least he kept me entertained. All in all, a beautiful and charming fantasy film, that is recommended. 9/10. Bethany Cox

This is the first Non-Miyazaki film I've seen so far.

Since it's not done by Miyazaki the animation and characters are designed differently. The movie and story is very amusing. Has some memorable characters. English voice acting is very well done. Tim Curry was great with his role(so talented doing cartoon voices). Cary Elwes(who played Donald Curtis from Porco) plays the Baron. And Anna Hatheway (from that Princess Diaries) plays the main heroine.

It's all about a girl name Haru who is your average teenage girl who is always late for high school and wants to be with a boy to date with. But when she saved a cat from getting hit by a truck, that's when her journey begins...

It's very similar to Whisper of the Heart. And some people consider it a Spirited Away 2, same idea of a Girl going into a Magical World, but different story.

It's rated G so anyone can see it. If you like cats you'll like this movie.

I give 7/10

If it weren't for Whisper of the Heart than this movie would never of existed.

If this movie wasn't produced by the prestigious Studio Ghibli, there was no way Disney imported this mediocre-at-best film. I even suspect that Disney was forced to buy this film as a part of package, attached to other great Miyazaki films. The film is unwatchable, unless you are six years old. I would understand if it was targeted at small kids, but it was targeted at young and adult generations. The first ten minutes of the film has some freshness, but then all characters and action sequences in the cat world are just horrible. DVD contains a short documentary that explains the reason why the studio produced this film. As Miyazaki and Takahata are getting old, they are desperately looking for next generation. But if they continue to produce this level of quality movie, the studio is doomed.