The Cat Returns (2002)

Toho | Release Date: April 22, 2018

7.2	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 42 Ratings

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TyranianApr 8, 2019

This is a typically confusing and odd product of Japanese animation that western audiences will struggle to enjoy.

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Vectis99Oct 24, 2018

From the perspective of production quality, The Cat Returns was executed beautifully and magically. The movie radiated a distinctly cute aura which is far more whimsical than is generally conveyed through media. However, the Cat Returns isFrom the perspective of production quality, The Cat Returns was executed beautifully and magically. The movie radiated a distinctly cute aura which is far more whimsical than is generally conveyed through media. However, the Cat Returns is plagued by an extremely archaic and demeaning presence of gendered media roles. As such, it fails to provide an appropriate family experience and leaves a disgusting aftertaste after watching.… Expand

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HaydnengelMay 6, 2020

Real Rating: 59.5

The Cat Returns is the straight to DVD cash-in of the Ghilbi universe. Its length fits the formula perfectly as does its "look you thought this secondary character was cute, right?" attitude. Designed as a merch mover, thisReal Rating: 59.5

The Cat Returns is the straight to DVD cash-in of the Ghilbi universe. Its length fits the formula perfectly as does its "look you thought this secondary character was cute, right?" attitude. Designed as a merch mover, this work features no soul none of the spirit and drive that makes the other works stand out.

DE: We can put some of the faults of this film at the feet of Morita Hiroyuki, who as an animator is quite sound, especially if you look at their body of work. However, as a director, this is it, Morita never went on to direct any other feature films, and it is quite apparent why. The film does not feel like it has any vision, instead reads like Morita was thrown into the deep end on a project that was not their own. Nothing feels cohesive only a mishmash of tropes and boxes to be ticked to get punters in the seats, which it did do.

W: Where most of the blame lies is Yoshida Reiko and obviously, Ghilbi's intentions. Though you can give the studio some benefit of the doubt as they were not to know that Yoshida is a mass-producing writer. Not known for quality and tends to pen scripts of middle-level anime TV series and the movie of said series if it catches fire. These traits are apparent what with the short run time, which is common in TV and made for TV movies. The structure is hitting beat after beat even though the story is not calling for it. The tropes are out in full force, and every ounce of soul that resonated throughout Whisper of the Heart is stripped away for puerile jokes. This brings me back to my review of that movie and how I said source material does not matter, and this film reminds us of that as Hiiragi Aoi also wrote the source material for The Cat Returns, yet somehow all the depth and warmth are but a cold memory.

C: When we get to the cinematography, we quite quickly realise that this film was meant to be a testing ground for Ghlibi's up and coming artists. Takahashi Kentaro would be our cinematographer, and this was their first foray into cinematography, and you guessed it, it would be their last feature film excursion as well. The cinematography is decent, average, and needs not to be discussed at any length.

A: Of the principle actors, Tanba Tetsurô as the Cat King is the only one of note that puts in a decent performance, but that in of itself is a tried and tested cliche get a character actor to play the villain so that it can feel the acting in your piece is worth noting. See almost all of Marvel's films for this trope.

S: Nomi Yûji is one of the few folks who returned for this spin-off and while I cannot say I enjoyed their work as much as I did the first time around. I am not going to fault the sound department too much of this film, as I do believe they are second-most underappreciated members of the team right behind editors.

PD: Given all the faults you can see shining through in other aspects of the film you can really get a sense that the PD was one of the few saving graces that kept this work from sliding down into a world where even Ghilbi diehards would struggle to defend. I know they would still find a way to do it, they would just feel dirty afterwards is all.

BA: This is one of the few areas where I felt like there was an improvement on the original, though this might have been down to the fact that the team was allowed to go more in-depth with costumes and styles thus giving the film a touch more authenticity. That said we can see that many a background character was not given the same love and tenderness that appeared in Whisper in the Heart.

EVO: How can something with such a short runtime feel so dull? The entertainment value is centred on the cat king, and he does not feature all that much. Leaving you with shallow jokes and guffaws that are not aimed at children, but more to parents who will think this is a cute movie, so it is okay if I sit my kid in front of it. If you are looking for a run of the mill Alice in wonderland clone that you can put on for your kids on a rainy Sunday afternoon. You found it. If you are looking for that magic that you want to inspire your kids with or leave a sense of charm upon them, I suggest you keep looking.

Notes: Some may say I am being harsh to this film, but the truth is this film was initially intended to be a straight to DVD release that started life as a promotional tool for a theme park, and it is the only sequel slash spin-off that Ghilbi has ever done. When you do factor in that a lot of the BIG 5 never went on to do much else, we can see that this film was not intended to be great and the craftsmanship really tells us that, so we must always remember we can find something charming and even let it bring us back our childhoods, but that does not necessarily mean it is an excellent work of art and I always want to keep that distance between favourite and greatest. They are not the same thing and likely never will be.… Expand

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MotoritzFeb 7, 2022

Probably one of the weaker movies of Studio Ghibli, the story just lacks something here.

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