The Cat Returns

The Cat Returns
by Hiroyuki Morita

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Aki Maeda, Chizuru Ikewaki, Hitomi Sato, Takayuki Yamada, Yoshihiko Hakamada
Director: Hiroyuki Morita
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); French (Original Language); Japanese (Original Language)
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 75 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-02-22
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Movie Reviews of The Cat Returns

Movie Review: The Cat Returns
Summary: 4 Stars

Just to clear up a misconception - this film should not be considered a sequel to Whisper of the Heart. Although the two cat characters, the Baron and Muta, are shared in the two films, the stories have absolutely nothing to do with each other, other than the lead female character being a schoolgirl in a uniform, and both showing a realistic glimpse of life in Japan. In Whisper, Muta is truly Mute, while here he is a wisecracking albeit faithful warrior, who sounds not entirely unlike Nyako Sensei, a 1970s anime.

If you like Ghibli, cats, Japan, fantasy adventure, or good Anime, you might like The Cat Returns.

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Summary of The Cat Returns

The Cat Returns (2002) brings back Muta, the cranky fat cat, and Baron von Gikkingen, the elegant statue, from the feature Whisper of the Heart (1995). On her way home from school, Haru, a confused 17-year-old, prevents an elegant gray cat from being hit by a truck. She's inadvertently saved the life of Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom, and his royal father decides to thank her. He fills her locker with gift-wrapped mice and decides she should come to his kingdom and marry Lune. Haru seeks help from the Cat Bureau, and eventually returns to relatively normal life, with the assistance of Muta and the Baron.

The Cat Returns recalls Whisper of the Heart and Takashi Nakamura's Catnapped, but it offers neither the wistful charm of the former nor the bold visual imagination of the latter. Hayao Miyazaki has been seeking young directors for Studio Ghibli for several years. After preparing the script and storyboards for Whisper, he turned the film over to Yoshifumi Kondo, who died tragically shortly after the film's release. The Cat Returns was directed by Hiroyuki Morita, who shows promise, but lacks Kondo's elegant sensibility. The DVD extras include a fulsome making-of documentary, Morita's voluminous storyboards, and mini-interviews with the vocal cast that includes Tim Curry, Cary Elwes, Peter Boyle, and Elliott Gould. (Rated G: minor scary imagery and cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon

From the creators of the Academy Award(R) winning SPIRITED AWAY (Best Animated Feature Film, 2002) comes the visually stunning THE CAT RETURNS, a spectacular animated journey to a world of magic and adventure. Haru, a schoolgirl bored by her ordinary routine, saves the life of an unusual cat, and suddenly her world is transformed beyond anything she ever imagined. The Cat King rewards her good deed with a flurry of presents, including a very shocking proposal of marriage to his son! Haru embarks on an unexpected journey to the Kingdom of Cats where her eyes are opened to a whole other world and her destiny is uncertain. To change her fate, she'll need to learn to believe in herself and appreciate her everyday life. Featuring the sensational voice talents of Anne Hathaway, Cary Elwes, Tim Curry, and Elliot Gould, THE CAT RETURNS is a magical animated adventure that will delight and inspire everyone.

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