Cats, Cats and More Cats

So while I'm neglecting to finish outlining my essay, I decided to watch The Cat Returns, this month's March movie for the anime/manga club. This is one of the Studio Ghibli films that deserves more recognition cause it really is good. And no, I unfortunately have not seen Whispers of the Heart but I would love to if I got a copy.

This film is a story of a girl named Haru, a shy and clumsy high school student. Her normal life takes a turn when one day, she saves a cat from being hit by a truck; a talking cat for that matter. That same evening, a ton of cats visit her front door and express their thanks for saving not just any cat but the prince of the Cat Kingdom. But everything turns for the worst when the cats send her gifts of catnip, mice and even the prince's hand in marriage. Their constant harassment makes her consult the "Cat Bureau", led by a cat figurine brought to life named Baron, to get help.

And well that's as about as much as I can give of the plot without spoiling. This is one of the shortest Studio Ghibli films at 75 minutes. Overall, it's just plain cute (not meant in a bad way). If you're a cat person you're gonna love the visuals they present with all these cats and it can be very hilarious. Speaking of, a lot of what makes The Cat Returns a good movie is the comedy presented. There's just so much hilarious dialogue and the situations the characters are put in. You'll get quite a few good laughs out of this movie.

And I rather enjoyed the English voice acting too. The cast includes big stars like Anne Hathaway, Cary Elwes, Peter Boyle and Tim Curry. Dubbing's not an easy job but they make it work in providing so much emotion and over the top reactions to make these characters interesting and stand out.

The animation: You all know it. It's Studio Ghibli. Everyone knows that whatever they produce, it's going to look fantastic with the worlds they create with beautiful imagery and some occasional very creepy facial reactions (mostly the Cat King voiced by Tim Curry).

Overall, it's just a good movie full of fun entertainment for everyone of every age to enjoy.