Fantastic Feline Flicks for All You Cinema Buffs
The Cat Returns
Animated by Studio Ghibli, Neko No Ongaeshi (aka The Cat Returns) is a Japanese fantasy film directed by Hiroyuki Morita, and produced by Toshio Suzuki and Nozomu Takahashi. This is about a schoolgirl Haru who one day saves the life of a cat while on her way to school. To her surprise, Haru learns she came to the rescue of no ordinary cat – the kitty introduces her to the Kingdom of the Cats, where the feline potentate attempts to arrange a marriage between her and his son. Brought into a world she never knew existed, Haru learns a few lessons about herself and discovers more about the strange and magical secret world of the cats. The English version of the movie features the voice talents of Anne Hathaway, Andy Richter, Tim Curry, and others.
Garfield: The Movie
The famous cartoon cat by Jim Davis finally makes his way to the big screen in this adaptation of the popular comic strip Garfield which combines the live-action of pet parent Jon Arbuckle played by Breckin Meyer. Garfield (voiced by Bill Murray), is not an ordinary tabby—he’s fat, he’s smart-mouthed, he’s arrogant, he won’t do anything he doesn’t have to, and would rather stuff himself with lasagna than do something Jon asks of him. Despite this, Jon loves his cat, but when he decides to expand his animal family, Garfield is less than enthusiastic about the presence of Odie, a lovably enthusiastic dog whose only flaw is his extreme stupidity.
Coraline
Coraline Jones is a girl an 11-year-old girl who is feisty, curious, and adventurous beyond her age. She and her parents have just relocated from Michigan to Oregon. She tries to find some excitement in her new environment. She discovers a secret door in the house which leads to an alternate version of her life and entire existence called ‘Other World’. In all her ventures, a black cat acts as a mentor to guide her throughout her journey. He has no name. When asked, he explains ‘cats do not need names to tell each other apart’. He moves freely from one world to the other, although he appears to be capable of talking in the ‘Other World’. He has a very sarcastic personality, constantly belittling Coraline, but is helpful to her. He finally helps her escape from the ‘Other World’. He is voiced by Keith David.
A Cat in Paris
This Oscar-nominated film is about a pet cat named Dino who leads a double life. By day he lives with his pet parent, Zoe, a little mute girl whose mother, Jeanne, is a detective in the Parisian police force. But at night he sneaks out the window to work with Nico, a slinky burglar with a big heart, whose fluid movements are poetry in motion as he evades captors and slips and swishes from rooftop to rooftop across the Paris skyline. The cat’s two worlds collide when young Zoe decides to follow Dino on his nocturnal adventures and falls into the hands of Victor Costa, a blustery gangster planning the theft of a rare statue. Now, Dino and Nico must team up to save Zoe from the bumbling thieves, leading to a thrilling acrobatic finale on top of Notre Dame.
Puss in Boots
Long before he even met Shrek, the notorious fighter and outlaw Puss in Boots becomes a hero when he sets off on an adventure with the tough and street-smart Kitty Softpaws and the mastermind Humpty Dumpty to save his town. This film follows the character Puss in Boots on his adventures before his first appearance in the film Shrek 2 (2004). Accompanied by his friends, Humpty Dumpty and Kitty Softpaws, Puss is pitted against Jack and Jill, two murderous outlaws in ownership of legendary magical beans that lead to a great fortune. The character of Puss in Boots originated in a European fairy tale in 1697, but this film is a spin-off and prequel to the Shrek franchise.
Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever
This movie is a made-for-television Christmas comedy film directed by Tim Hill. The film stars Internet celebrity cat Tardar Sauce, also known as ‘Grumpy Cat’. Grumpy is a lonely cat living in a mall pet shop. She is upset because she always gets passed over and never gets chosen by customers. She develops a sour outlook on life until one day, during the Christmas holidays, Crystal (Megan Charpentier) enters the pet store and falls in love with her. A unique friendship is formed between the two when Cyrstal finds herself as the only person who can hear the unique feline talk of Grumpy. In the middle of the holiday rush, Grumpy reluctantly thwarts the kidnapping of an expensive exotic dog she can’t stand and rescues Cyrstal after the mall closes on Christmas Eve.
The Rabbi’s Cat
Dubbed from the original French Le Chat Du Rabbin, The Rabbi’s Cat is directed by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux, based on Sfar’s comic series. In 1920s Algeria, a cat gains the ability to speak after swallowing a parrot but proves rude and arrogant. His rabbi owner teaches him the Torah, but the cat mocks his strict views, leading the rabbi to declare he should be killed. The cat helps the rabbi pass a French exam but then loses his speech. The rest follows his struggle to regain it and become a translator.
Pet Sematary
Based on Stephen King’s novel, Pet Sematary follows a family who moves from Boston to rural Maine with their children, Ellie and Gale, and their cat, Church. Ellie discovers a burial ground in the woods, where their cat is later buried after being hit by a truck. Church returns—but changed, aggressive, and unnatural. The burial ground resurrects the dead, leading to tragic consequences as Ellie and then other family members fall victim, leaving only Gale behind in tears.
How many of these have you watched? And also which is your favourite feline flick?