The Cat Returns |  | Director: Hiroyuki Morita
Actors: Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Aki Maeda, Takayuki Yamada, Hitomi Satô
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy Used: $7.18
as of 9/8/2010 17:11 CDT details
You Save: $22.81 (76%)
New (36) Used (27) Collectible (2) from $7.18
Seller: ONE STOP MEDIA SHOP
Rating:  88 reviews
Sales Rank: 4,570
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Japanese (Original Language)
Rating: G (General Audience)
Region: 1
Discs: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Running Time: 75 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 03881800
UPC: 786936268836
EAN: 0786936268836
ASIN: B0006J28BO
Release Date: February 22, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
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
Product Description
CAT RETURNS, THE
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 88
 The Next Generation of Studio Ghibli... January 22, 2006
ewomack (MN USA)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
"The Cat Returns" has all of the charm, incredible animation, and intensity of a Hayao Miyazaki film. But it's not directed by Miyazaki. As the documentary included on this DVD says, Miyazaki began wondering about the future of Ghibli because the founders are "getting on in years". The hunt began for a new young director. They found Hiroyuki Morita who ended up creating such incredible storyboards for "the Cat Project" that Ghibli decided to let him direct it as a feature. Their instincts served them well. "The Cat Returns", at only 75 minutes, contains all of the magic of other Studio Ghibli releases. It also contains Miyazaki's favorite theme: a young girl who finds herself through a strange journey (Miyazaki receives credit for "Project Concept"). In this case Haru, a Japanese schoolgirl - complete with signature outfit - saves the life of a cat with a lacrosse stick and finds herself transported into a surreal and bizarre world of ensouled creations. She finds herself semi-forcefully betrothed to this same cat, but the Baron (a right and proper aristocratic cat who runs "the Cat Bureau" and who first appeared in "Whispers of the Heart") comes to her aid with the help of the enormous Muta (who usually steals the scene). Even though the movie runs 75 minutes the incredible volume of action makes it feel like a full-length feature. The animation, as always, is incredible. If Morita represents the next generation of Ghibli directors, the studio should prepare itself for years upon years of further successful releases.
Voiceover talent in English includes Cary Elwes ("Farm Boy" from "The Princess Bride") perfectly cast as the Baron, Elliot Gould (from too many things to list) as the Crow, Anne Hathaway ("The Princess Diaries") as Haru and Tim Curry ("Rocky Horror Picture Show") as the Cat King. The English and Japanese versions play differently mostly due to the voices. Curry's King has more of a hippy feel whereas the original sounds more like a corrupt and evil king. Regardless of the differences, it's great to have both versions on one DVD.
The DVD also includes a great documentary on the making of "The Cat Returns" including scenes from the voice sessions for the Japanese version, interviews with Miyazaki, Morita, Toshio Suzuki (longtime Ghibli producer), and others. It also discusses the movie's music with Yuji Nomi and the ukulele-playing Ayano Tsuji. And, as on other Disney/Ghibli releases, "Behind the Microphone" lets the english voice talent talk about their experiences with dubbing the film into English.
Any Studio Ghibli fan will enjoy "The Cat Returns". It has everything anyone would expect from one of the world's best animation houses. And, judging by this release, it will likely remain one of the best well into the future.
Simple yet brilliant February 17, 2005
ajnrules (Kansas)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Personal identity is the most important part of your life. It defines you and makes you unique. Without identity, you lose a sense of direction. Like a cat, you would do nothing but eat, drink and sleep your life away, blissfully unaware of what you are missing.
This is the message underlying The Cat Returns, Studio Ghibli's last movie before the Miyazaki-directed Howl's Moving Castle (in American theaters June 10). After over a decade of deep and sometimes-harrowing movies, Studio Ghibli executives decided it was time for a light-hearted film enjoyable as pure entertainment. With The Cat Returns, they accomplished just that.
Based on a manga (graphic novel) by Japanese artist Aoi Hiiragi and helmed by rookie director Hiroyuki Morita, The Cat Returns is a spin-off of Whispers of the Heart, 1995's Ghibli-made movie based on Hiiragi's work.
The movie tells the tale of Haru, an awkward high school student whose life just isn't going well. She is often late for class, she is clumsy and her secret crush is going out with a freshman. Unfortunately for poor Haru, things are going to get worse. Haru saves the life of a cat, who turns out to be Prince Lune of the Kingdom of Cats, a peaceful paradise of eating, sleeping and anthropomorphic felines.
After a nocturnal visit from the King of Cats, Haru finds her life spiraling out of control, culminating in the arrangement of a marriage with the feline Prince. Just as the situation seems hopeless, Haru is directed to the home of the Baron, a gentlemanly cat with a knack for helping those in need, and his companions, the gluttonous Muta and the noble crow, Toto. The trio swears to save Haru from a disgraceful, inter-species marriage, but she is whisked away to the Kingdom of Cats before they hatch a plan. With the perpetually grumpy Muta as her only companion, Haru warms up to life in the Cat Kingdom, but eventually realizes that she is changing into a cat. She must leave the Kingdom by sunrise to return to human form.
The Cat Returns is a whimsical movie. Many critics attack The Cat Returns as shallow and lacking the powerful message of films like Nausicaä or the strong emotions of films like Porco Rosso, and they're right. But, nonetheless, The Cat Returns is a highly entertaining film, reminiscent of Takahata's old Panda Go Panda shorts, playful romps through imaginary worlds.
The Cat Returns is wildly hilarious, with excellent one-liners and brutal slapstick. It is hard to keep a straight face during the brilliant and hysterical execution scene. And with a 75-minute run-time, The Cat Returns is a perfect cinematic pick-me-up. That said, its quick resolution can leave viewers disappointed. Plus, potentially compelling supporting characters (namely, Haru's mother and friends) remain tragically underdeveloped.
With its simple storyline, The Cat Returns does not come close to equaling the quality of other Ghibli works. Even so, it is still a hell of a movie, and is better than nine out of 10 recent Disney movies.
first time viewers and long time fans alike will enjoy this family movie January 5, 2006
Talon Icewind (Canada B.C)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The cat returns is all about trusting yourself no matter what, it is a confidance booster and is filled with many funny and touching senes.
The cat returns was released in 2002 but its release was overshadowed by sprited away and so did not recive the publicity it was due.
This movie is suitable for all ages and I highly recomend it for younger viewers who are questioning themselves and do not have trust in their own judgement.
The whole family will love this picture, it is somthing I can watch over and over again, the animation is very smooth and the voices fit the characters perfectly, this is quite possably one of the only anime movies that I have not had the need to watch with subtitles instead of the americanized voice overs because the voice acters did a terific job and were cast so well.
The movie caries the lession that if you act with your heart and you trust yourself everything will work out. its a lession most children and some adults (such as myself) need to learn/relearn.
once again I highly recomend this movie.
Share this film with everyone! December 10, 2004
SpiderX (Harrisonburg, VA USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Another great work from Studio Ghibli! I was fortunate enough to see the film on the big screen, in Japanese with subtitles, in a crowded theater with children, adults, and teen anime fans. All were enthralled and delighted. I cannot speak to the quality of the English-language dub, but if it's anything like the other Disney/Ghibli DVDs released so far, you'll be able to watch the film either in English or the original Japanese with subtitles, and the English-language version will be pretty good.
A bit of background. Ghibli is the animation studio founded by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) and Isao Takahata (Graveyard of the Fireflies). Neither directed The Cat Returns, although Miyazaki did have a minor supervisory role in it. The film is also a "sequel" of sorts to an earlier film, Whispers of the Heart, but not really. Ghibli has never done an all-out sequel, but sometimes characters from one film appear in another (The soot sprites from Totoro make a guest appearance in Spirited Away, the old man in the clock tower in Kiki's Delivery Service returns in Whispers of the Heart, etc.)
You do not need to see Whispers of the Heart to "get" The Cat Returns - it stands on its own. (However, I strongly recommend all of Ghibli's stuff.) In Whispers, a young woman who wants to be a writer creates a fantasy story, and incorporates some elements of the world around her into her tale. Thus, a fat stray cat she meets becomes the villain, while another cat - a lanky, dapperly dressed statue she sees in a curiosity shop - becomes the hero. But these are only minor characters in the overall film, which centers on the young woman, the story she's writing, and her everyday struggles.
The Cat Returns, meanwhile, is a delightful fantasy, and the two cats from Whispers of the Heart are at the center of the action. In this film, a young woman saves a cat from being run over in the street. Unbeknownst to her, she has just rescued the son of the King of Cats, and soon her entire life is turned upside down. She's presented with gifts of mice - much to her annoyance - and hundreds of cats follow her to school. Then, she's kidnapped and taken to the land of cats, where she will be "honored" with marrying the young cat prince she had rescued. It's up to The Baron (the heroic cat statue from the earlier film) and Muta (the fat cat from the earlier film) to rescue her - but the longer she stays, the more cat-like she becomes.
I recommend this film for everyone - it's not just for kids or a teen anime fans. Like most of Ghibli's work, it's appropriate for youngsters without being cloying. And it's also a lot of fun.
More adventurous and enjoyable than the original April 4, 2007
Elianna Greenleaf
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The Cat Returns is the sequel for the slow-moving Whisper of the Heart. The link between these two stories is the nattily dressed cat called The Baron. However, this story is much different than the one of Whisper of the Heart.
Haru is the girl in this story. She's a clumsy, stressed-out geek, and basically pitiable. But one day she sees a cat that's about to get hit by a car, and saves him. To her shock, he stands up on two paws, brushes himself off, and then politely bows, thanks her, and leaves!
This is the beginning of Haru's adventure. In the next few days she's showered with mice, cattails, catnip, and even an offer of marriage! In the end she has to confront the King of the Cat Kingdom to get her life back to normal.
The extent of the story is dotted with comedy and lightheartedness. Haru grows up tremendously over the course of time, and in the end we see a girl who's much happier with her life. This is a very enjoyable movie and, regretfully, I liked it much better than Whisper of the Heart.
(I have to say that Peter Boyle did a great job as Muta the irascible, portly cat. He brought the character to life perfectly. Sometimes Muta really makes the movie!)
Showing reviews 1-5 of 88
|
|
|
