The Cat Returns (2002)

Name: The Cat Returns (2002)
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Animation
Released: April 22, 2018
Duration: 75 min
Rating: 70
Cast: Aki Maeda, Chizuru Ikewaki, Hitomi Satô, Kenta Satoi, Kumiko Okae

2018

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Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Ratings

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The Cat Returns (Fathom Events Trailer 1)

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Movie Details & Credits

Toho | Release Date: April 22, 2018 | G

Starring: Aki Maeda, Chizuru Ikewaki, Hitomi Satô, Kenta Satoi, Kumiko Okae, Mari Hamada, Takayuki Yamada, Tetsu Watanabe, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Yôsuke Saitô

Summary: In this sequel to Whisper of the Heart, a quiet suburban schoolgirl, Haru, is pitched into a fantastical feline world and must find her inner strength to make her way back home. Walking with her friend after a dreary day at school, Haru eyes a cat with a small gift box in its mouth attempting to cross a busy street. The cat fumbles theIn this sequel to Whisper of the Heart, a quiet suburban schoolgirl, Haru, is pitched into a fantastical feline world and must find her inner strength to make her way back home. Walking with her friend after a dreary day at school, Haru eyes a cat with a small gift box in its mouth attempting to cross a busy street. The cat fumbles the package in the middle of the road as a truck is rapidly bearing down. Haru manages to scoop the cat away to safety. To her amazement, the cat then gets up on its hind legs, brushes itself off, and thanks her very politely. Strange behavior indeed, but this is nothing compared to what happens later that evening when the King of Cats shows up in a feline motorcade replete with vassals, maidens, and even Secret Service cats. In a show of gratitude for saving his son’s life, the king cat showers Haru with gifts – including a large supply of individually wrapped live mice – and decrees that she shall marry the cat prince and come to live as a princess in the secret Kingdom of Cats.… Expand

Director: Hiroyuki Morita

Genre(s): Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Animation, Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 75 min

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Critic Reviews

IndieWire Greg Ehrbar

Dec 3, 2019

The Cat Returns is an excellent companion to Spirited Away, as they are both Alice-in-Wonderland-like excursions into bizarre worlds with their own rules and logic. Both have female leads who, unlike dear Alice, experience definite arcs of character and capability. The Cat Returns is a lighter film overall, delivering belly laughs. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Robert Pardi

Dec 3, 2019

Director Morita does an exemplary job of bringing a Japanese graphic novel to the screen. Read full review

Ben Sachs

Dec 3, 2019

It's a masterful succession of images, tickling the viewer's curiosity with the characters' curiosity. The fantasy emerges little by little—through hesitant, feline steps, if you will—until the floodgates open. Read full review

Ben Nicholson

Dec 3, 2019

As with much of Miyazaki’s own output, the film offers a winning heroine and a joyful dip into Japanese folklore, even if it does not stand up against the studios most celebrated works. Read full review

Lisa Nesselson

Dec 3, 2019

Animated by Hiroyuki Morita -- a protege of Hayao Miyazaki -- story draws more from fairy tales than the eerie transformative productions by Studio Ghibli. Result is catchy entertainment for kids and adults. Read full review

Tasha Robinson

Dec 3, 2019

The results are disappointingly conventional for a Ghibli film—the film is good-hearted, energetic, and full of Ghibli's characteristically beautiful hand-rendered animation, but it's also lightweight and hyper, with none of Miyazaki's more resonant themes. Read full review

Empire Anna Smith

Dec 3, 2019

There's little tension or opportunity for emotional involvement in the brief story, and despite competent animation the cats are rarely anthropomorphised to good comic effect. One for anime - and animal - lovers only. Read full review

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User Reviews

Toasty87

Jul 10, 2020

Best movie from the world of studio ghibli in my opinion very good style in terms of animation.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

ScorpioZero

Jun 2, 2019

My childhood anime. Me and My mom watched it when i was kid, what a nostalgia.