The Cat Returns

[Eliseu Gouveia]

Of all the Ghibli movies, this is the one my younger niece absolutely loves the most.
She´s only 6, so maybe the complexities of the other titles escape her for now but I think any movie that manages to capture a child´s imaginary like this one did must have done something right, right?

So I was wondering...

Why does "The Cat Returns" get so little love?
Is it because it´s a sequel (of sorts) and not directed by Miyazaki?

I can understand that, but on its own this is a nicely put together Ghibli movie.

It has very appealing characters and designs, nice animation, a sweet story and the coolest fat cat to ever grace a screen. :)

About the only thing that got to me in the entire movie was watching the cats walk erect but even that vanishes after the first 5 seconds.

[KET]

Of all the Ghibli movies, this is the one my younger niece absolutely loves the most.
She´s only 6, so maybe the complexities of the other titles escape her for now but I think any movie that manages to capture a child´s imaginary like this one did must have done something right, right?

Maybe. Or perhaps it could be that most youngsters don't really have high expectations for entertainment to begin with.

So I was wondering...

Why does "The Cat Returns" get so little love?
Is it because it´s a sequel (of sorts) and not directed by Miyazaki?

The original wasn't directed by him either, so it's NOT that. However, any comparisons to the brilliant WHISPER OF THE HEART certainly won't do THE CAT RETURNS any favors.

For me, the issue is that from the rather flat character renderings to the story itself, it's just NOT THAT DEEP of a movie. Whenever I feel the need to watch a Ghibli picture, THE CAT RETURNS tends to be the least likely DVD I'll pop in.

Not saying that I hate it or anything like that, but I feel the picture's rather BLAND overall.

[SpydaWeb]

I rather like the Cats Return. It doesn't hold a candle to the original, but it still sits quite firmly up there with the rest of the Ghibli productions.

[Eliseu Gouveia]

I´ve run every Ghibli movie I own through my niece (except Princess Mononoke which I find too bloody for a 6 years old) and this is the Go-To Ghibli movie she wants to see time and again.
Porco Rosso, Kiki, Nausicaa, Chihiro, Howl´s Moving Castle,,, she won´t have any of them.

Now I certainly wouldn´t dream of comparing The Cat Returns to other Ghibli productions but IMHO, as a standalone, it is a really well put together movie.

I realise that it´s not deep or complex but on its own merits I think the movie has its values.

[KET]

I´ve run every Ghibli movie I own through my niece (except Princess Mononoke which I find too bloody for a 6 years old) and this is the Go-To Ghibli movie she wants to see time and again.
Porco Rosso, Kiki, Nausicaa, Chihiro, Howl´s Moving Castle,,, she won´t have any of them.

Now I certainly wouldn´t dream of comparing The Cat Returns to other Ghibli productions but IMHO, as a standalone, it is a really well put together movie.

I realise that it´s not deep or complex but on its own merits I think the movie has its values.

Have you run MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO by her yet? It's not terribly deep either, but I've always found it more fun.

I agree with you about PRINCESS MONONOKE though; I find it's a bit too dark for some folks' tastes as well.

[Eliseu Gouveia]

She used to love My Neighbour Totoro when she was younger but as she got older, she started rejecting it (I suspect because she stopped identifying herself with Mei).
The whole backstory about their mom being sick (and thus vulnerable and able to die) never resonated too well either, the whole "mother is god in the eyes of the children".

It´s another reason why Chihiro and Kiki didn´t work very well, I think.

At this age children like to think of their parents as a sturdy fortresses they can rely on, not someone they have to save from Yubaba or someone they leave behind to try life in the big city.

[Sanagi]

I've never gotten around to seeing The Cat Returns. I guess since it's not Miyazaki I haven't given it much priority. Also, being a spinoff of Whisper of the Heart makes me less interested in seeing it, because it just seems weird to take a character who didn't really exist in Whisper and make a fantasy movie around him. But I do mean to watch it sooner or later.

[Inkthinker]

She used to love My Neighbour Totoro when she was younger but as she got older, she started rejecting it (I suspect because she stopped identifying herself with Mei).
The whole backstory about their mom being sick (and thus vulnerable and able to die) never resonated too well either, the whole "mother is god in the eyes of the children".

It´s another reason why Chihiro and Kiki didn´t work very well, I think.

At this age children like to think of their parents as a sturdy fortresses they can rely on, not someone they have to save from Yubaba or someone they leave behind to try life in the big city.

What you might do is case those movies up, and let them fade for a while, and then haul 'em out again when she's like, 10 or 12. She'll likely identify a lot more closely with the characters and appreciate the deeper themes more fully at that age.

[KET]

She used to love My Neighbour Totoro when she was younger but as she got older, she started rejecting it (I suspect because she stopped identifying herself with Mei).
The whole backstory about their mom being sick (and thus vulnerable and able to die) never resonated too well either, the whole "mother is god in the eyes of the children".

It´s another reason why Chihiro and Kiki didn´t work very well, I think.

Hmmmm...interesting observation. It kinda makes me wonder whether your niece will EVER be ready for MY NEIGHBORS THE YAMADAS.... :D

At this age children like to think of their parents as a sturdy fortresses they can rely on, not someone they have to save from Yubaba or someone they leave behind to try life in the big city.

Well, perhaps this is a prime reason why THE CAT RETURNS works so well with her, as most of Miyazaki's work involves an underlying "coming of age" theme.

At this point, the only other Miyazaki work that I could probably suggest trying out would be PANDA! GO PANDA!, even though the animation is early 70s and more rudimentary. However, the "we're a family" theme is VERY strong throughout this series