The Cat Returns

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This particular Ghibli film tells a bit more of a story about the Baron (Yoshihiko Hakamada/Cary Elwes); the small, charming statue from 'Whisper of the Heart' that Shizuku uses for her story. However, this time around, a different take is told, as we enter a fantasy world full of cats.

This tim around, we have a young lady by the name of Haru Yoshioka (Chizuru Ikewaki/Anne Hathaway) who, one day, saves a cat's life from an ignorant trucker, about to run him over. Here, we find out that she has the ability to communicate with cats as well.

As a thank you, Haru is soon showered with gifts, and involuntarily set up with Prince Lune (Takayuki Yamada/Andrew Bevis), whom she is suddenly destined to marry. As a result, a mysterious voice tells Haru to visit a cat named Muta (Tetsu Watanabe/Peter Boyle) who will guide her to the Baron for assistance in the matter.

So what we have here is almost a Cary Elwes typecast. Between 'The Princess Bride', 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' and this, he's always playing the charming hero who rescues the girl from her fate of being married against her will. The thing is, all three of these movies are great as their own thing, and it's not like it's just another repeat of the same junk.

This one is a lot more on the fun side of things, which I have to appreciate. It's simple and short, at only an hour and fifteen minutes, and for the most part, it's actually a lot funnier than I'd have imagined. It's not at all what I'd call typical for a Ghibli film, and I have to appreciate that one doesn't actually have to sit through 'Whisper of the Heart' to understand what exactly is going on here.

This one currently teeters on my Top 10 list, as I appreciate a lot more of what this film has to offer in its simplicity as opposed to some other titles in the lineup. It's a bit closer to what I'm used to with its short running time, and all around sense of humor. Which is not to say some of the more complex titles are bad, but it's nice that you can almost just throw this one on when you feel like it. Some other titles I can see having to be in more of a mood for. Being that this is a comedy just as well as a fantasy makes it easy too.

4/5

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