I highly recommend The Cat Returns if you got an hour to kill- this movie is short for today’s standards, and it moves along so well it feels even shorter.
However, it never bugged me to the point that I become a snob and watch it in Japanese with English subtitles (unlike another Ghibli/Disney movie, which I’ll review later). Curry was a waste of incredible talent for a minor character. Tim Curry didn’t fit well as the king either. I LOVE Anne Hathaway, but she didn’t fit in the movie at all there was no real range in her voice. Cary Elwes is perfect- Anne Hathaway voicing Haru is far from it. The voice actors are either perfect for their roles, or completely off. However, this is the one negative I really see about this film. Walt Disney handled the dubbing for this too, and you can tell they spared no expense. You’ll feel weird if you develop a crush on him, because he’s a catman. I think the choice of being his voice actor brought the comparison to his character in The Princess Bride with him, which is fitting. In fact, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (voiced by the wonderful Cary Elwes) is one of my favorite characters EVER. The characters are all likable in their own way, including the “villains”. It may seem basic, but it’s just so charming. Anyway, this is one of my favorites in terms of plot and dialogue. This ties in with another film that Ghibli made, Whisper of the Heart, but if you don’t pay attention to that movie, you won’t recognize it. The Cat Returns is another Studio Ghibli film, so you know it’s going to be good. The Bureau promised to protect Haru, but the kingdom found her and dragged her away. While she pondered for a quick minute, she refused and sought help from the Cat Bureau. When she showed her disgust, as mice, cattails (which she was allergic to), and catnip aren’t great gifts, the king proposed that she marry his son and become a princess. The cat thanked her, but she soon regretted it when she was showered with gifts from his father, king of the cat kingdom. When she discovered that a cat was about to get run over, she saved him without a second thought. Haru was having one bad day (well, according to a teenager)- late to class and found out her crush, a fellow classmate, had a girlfriend. Without further ado, here’s the review for a wonderfully cute flick- The Cat Returns. I’ve been battling food poisoning since late Saturday. Forgive me for being a little late with this.