The Cat Returns [Blu-ray]

I've seen the English trailer for this many times on other DVDs, but that did not convince me to do much towards watching the film. "At last, the cat returns" made me wonder when the cat went away.But then it became available with the Japanese trailer, and that made a lot more sense. So I rented it.This is a fine film about a young girl who can talk to cats, possibly because she could just as easily /be/ a cat.She gets involved in a cat-based reality of small houses and a kingdom of cats, with a ruler who has plans for her. A kingdom other cats she meets claim is a "fraud".So, we get some action and a comprehensible story. This should work fine for the age group it is aimed at; I found it easy to watch.But it, and a few other films, confirm that it is Miyazaki's films I find so enjoyable, not Studio Ghibli's as such.

This is, unquestionably, one of my favourite films. If you happen to love kitties as much as I do, then this film is definitely for you. It is packed with every kind of gorgeous, silly, beautiful, crazy cat imaginable. And they all display quite unique personalities both endearing and comedic. As a cat lover, this film is a pure joy to watch. I can't actually describe any of the content without spoiling it, so I'll just leave it at that.Just as an aside, my understanding is that, somehow, during film production, someone brought into Studio Ghibli a live cat who resembled the same "big, fat cat", called "Muta", that Haru, the heroine, accidentally sits on at the beginning of the film. I remember watching the documentary about this cat. Although I didn't think it actually looked exactly like Muta, I suppose it was close enough to elicit some "oohs" and "aahs" from the viewers.One interesting aspect of this film that should be kept in mind is that its subtext is tied to Studio Ghibli's other cat film, Whisper of the Heart, in that the porcelain cat statue named the Baron appears in Whisper…, but only as the statue initially and then later as part of the heroine's dream. But in this film, the Baron starts as the statue, but then actually comes alive and ends up rescuing Haru from the Kingdom of the Cats — a real treat and a hilarious and wondrous adventure.And one other subtext tie-in: the story that Shizuku, the girl in Whisper of the Heart, is writing, is actually the first draft of the story that ends up being The Cat Returns. And her "final draft" of that story is in fact the finished graphic novel of The Cat Returns. I think this is the idea that ties these two particular films together. Pretty clever. So, in the final analysis, there are actually three Studio Ghibli films that are tied together through clever subtext: Porco Rosso, then Whisper of the Heart, then The Cat Returns. There are elements placed quite prominently in all three films that quite deliberately tie them all together. Quite an achievement, considering Porco Rosso was made in '92, Whisper… in '95, but The Cat Returns not until 2002, a seven year space between the second and third films. Still, it all works beautifully.It should be mentioned that this is not really a very long film. Certainly it is not long for a typical Studio Ghibli film, which is usually closer to 2 hour run-times or even longer. This film barely clocks in at 1 hour 15 minutes — very short indeed. However, it doesn't feel short; every moment is made to count. And even though the director is not Miyazaki, the Master was certainly overseeing the entire project. I believe he was even responsible for a draft of the script. And his hand is definitely seen and felt in this film. The actual director, however, is a protégé of his and does a spectacular, wonderful job on all counts, from script to direction to character acting to music to everything.The one aspect of this film that has always stood out for me is the humour. It is simply one of the funniest Studio Ghibli films they have ever produced. The first time I saw it, certain parts had me laughing out loud so hard I almost choked. So, if you like an excellent comedy, this is for you. And those cats — oh, boy — those cats are both precious and hilarious.I think I'm probably going to end up giving all of Miyazaki's/Studio Ghibli's films 5 stars, for no other reason than they deserve it. Each of the films they've produced, even the not-so-great ones, still deserve 5 stars. I'd have to say that even a poor Ghibli film is still a 5-star masterpiece compared to any other studio's film. And that's saying quite a lot.

The talking cats brought a lot to this movie but the real star was the star. I don’t know who did the Japanese voice acting for her, but it was absolutely adorable. A perfect casting in my oh-so-humble opinion. She was so good that when I tried switching to the English dub just to see what was going on, I had to switch back after only a few seconds. Not that the English dub is bad. I wouldn’t know. I switched it back after only a few seconds.

Hiroyuki Morita’s 2002 film, “The Cat Returns,” adapts Reiko Yoshida’s screenplay based on the manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi, spinning off from Yoshifumi Kondō’s 1995 film, “Whisper of the Heart,” itself an adaptation of another of Aoi Hiiragi’s mangas. The story follows the Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, a cat who appeared in the first film as a figure in a character’s imagination based on a statue she saw in an antique store. Here, the Baron is one of many cats that Haru Yoshioka meets after saving a cat, who was secretly the Prince of the Cat Kingdom. Haru has the ability to speak with cats and travels to the Cat Kingdom. There, the Cat King tries to turn her into a cat, believing she will make a suitable bride for the Prince. The Baron helps her to discover her true self, uncover a cat criminal, and find her way back to the human world.The film is a fun, imaginative story that’s thoroughly enjoyable. It’s an unexpected spin-off from “Whisper of the Heart” – especially as the Baron was entirely imaginative in that work – but he’s such a charming rogue that it’s great to see him again. Cary Elwes provided the English voice dubbing for the Baron in both films and is at his swashbuckling best here. Joining the voice cast are Anne Hathaway, Peter Boyle, Elliott Gould, Tim Curry, René Auberjonois, and Kristen Bell, all of whom bring their considerable talents to a great adventure story. Fun for viewers of all ages.

An adorable movie, with a unique plot and characters. I love the drawing style, cute characters and sweet story. Ghibli films are amazing and far out rank Disney movies in my opinion. This is a film for all ages.

This is definitely a 5 star movie. Would give it more if I could! We love Studio Ghibli in our family and The Cat Returns has been my daughter’s favorite since she was a little girl. She is graduating from high school soon so I have been getting her favorite movies to take with her someday when she moves out. I bought this as a gift for her for Easter. It arrived today. The limited edition case is scratched and dented by the other things I ordered that came together in the paper mailer envelope. I’m sure it was handled roughly in shipping. Amazon should do a better job of packing these. A little bubble wrap would’ve kept the case nice in transit. Now I have to give a gift that looks beat up. The product is AMAZING but Amazon didn’t take very good care of it.

Disk still works but the steel book was absolutely bashed. Packaging was just a thin, poorly padded envelope so idk what the seller was expecting to happen in shipping. I’ve ordered steel books from other sellers and have never had this problem before. Absolutely do not recommend.

Amazing movie, shame the steelbook I got was damaged.

スチールブックの質感が好きで海外版をamazonより購入しました。海外版に多い2段式でblu-rayとdvdが収まっています。xboxに挿入して再生するとまず英語メニューがでてきますが、設定の項目で日本語音声への切り替え、英語字幕のOFFが設定できます。（メニューの日本語設定はできませんが、理解は可能と思います。）その後通常再生してみましたが、ちゃんとしたblu-ray画質と音声でされました。

シュリンク破れ。　スチール・ブックには凹みあり。とても受け入れ不可能。梱包もスチール・ブックを厚紙封筒に入れただけ。緩衝材は使われていなかった。