Having saved a stray cat from being run over, a teenager finds herself shrouded with gifts from the rulers of the cat world who wish to turn her into one of them as a reward in this delightfully offbeat animated fantasy film. 'The Cat Returns' is an unpredictable movie in the best possible way and plays out as a zany variation of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' with the heroine shrunken down to cat-size to enter their realm where she encounters wacky and eccentric characters left, right and centre. There are some well done surreal moments too, especially as she finds herself gradually turning into a cat, and it is an often laugh-out-loud funny experience with lots of humour to be had in the unusual feline supporting players. Clocking in at around 75 minutes, the movie occasionally feels a little rushed, particularly during its climax, and it is lack of appeal to some hardcore Ghibli fans is understandable since the film does not have the time to establish a magical universe as immersive as the likes of 'Spirited Away'. This is a highly charming film if taken on its own terms though, and as per norm for producer Hayao Miyazaki, there are nicely no antagonists here. The cats are pesky with their persistence in turning her into one of them, but it is up to both her and them to realise that they can still help each other out even if their own interests do not always align.

How does every Ghibli movie end up surprising me? Other than Tales from Earthsea- an aberration and a movie no one could like- I have not watched a Ghibli movie I haven't liked. Sure, I was lukewarm on My Neighbors the Yamadas, and I thought The Secret World of Arietty was underwhelming, but Ghibli has never disappointed me. I go into every Ghibli movie- except Tales, which I correctly heard was terrible- expecting it to be great. Why is it, then, that every Ghibli movie blows away my expectations. I expected The Wind Rises and When Marnie Was There to be great. They turned out to be some of my favorite films of all time.I expected this film to be a lighthearted and entertaining but shallow romp through a somewhat imaginative fantasy world. After all, it was only 75 minutes long, the shortest theatrical Ghibli movie ever made. I expected to give this film a solid 3.5 or 4. What I got instead was a rollicking, interesting, astounding adventure.It's not just the quality of the films that impresses me. Most films are variations on the same formula. They feel like molds. Except for Tales, no Ghibli movie felt like that. Even if they're just simple here's journeys, like this film, they have a heart and an identity. They offer a unique experience that sticks with you.This is not by favorite Studio Ghibli movie, but it is the best of the five films the studio made between Spirited away and From Up On Poppy Hill. It is the only one of the five- except maybe Ponyo- that understands why Ghibli films are so great. It is driven by emotion and character. It is fantastical and absurd, but it makes perfect sense. It feels just right. The characters do not get exactly what they want, but they are transformed for the better.I would not have guessed this movie was only 75 minutes long. Those early Disney movies were short too, but they felt short. They did not make you feel like you were getting shorted, but they did not feel like grand adventures, if only because over half of their runtime was dedicated to animals doing animal things and enjoyable but pointless song numbers.This film feels like an adventure despite its length. That's the power of animation. It does not feel like a particularly grand adventure, but it does not need to. Kiki's Delivery Service doesn't feel like a grand adventure. My Neighbor Totoro doesn't feel like a grand adventure. They don't need to. They rely on atmosphere and character. They make you feel free. They make you feel like a child again, but not in an oversensory, immature way. Instead, they bring you back to a time when the world was fresh, and you could spend crisp mornings and long evenings in its embrace, back when adulthood was just a wisp in the darkness. There is a right way and a wrong way to pull off nostalgia. Ninety percent of American films do it very, very wrong. Ghibli films do it right, and so they stick with you.The animation quality blows me away. In many ways, it is a prettier film than Spirited Away. The central tower and the labyrinth surrounding it are beautiful. I might use them as my desktop background. The idea that the Kingdom of Cats, where most of the film takes place, doesn't have a day and night cycle and the only place where 'true' sky can be seen is a warp between it and the real world, is mighty clever, and it is only one of many brilliant concepts the makers of the film came up with. The first fantasy sequence in the film, where cats walk through the night on their hind legs in a procession, is one of my favorite sequences in a Ghibli film. The pacing is perfect, of course, but so is the lighting, which is eerie but also welcoming.They work the feline theme to its limit. It's not overbearing, though, and it pulls the audience into the world, which is fairly complex for such a short movie. The layout of the kingdom is wonderful, and I love the long establishing shot of the cattails glowing in the sunlight. There are transformations in this film, just like in Howl's Moving Castle. I think that film does it better, but this film gets a lot of little details right, particularly height.The plot threads are wrapped up a bit too hastily, but it does not feel like it, as they were on the side all along, and the main narrative remained the center of attention. The music is beautiful and helps enhance the European, almost Parisian feel the film is going for. While the characters are not as interesting as the characters in the best Ghibli movies, but they are interesting enough, and they never stall the movie.Haru is a likable and relatable heroine, and she marks the transition toward high-school-aged protagonists that would continue for the rest of the studio's existence and culminate in When Marnie Was There. While she is not as interesting as the protagonists in that movie, she is earnest and thoughtful but flawed. She is a lot less complex of a protagonist than I thought by looking at the promotional material, and while her story wraps up a little too neatly for my liking, she deserves her spot in the crowded stable of Ghibli female leads.Ghibli characters go on not only physical journeys, but emotional journeys as well. They witness miraculous sights, likely fly through the air, and come out as new people with new experiences that they will hold onto forever. The magic of Ghibli- and this film in particular- is the ability to transfer those sensations to the audience. That is their greatest gift.

The Cat Returns is one of the most unusual, and most charming, children's movies I've seen in some time. When a young woman named Haru saves the life of a talking cat, it turns out that he was the prince of the cat kingdom. The grateful cats make several hilariously misguided attempts to repay her, culminating with marriage to the prince himself- whether she wants it or not. With the help of the cat bureau, Haru must escape the cat kingdom and return home before she loses sight of who she really is.OK, so the story is pretty weird, and may not make a whole lot of sense at times, but that's standard for most children's anime, and most children will have little trouble immersing themselves in its world. Who among us, as a child, didn't think what it would be like to talk to animals? What would their personalities be like? What did they think about? What did they think of us? Did they have their own form of society? The Cat Returns answers these questions in a most delightful way, somewhat reminiscent of the land of make believe in Mister Roger's Neighborhood.These cats are remarkably human. They talk, walk upright, and most of them have clothes. They have jobs and homes, a king (who is escorted everywhere by suit-wearing bodyguards), and a magnificent capitol city that wouldn't seem out of place in Lord of the Rings or The Last Airbender. But at the same time, they're definitely still cats. Their culture is largely based around napping, eating, and the pursuit of small fury animals.More important to this film than plot is the wonder and whimsy it generates. There's just something enchanting about a cat standing on their hind legs, especially with suit, top hat, and cane. And the very idea of kitty soldiers and entertainers is delightful. There are also awe inspiring visuals, like when Haru and her companions descend from the sky on a living staircase of crows.The Cat Returns may not be on the same level as Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, but it's still charming and funny, with an important lesson about knowing yourself. Perfect for young cat lovers and Japanophiles.

I like this movie very much.I like Balon. Balon is cool cat. Balon is very cool guy. Heroine is Haru. She is high school student. Haru tooked by a cat. Haru as taken in cats world. Then, Haru transformed cat. I was so surprised.Haru saw many cats. Cats and Haru were make friends. It is so good. I want to make friends cats. Story is good. It is youth story. Cat's heart is wonderful. Theme song is good. Singer is Ayano Tuji. She is good singer. Her voice is nice. I played xylophone the theme song when I was high school student. This movie is my favorite movie. I want to see the movie again. I like this movie. I went to movie theater to see the movie.