And Morita's vision does sometimes come off as imitation Miyazaki, as well as imitation Disney, rather than something wholly his own.
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Its story, penned by TV anime veteran Reiko Yoshida, isn't as sweeping or profound as the likes of Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke or even My Neighbor Totoro.
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Its animation, while full of imagination and ambition, and proving more than effective, isn't quite up to Studio Ghibli's theatrical standards, resembling an animated television film produced on a slim budget. To change her fate, she'll need to learn to believe in herself and, in the process, learn to appreciate her everyday life.Ĭomplaints about The Cat Returns aren't entirely unfounded. Fortunately, she's not alone, meeting new friends and allies along the way that include the daring Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (Yoshihiko Hakamada, Cary Ewles), stone raven Toto (Yōsuke Saitō, Elliott Gould) and brave warrior Muta (Tetsu Watanabe, Peter Boyle). Embarking on an unexpected journey to the Kingdom of Cats, Haru's eyes are opened to a whole other realm one where her destiny is uncertain. When Haru (Chizuru Ikewaki, Anne Hathaway), a clumsy schoolgirl bored with her ordinary routine, saves the life of an unusual feline, The Cat King (Tetsurō Tanba, Tim Curry) rewards her good deed with a flurry of presents, including a very shocking proposal of marriage to his son, Prince Lune (Takayuki Yamada, Andrew Bevis). No, the film isn't as memorable, poignant or breathtaking as the studio's best, but it has more than enough heart, charm and magical delights to stand proud amongst its more universally praised Ghibli brethren. Yet the film has occasionally been dismissed by international audiences as a lesser effort its critics grumbling about everything from its comparatively lackluster animation (key word comparatively) to its simplistic story and Miyazaki-lite trappings. Miyazaki's "Cat Project" was reborn as a theatrical feature.Ī loose fantasy sequel to writer Hayao Miyazaki and director Yoshifumi Kondô's very grounded Whisper of the Heart (1995), The Cat Returns found success at home, topping the Japanese box office and earning quite a bit of acclaim.
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Working from the defunct theme park short and artist Aoi Hiiragi's corresponding manga (" Baron: The Cat Returns"), Morita developed a detailed 525-page storyboard proposal over nine months that so impressed project supervisor Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki that the fledgling filmmaker was given an opportunity to really prove himself. What began as a cat-themed animated short (commissioned then unceremoniously cancelled by a Japanese theme park in 1999) soon became a testing ground for Hiroyuki Morita, who wished to graduate from animator ( My Neighbors the Yamadas) to director. The Cat Returns is an interesting entry in the Studio Ghibli canon.