Ha ha! What a cute movie! Studio Ghibli is the best Japanese animation studio.
Haru is the average high school girl and experiences some bad luck. One day she saves an unusual cat with a package from being runover by a truck. She's in for a shocker when the cat talks and expresses his gratitude.
That night Haru wakes up to a chorus of yeowling cats and goes to check it out. Outside she is greeted by a procession of cats and the Cat King. He thanks Haru for saving his son Prince Lune...in very little words. Haru is told she'll be recieving "gifts" starting the next morning.
I won't say no more from there, but you should really watch the movie.
The Baron is really cool and I really liked the end song. However the story is not as good as the comic book which you should also read.
LOVE IT THOUGH! SO WATCH THE MOVIE!!!!!!

This is one of my Ghibli favorites, but I’m not sure why. As the reviews said it isn't the best of this amazing studio, but still continues to be quite good specially if you consider his highlight points: the animation is clever and unique, it has almost no details in the characters animations (at least when there are to many or moving too fast in the screen) giving a "clean" and minimalistic feeling to it. The story is shockingly simple, but it flows well and grabs you until the end, especially the humor which it's a mix of sarcasm and dry wit.

It has been really unfair that the movie is commonly compared with his sister-movie Whisper of the Hearts. Although much superior and complex, both movies are too different in concept, the second being a more realistic and unique movie while the Cat Returns, has a more "Hayao Miyazaki" style: funny sidekicks, fast action and even the classic flying scenes at the end.

The Cat Returns it's a fun, inoffensive and enjoyable movie. I also have sympathy for it since it's rare to find such a positive portrait of cats, not only being the central element of the movie but actually giving them realistic personalities (far far away of, let’s say, Aristocats). So, in the end, more than falling short against other Ghibli productions, I don't think that's the true point of the movie, but actually presenting a good-hearted story of "finding yourself". In that matter, although not at the level of a Porco Rosso or Spirited Away I find it much more enjoyable than a much longer and complicated Castle in the Sky or Naussica and in that case, a much more suitable movie for viewing on a boring Saturday.

At first I wasn't quite sure what to make of this film, but then I thought back to the sequence where the king started tossing subjects out the window left and right and somehow got an "Emperor's New Groove" vibe. Of course, The Emperor's New Groove is only two years older than The Cat Returns, so most likely the two movies share no connection at all. The king remains selfish, and it's not even about him. It does share at least one thing in common with The Emperor's New Groove. The Cat Returns is probably Miyazaki's most flat out comedic movie ever. No danger. No excitement. No love interest. No drama. It does possess a certain combination of dry wit, delivered mostly by the very cool Baron, and dead pan humor, albeit not as wacky as the average Disney movie. If you're a lover of cats, this is the movie to see. The Cat Returns also shares The Emperor's New Groove's lightweight feel. Even when compared with light-hearted fare from Miyazaki like Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, The Cat Returns comes off as feeling rather fluffy. Everything falls into place almost rather too easily, and nobody gets any real decent character development. The entire movie seems like a string of deus ex machinas, and I mistakenly went into this movie expecting another two hour affair, instead getting something shorter than even most Disney movies. The whole "believe in yourself" theme had no strong footing in the movie, as it felt shoehorned in. Even so, that doesn't stop this movie from being cute, funny, colorful, and whimsical, as befits Miyazaki. At least the ending song sticks in your head.

Perhaps my absolute favourite couple of animated films were made by someone other than Studio Ghibli, but for sheer consistency of quality, Ghibli is amazing. A measure of this quality is that in 11 Ghibli reviews I've written (if you count 'Castle of Cagliostro'), every single film has rated at least three stars, and even this tossed-off piece of fluff is probably better than most of what Disney made in the 60's or 70's. Disney has never had a run of 20 years without a bad movie. Nobody else has. Other studios must feel like some 60's rock band watching The Beatles churn out masterpieces one after another. If that analogy holds, then maybe those other studios don't feel quite so threatened by 'The Cat Returns'. It's like Ghibli's 'Magical Mystery Tour'. With that much talent behind it, you know it can't be bad, but it's not going to redefine animation either.

'The Cat Returns' is a spin-off of from 'Whisper of the Heart', and it's a shame that they are being released in the reverse order in the west, but you shouldn't make too much of the connection. Really all that the two movies have in common are the cat characters The Baron and Muta, and their roles really have little to do with WotH. In that earlier movie Muta was just an ordinary cat who didn't even speak, and The Baron was a statue who only 'came to life' in a brief dream-like sequence. The whole 'Kingdom of he cats' thing has nothing to do with 'Whisper of the Heart' either. So whereas it would be preferable to watch them in the correct order, it's not because you're missing any background, but just because if you watch this one first I imagine it would rather spoil your enjoyment of 'Whisper' because you'd be expecting context which doesn't exist.

Haru is a girl who saves a cat from being run over. He turns out to be the Prince of cats, and the cat Kingdom decides to show their gratitude by taking Haru there and arranging for her to marry the Prince. Haru isn't totally in love with this idea and turns to The Baron and Muta for help.

The Baron is a fairly two-dimensional character, but Muta is great. In fact I think I can say now that anyone who likes cats is just going to love this film and forgive any minor inadequecies.

What inadequecies? Well, nothing much to speak of, except that the film is rather short, lacks the depth of other Ghibli movies, and the latter half feels rushed.

This is also the only Ghibli film I've seen (except maybe 'Totoro') in which there is no attempt to explain any of the magical elements in any logical way. 'Whisper of the Heart' has just the merest hint of the fantastic about it, because you sense that coincidences keep happening beyond what is reasonable, and you have an odd feeling about a couple of the characters. Even in 'Spirited Away' there is a definite attempt to explain how the main character crosses over from the regular world to the spirit world. And 'Princess Mononoke'and 'Kiki' are set in worlds where magic is part of the way things work. 'The Cat Returns' is set in the normal world, but totally impossible, ridiculous things just start happening from the get-go, with no attempt to explain why, except maybe, maybe, maybe it was a dream (but probably not). It's quite charming really.

As with any Ghibli film, the thing is a feast for the eyes from start to finish, with classic moments just sprinkled around carelessly as if the studio has so much talent that it has boxes full of the things and doesn't know what to do with them all. The film has a definite 'Alice in Wonderland' feel (I mean the book, not the wretched Disney version of it), right down to the adventure being precipitated by size-changing.

It's a carefree, feel-good film which shows Ghibli taking their foot off the gas a little, but still producing something most studios would be jealous of.

But if by some chance you are less than impressed with this film, please don't miss 'Whisper of the Heart'. The films have very little in common. 'Whisper' is a much slower, 'serious' (though still 'feel good') movie, and whereas there isn't a great deal of depth or texture in 'Cat Returns', 'Whisper' just exudes such qualities.

This is a good, fun film. Almost a three and a half'er - but 'Whisper of the Heart' is an incredible work which is as good as anything Ghibli have ever made. See them both, but see 'Whisper', whatever you think of this one.

'The Cat Returns' is yet another light, feel-good, entertaining film from the talented people at Studio Ghibli. It's not really a Nausicaa or a Mononoke, and lies much more in the vein of something like 'Kiki's Delivery Service' or 'Porco Rosso'.

I agree with Inkwolf that the whole "believe in yourself" message kinda feels out of place... but, having just read Inkwolf's review before watching it, I began to think that maybe what the story was going for was this idea that Haru is dissatisfied with who she is and the life she has. She nearly becomes trapped in the Cat Kingdom when she begins to lose that belief in herself.

The Baron is definitely a one-note character, but who could not be charmed by Cary Elwes sultry tones (what is it with me and men with accents?!). On the other hand Muta and Toto are very entertaining--I wish we could've had more with them. I even thought Haru made for a pretty witty heroine at times.

All in all, I guess I'll be buying all three of these latest Disney/Studio Ghibli releases... Nausicaa, Porco Rosso and The Cat Returns.

The Cat Returns is a cute and funny bit of fluff that you can take a toddler to without fear of anything their parents could possibly object to.

Haru is a clutzy teenager who doesn't fit in at school. She is kind-hearted, though, and risks her life to save a cat from being run over.

It turns out he's the prince of cats, and the whole cat kingdom is determined to reward her. When a cat's idea of 'rewards' fail to please her, the cats decide the best reward would be to take her to the cat kingdom and have her marry the prince. Haru's only hope of escaping her fate is the mysterious Baron, a cat statue who came to life. (He's apparently form a previous, untranslated Ghibli film.)

The plot is light, funny, and enjoyable.

It is devoid of any real emotional depth, though. The Baron is a totally one-dimensional gallant-romantic-handkissing-male character, and considering that the previous film in which he appeared is not available, the lack of detailed info about his history leaves a hole. The old platitude 'You must have confidence in yourself!' is uttered without any apparent connection to the actual plot. The Cat King has been saddled with a beatnik sort of voice and slang...though admittedly, it seems to work okay. And you also have to wonder why a film with such a young-child feel and pace to it stars a seventeen-year-old high school student in situations which a young child would be unfamiliar with.

Still, why quibble? The Cat Returns is an enjoyable way to spend a little time, and the characters are quite likeable. Don't expect another Princess Mononoke, and you'll enjoy yourself.