That Darn Cat!

Some cats knock things off shelves. This one wanders into a crime story and basically decides the humans need supervision. That Darn Cat! gets its energy from an eternal truth: cats are nosy, unpredictable, and completely uninterested in whatever plan you made before they arrived. The movie’s old-school charm is its biggest advantage and its biggest challenge. It does not have the animation spectacle of The Lion King, the modern punch of The Last Wish, or the internet-age recognition of Garfield. What it does have is pure feline troublemaker DNA. The cat doesn’t need a sword, a kingdom, or a tragic destiny. He just needs to go where he should not go and make everybody chase him. If this league rewards the movie that understands how one curious cat can hijack an entire household, don’t dismiss the vintage contender too quickly.