The new project from the director of the anime series "Pokemon" Kunihiko Yuyama was created at the American-Japanese studio Sprite Animation Studios, founded by the authors of the well-known, but not shot at the box-office movie "Last Fantasy: Spirits Inside." The full-length animated film “Once Upon a Cat” was described by movie experts as a moralizing but dreary animated product based on the story of why street cats need to be literate, be able to read and be friends. Despite critical ratings, the tape has an IMDb rating of 6.80.
Exclusively national cartoon
In the narrow circles of animators, there has recently been an opinion that the meaningful creation of three-dimensional tapes is justified when the authors, following international trends, try to conquer the foreign market. At the same time, the “Once Upon a Cat” project created using this technology (2017), critics' reviews are positioned as a purely national cinema, due to which, for example, in the Russian Federation an animated film looks with some bewilderment if the beholder does not think about what is happening and ignorant of the peculiarities of the Japanese mentality and culture. By Russian standards, the main moral of the picture may seem strange: overnight sad and optimistic. Therefore, "Once upon a time there was a cat" - a cartoon, reviews of which reviewers find echoes of a Buddhist attitude to reality and life in general.
As an alternative
The touchingly realized author’s intention of Kunihiko Yuyama has a plot that does not lose its relevance. In the center of the story is a black little kitten Rudolph, who accidentally fell into a metropolis, in which he will learn the basics of survival without the help of caring owners. A mentor of a lost baby becomes an experienced, adult cat, whom the whole district respects. The plot of the animated film "Once upon a time there was a cat" received favorable reviews, some contributing authors called the Japanese picture a great alternative to the already familiar viewer of Hollywood animated franchises that could please the whole family.
Discrepancy to the declared genre
However, “Once upon a time there was a cat” (2017 cartoon), reviews of skeptical observers reproach them for their inconsistency with genre politics. The fact is that the cartoon is declared as adventure, but during viewing it turns out that there are practically no adventures as such. In addition to the eyeballs, in which the kitten is alone in the big city. Survival in the company of a mentor is quite simple:
- in Japan, so many citizens feed homeless animals;
- competing gangs of heroes do not pester;
- most of the time the kitten learns to read and write and develops a plan for returning home.
Only closer to the finale, the key characters fall into serious trouble, which is quickly solved, and without any heroes from Rudolph.
No drama
As a result, “Once upon a time there was a cat” the reviews of experts and ordinary viewers are called not an adventure, but a moralizing animated picture for primary school children and preschoolers, showing the importance of literacy and demonstrating devotion, friendship and sincere care. Indeed, there are more than enough kindness and soulfulness in the cartoon, as well as charming touchingness and mercy. But in an entertainment product aimed at a wide audience, there should also be fascination. And in the tape “Once upon a time there was a cat” reviews note an insufficient number of problems, threats and an almost complete absence of drama. At the same time, the humor in the brainchild of Kunihiko Yuyama is not enough, and the visual beauty is represented by the stone landscapes of the suburbs of Tokyo.
Advantages and disadvantages
The adult audience is somewhat confused by the very zealous voice acting of Japanese actors who do not miss a single breath-exhale of the main character, and he, in turn, will not take a single step without another “aha”. It creates the impression that the creators are scared by the lack of replicas. The misunderstanding and deliberately exaggerated animated movements, due to which all the movements of cats look clumsy and unnatural, as if puppet, cause a misunderstanding. It was as if a certain part of the connecting movements were simply missed or underdeveloped. This circumstance deprived the movement of the characters of vital flexibility and smoothness. At the same time, background statistical objects are created with the style and pedantry inherent in Japanese animators, which creates a detailed, deep space.
The cats themselves are an undoubted plus: the animals are tangibly fluffy and incredibly cute, especially the key character that makes you want to stroke the ruffled fur.