The Cat from Outer Space

I am 100% sure I watched this film when I was a kid. It was on the Disney hour on Sunday evening. I watched it with my family and I remember most of what happens in the movie, which is kind of crazy. The film is called the Cat from Outer Space and that basically explains all of the plot. The cat is very ably voiced by Roddy McDowell and the film is directed by Norman Tokar who did a lot of these Disney films in the '60s and '70s. Interestingly for Mash fans, it stars Harry Morgan and McLean Stevenson. Harry Morgan played the first commander of the unit and McLean Stevenson actually replaced him on Mash.

It's a mash-centric movie and it sort of feels like the answer to the question, what if Disney made a MASH sci-fi movie for kids? A bit boring in parts, but it definitely holds up and is worth a watch.

This movie is just fun. No serious plot, just an enjoyable movie with some really wonderful actors. If anyone has kids, enjoys cats, or just likes a lighthearted film, see this one. This movie is the reason we named our cat "Jake" not because of his looks, but because of his intelligence (from another world you might say).

This movie was one of my earliest memories of childhood and a fond one at that.

This was Disney making a sci fi movie fit for children, it's cute, it's campy, it's not meant to be an Oscar-grabbing masterpiece of acting, effects, or even plot. If Disney had produce the pinnacle of special effects, acting and storyline for its day, everyone would trash it as being either too complex, or unsuitable for children. Disney makes movies for kids, that's what they do. Deal with it.

Kids would be frightened by a true alien being, so a cat is a suitable substitute, makes for a warm cuddly visual even. The story had to be simple or kids wouldn't and couldn't follow it.

Those who want to critique this film as though it were high art need to get over it. If a 6 year old needs to be handed Masterpiece Theater to properly entertain them, there is something very wrong indeed.

A feline from another planet makes an unscheduled stop on Earth. While the U.S. military ponders over his spacecraft and tries to determine if it's Russian (or otherwise) in origin, he makes contact with a bumbling, likeable, eccentric scientist (Ken Berry) and implores the human to help him with his spacecraft repairs. Meanwhile, a nefarious enemy agent (William Prince) is determined to unravel the secrets of the cats' powerful collar.

It's true that you can't be too hard on films like this. Although, as an adult, I found "The Cat from Outer Space" overlong and not always good at gaining momentum, it's still quite engaging family fare that the kids ought to enjoy. Certainly the talented cast makes it quite easy to watch: Sandy Duncan is cute as Berry's would-be love interest, McLean Stevenson a hoot as his sports-obsessed pal, Harry Morgan hilarious as a ramrod-straight Army general. There's a generous dose of familiar faces in the supporting cast, too: Roddy McDowall, Jesse White, Alan Young, Hans Conried, Ronnie Schell (who plays both Sergeant Duffy and the voice of Jake the cat), James Hampton, Howard Platt, etc. Berry is quite personable in the lead.

Overall, this is fairly mild as far as live-action Disney comedy goes, with not that many true laugh-out-loud moments, but again, kids are likely to be far less judgmental, and may very well take to most of the gags (there is one good laugh when we see Morgans' underwear); young and old alike will be endeared to the feline star, a very well trained animal indeed. The airborne finale is reasonably tense and exciting.

Sorrell "Boss Hogg" Booke appears unbilled at the conclusion, in his final feature film appearance.

Seven out of 10.

A spaceship makes an emergency landing on Earth and the pilot -a talking cat- run into spies, the army, Ken Berry and Sandy Duncan in his mission to get back home. Exciting for youngsters, if not as funny as the average Disney-comedy. A nice cast (with support from the likes of McLean Stevenson, Harry Morgan and Roddy McDowall) although Ken Berry has always seemed like the guy they get if Dean Jones has better things to do. Worth mentioning is it's great finale with some impressive stunts thousands of feet above the ground. Noted for being veteran Disney-director Norman Tokar's final film (he died the following year).