Lo mau

I've had The Cat on my to-see list for some time now, and I finally sat my fat ass down to watch it. Story revolves around the spacemen (dude, chick and a cat) who left their planet because of, I think they said, "Evil Influence". Well, they're now here on Earth and that evil has followed them. And it's their goal to destroy this evil or what they call it, "The Enemy". Do the spacemen stop the Enemy? Does the Cat save the day? Or does it run out of lives? Find out in The Cat.

When the picture has anything related to the enemy going on or if the Cat is on screen the movie does well for itself. Because you know some crazy creature effects and gore will happen, some funny cat antics or just some cute, snuggly and cozy shots of our beloved feline are on the screen. But with a pretty lackluster side-story involving a writer and his girlfriend trying to solve the mystery of The Cat, the movie drags. So with a mix of the two the movie is kind of a mixed bag. But with such crazy scenes involving the Cat and the enemy, the movie makes you forget about any other lulls.

I've got to mention that the special effects which are very Asian in a 80's slimy, neon glow type way, are awesome. They're just simply very fun. And with the Enemy being just a weird take on The Blob, it's just a total joy to watch whenever it's on screen. And if there are any regular character or standins in the same scene you know some nice deaths are gonna happen.

And lastly I do have to mention that the Dog vs. Cat fight scene is probably the best in all of cinematic history. Ever see a cat set up a dog so it runs into an electrified shed? Oh? In a cartoon? Eh, well it's just as awesome in this movie. Maybe even more awesome.

So, if you're like me and enjoy whacko-Asian-weirdo-beardo type movies you should definitely enjoy at least enough of this movie to make it seem my review is worth something. Phew! Like magic cats? Like evil villains? Enjoy the cheese? Then the Cat's for you.

THE CAT is a nearly indescribable exploration in to ultra-weird HK cinema. Made by the people who did THE STORY OF RICKY, THE CAT is a film that pretty much defies categorization - but I'll try to give the basic idea:

We start off with a writer who begins to tell the story of a friend's weird encounters with some neighbors. Turns out the neighbors are space-people who along with their trusty cat/leader, General, are on a mission to destroy some guy who's pretty much like a funny HK caricature of the Terminator. Throw in some convoluted mess about some "octagons" that are both weapons and the space-peoples transportation device, and some weird, poorly crafted monster effects somewhat reminiscent to THE BLOB or perhaps THE THING, and there ya have it...

This one was utterly ridiculous. I hope to God that THE CAT was meant to be a comedy or I really missed the point on this one. There are some truly great (if you consider completely asinine and pretty much retarded, "great"...)scenes, including a junkyard Kung-Fu battle between General (the cat) and a big dog. This scene alone is worth at least trying to find a copy of this film to borrow from somebody. The end "climax" sequence atop a rooftop is so strange and goes from mildly weird to just all-out bizarre, that I had convinced myself that I had somehow unknowingly ingested about 14 hits of primo window-pane. Not really my cup of tea as far as Asian film goes - but worth a look if you're into Sci-Fi/Kung-Fu/Horror/Comedy/Action-hybrids. And let's face it - who's not into that...well...honestly...I guess I'm not so much...A pretty generous 5/10 for Kung-Fu cat fights and tripped out weirdness.

From the team who made "Ricky-O" comes...well i don't know what this is, to tell you the truth. The closest thing i can relate this film to is "the Hidden"... for cats!! If that sounds bizarre, that's because it IS. In the right frame of mind (ie. drunk), it's not half bad. The problem is, with the caliber of acting & special effects, it's not half good either.

My grade: C-

This movie has one of the best plots I've ever witnessed especially since its a low budget film. Incredible character development despite not knowing anyone's name besides Mr. Wang. The peak of the movie is during the fight scene between the dog and cat which puts shame to any marvel movie ever made. The plot is extremely unpredictable which keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout the entire movie. The whole movie is just incredible. A must see for all movie buffs. Special effects are insane for 1991. Just a phenomenal movie I wish the director made more films honestly. Just pure brilliance in a VHS. Loved it.

From the team that brought us the outrageous prison drama STORY OF RICKY comes an equally bizarre science-fiction movie. It isn't ashamed to "borrow" ideas from sources as diverse as CALTIKI, THE TERMINATOR, THE BLOB and THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT. The result is certainly lively and - if you're in the right frame of mind - quite entertaining.

The story concerns three visitors from another solar system whose mission on earth is to destroy "the star-killer", an amorphous Lovecraftian creature that absorbs and can re-animate its human victims. The trio is seeking two relics displayed in terrestrial museums. When joined together, the relics create an amplification device for a ray beamed from their home planet. Bathed in the amplified ray, one of the visitors - a black cat called The General - will be powerful enough to vanquish the monster.

The film's main attractions are its comely female cast members and some over-the-top action sequences. These include a junk yard battle between The General and a huge black mastiff that must be seen to be believed. There are also some quite graphic horror scenes, but the poor quality of the make-up effects mutes their impact.

Although it never attains the quality of the films it emulates, THE CAT is sufficiently fast-paced to hold our attention even while we laugh at its absurdities.